What does a worship leader really need to know?
January 17th, 2006 by Ben Tipler | Posted in Ministry Philosophy
Over the past few years I have been mentoring a few young worship leaders, through this process I’ve had to determine what is vital for one to know in order to go from being a singer or singer/guitarist or singer/keyboardist into a worship leader. Though there are many intricate details I could go into, I am going to list 5 (seems like a good number) essential pieces to being a worship leader
1) preparation - This one is probably one of the biggest ones that I can’t stress enough. Preparing yourself spiritually, preparing yourself for rehearsals, preparing yourself for services/gatherings, preparing your band for what’s happening. Not only do you need to keep yourself prepared to do your part, but you need to go a step further to make sure you are prepared to lead your band and prepared to help them. Go the extra mile to have a conversation with the speaking pastor to see how you can help enhance what he is speaking about. Have yourself prepared way ahead of time to allow time and energy to help prepare others that you are leading. Preparing yourself spiritually from beginning to end is vital. If you do all of the work and then invite God into things the night of a gathering or are in prayer on everything leading up to a gathering then just do things scripted without letting God and the Holy Spirit move you, you are missing out on what you and your congregation can experience. So bottom line… Follow the boy scout motto! BE PREPARED!
2) flexibility In the ever changing world of ministry, we need to be flexible. Pastors shift directions, singers lose their voice, drummers are unexpectedly called out of town, equipment randomly stops working, the list goes on and on… we need to be ready to handle any situation that may come up and not freak out. If we are unwilling to be flexible in situations we are stifling our ability to lead our band to be flexible for us. Being flexible also goes along with being prepared. If you have everything down and are completely ready you have set yourself up to be flexible. If you and your band consistently have things together dropping a song, adding a new song, doing an unexpected acoustic night, etc is alot easier than if you’re half prepared and need to do a 180 all of a sudden. Flexibility is a sign of an effective worship leader.
3) knowing the songs Not only should you know your parts inside and out, but you should also know your bandmates and singers parts. Not saying you need to play every instrument and perfect every harmony, but you should know at any given point in the song what the drummer is doing, you should know how your band builds dynamics in every song. When something doesn’t sound right you should know if it was the bass hitting a wrong note, a singer that was flat, or a drummer missing a fill, etc. Not that you lord peoples parts over their head, but when things aren’t going right you are able to pin point the area that needs work and can then help your bandmate out to figure out how to fix it.
4) communication Without strong communication skills things can go awry in a split second. Being that you’re working with artists/musicians one of our downfalls is strong verbal communication in our expectations, standards, basic information, etc. The people you work with in your ministry need to hear and know what’s going on. Figure out the best way to communicate things to them, whether it’s a phone call, an email, a letter in the mail, or having a band blog. Anyway you do it you need to communicate clearly so everyone understands what you need them to know. Also communicating with your congregation from stage, you need to help keep things moving, transitioning well, tying in scripture, etc. The only way to get better at that is practice and experience. Ask your pastor for tips on communicating verbally. You don’t want to give mini-sermons, but adding in thoughts, scripture, and life experiment make you more transparent to the congregation and they’re usually more willing to follow someone they trust.
5) knowing your bandmates/building unity Invest time into the people you serve with/lead. The better you know eachother and the more trust that is built in relationship the easier people follow you. If you are closed off from your bandmates and don’t make an effort to know your bandmates outside of rehearsals and gatherings you are selling yourself, your band, and your church short. There is something almost unexplainable when a group of people are leading worship together that are totally unified in purpose, friendship, & Christ. Like I tell the highschool band I lead “we don’t want to sound like we are all just ironically playing the same song at the same time, we want to be connected with one another.” Have you ever been rehearsing a song and, though its not something you could put your finger on, things are just not sounding right? More than likely the band is just not gelling together. Though building friendships outside of the rehearsal/gathering space is important, it’s also vital to implement the idea of unity musically in those areas. I will usually break the band apart, and have just the drummer start his part, then after a few bars have the bass player come in, when they are locked in a groove add a rhythm/acoustic guitar, and so on and so forth. When you do that it mentally forces everyone in the band to pay attention to what each person adds to the song and usually produces great results.
This is in no way a perfect list, but I believe it is a great start to check those 5 areas of your leadership to help grow your ministry and leadership skills. I love feedback, so let me hear it!
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I’m a bit confused here. Not one of these points has any indication of a scriptural referenece with which to back it up. Does that matter? I think it does… otherwise, this is MAN’S idea of what is needed for worship… any comments???
From my perspective . . .
I think this article was really trying to point out the things a worship leader should excel at in leading a band, not necessarily in the actual act of leading worship itself. The #1 requirement for a worship leader is to be completely in love with God, and I think that this article assumes that a worship leader would start from this place, and is merely addressing the daily production-oriented things any band leader needs to know.
Dan, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Travis, that is very true… I should have clarified better, my perspective was more from a “the ins and outs of ministry”. If you are leading your congregation into worship and are in charge of leading a band(s) for your church then it is assumed you have exampled the biblically required leadership traits in the works (i.e. living a life that can be respected and putting God first above all, etc)
I would love to dialogue more on this though, my inention is not to tell people what to do, but more so to give some pointers on some hard lessons learned in my court.
But I think the “biblical perspective” on leadership and especially leading “worship” would be a good conversation considering that the music was not as a prominent role as it’s given in today’s western civilization church.
Ben, I think this was a good article. This stuff is hopefully helpful and no, there isn’t scripture to back up everything, so it isn’t sin to do things differently by any means. I think we have to go by “man’s idea of what is needed for worship.” Of course that will be covered in prayer, and wisdom hopefully, but there are not many Biblical directives on worship, we have freedom. What Ben was sharing was great practicle tips that I think many worship leaders should consider.
My issue has nothing to do with what is helpful or not helpful in terms of leading worship. However, I have found (with over 25 years of experience in this arena) that far too often what we THINK is “helpful” slowly turns into what we THINK The Bible TEACHES as NECESSARY for authentic worship to take place… and more often than not, it ain’t! (How’s that for gooder English!)
Seriously, I only ask because we continue to see such a mess in the wonderful world of worship - church after church is struggling in this area with more and more leaders being either burned out or let go for a variety of reasons… we as leaders must take - uh - the LEAD! And actually LEAD…
Talking in cirlces now? Perhaps… Anyway, it’s great to keep this dialogue going!!
Blessings to all!
Dan - it sounds like you are passionate about authentic worship. You are among friends here. We want to discuss the spiritual AS WELL as the practical aspects of leading worship. I don’t think you will find a lack of zeal for accurate theology or authentic worship here.
Please join the dialogue :).
Dan McG, (if i can call you that) I for sure appreciate your thoughts on this topic. I think it is really helping define a few things. I agree with Matt, I believe we all are in pursuit of authentic, genuine worshiping in spirit and truth, if I did not work under that assumption I would have not skipped to the practical, being that the biblical basics of worshiping in spirit and in truth are far more important.
I doubt any of us are trying to write our own book on theology or create a new doctrine but one the aspects i love about this medium of communication is that we can get perspectives from everyone across the globe. at 10 years of service I have less than half your experience, though I’m sure we’ve faced many of the same struggles and situations.
I do agree with you that us leaders must TAKE THE LEAD, too many just let things slip by and stand on the sidelines and then wonder what went wrong. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Good work on here guys. Thanks for all your thoughts. I want to throw out the idea that something what a worship leader might need is just a willing heart. I am not sure that when I stated leading, I had the passion or the skill required but I looked at it abit more like Isaiah 6:8 where God asks who shoudl go tell people and Isaiah says, “I’ll do it.” Our ministry in Des Moines, Iowa a few years ago had about 12 people and I started playing at that service because there was a need for someone to sing and my leaders asked me to. For a while we asked people to be in the band because they were the only ones we could fine. (not the best strategy ever) Now it is different but I wanted to share that I agree with everythin everyone has written above but in practice for us, God used our weaknesses and developed us with time. He continually is using our music to humble us in the band and in the local church.
Quick last thought. I believe very firmly what I think was the last point of the 5, I think the band is the most visible grouping of people in the physical church and if true community and humilty doesn’t happen there… you may not be leading your church in (real) worship because it is not the music that glorifies God but our obedient lives that glorify Him. I have commited to viewing the band as a miniture church that we can put into practice every command for the church. Then in turn, the church will see an example of love, forgivenness, leadership, encouragement.
Peace,
-Justin Meyer
Please feel free to email me with thoughts or questions. I may have miscommunicated here.
I believe that all are good points and have their place yet the ingredient(s) that we all need are found in the Word: where He speaks of being teachable and full of grace and loving one another and believing God and remembering Grace (unmerited favor)and the power of His Resurrection and shed Blood. All of that wrapped in a blanket of Hope creates the Heart of Worship we need. You have blessed me my brothers.
this conversation reminds me of what i was reading earlier at http://worshipmatters.com/ about “what does a worship leader do?” Jan 31 if you were interested….
What a great concept: the Worship Team (here I speak of more than the band) should be a small church a small version of who you believe the body you are leadng ought to be. That is a great idea Justin and I thank you for that clarity. The power of transformed lives on display is incredible. Yet you must be seen as authentic so you should be seen as who you are not a construct of who you should be. When I come to worship I speak of my sins and sinful heart. I speak of my pain and my passions and those things that are not lovely. Then I remind our people there is one who is lovely who is wonderful who has majesty who is Life who brings Hope and who Is Redemption and the Resurrection and His care for me is overwhelming and over powering and REQUIRES worship. Requires it because of His Nature and not my readiness. When your Team is doing that all together then the church must and will worship and desire for the Lord will be evident because they see hearts given to Hope In Christ and sold out to Him even in pain and in lack and mistaken hearts. Those who Love the Lord must Love Him in Spirit and In Truth - this IS who I am please Lord cleanse me and make me whole to do Your Will!
So what is God’s will for us in worship? As worship leaders? As worshippers?
I have struggled with this in a lot of ways. Of course God wants us in Spirit and in Truth, I know this. But how is that done? I have a hard time thinking that we can just enter into worship with that “mindset”. He doesn’t ask us to have the “mindset” of Spirit and Truth. It seems that this is something that isn’t just understood, rather something that is. Something that is in our hearts, our souls. It seems that this isn’t something we aquire over a period of worshipping or leading.
And I know He wants to humble our hearts or to come to Him humbled. But what does that mean? Yeah, ok, I need to bring myself before Him with all my crap exposed, but then what?
Understanding that if I humble my heart in hopes that that will be a worthy of Him, and in turn those that I’m leading and worshipping with following in that act.
Thank you all for your thoughts.
peace,
c
First off, i really appreciate the original post as well as everyone’s comments thus far. I think that the practical aspects of leading are so important to share with each other.
Here’s maybe why some of us are missing each other (maybe not). Most of us on here are from Great Commission churches. We either know each other, or know of each other. We also know that, as a movement, we are totally committed to God and his Word. not only that, but we understand that as a GC worship leader we are held to a higher standard than other men and women. Not to brag (ok well maybe a little) but we are unique. and the men that have passed down this responsibility of leading our churches in worship were unique. God did great things with them and continues to do so with us.
I think (and these are just my thoughts) the reason this post of “what does a worship leader really need to know” involved practical aspects was because there is an assumption within Great Commission that leaders are people with a passion for Gods word, a heart for the church and the lost, and who are CONTINUALLY filled with the spirit, amongst other things.
and i think that when we talk about worshiping in spirit and in truth, we are talking about worshiping with our lives. We know that its not just a sunday morning event. And hoping that the holy spirit moves thru you just before the service just doesnt cut it. Our life is what worship is. Its our daily surrender and our growing love for God. When we lead, it is an overflow of our love for Christ and an overflow of his spirit in us. I think that as we grow in spiritual maturity, we will grow in our worship both in our spirit and in truth.
Would you guys agree, or am i off. talk it up
Good response Luke. I totally agree man.
Luke has it directly: when you ask for a recipe then you are missing the point - a life surrendered to worship is exactly that - no more and no less. There IS no formulae nor is there a script. When I come to worship I come naked before the Lord - completely ashamed of who I am and expecting His Grace to wash me clean. We come WE the worship leaders COME to the Lord EXACTLY as everyone else comes with the exception it is our privilege to be the first to plunge into the stream and help others to gather at His throne. It is all this that is what it MEANS to be humle in worship. IT is exactly this and nothing more. Remember Martin Luther when he told the world that it is Grace plus NOTHING that equals salvation? Well it is GRACE plus NOTHING that equals leading in Worship. NO plan NO strategem NO method! When you see that then guitars and keyboards and vocals mean nothing they are nothing except the avenue for touching the Heart of God. Yes YES YES it is hyperspiritual but what did the Lord say? what did He say: True Worshippers will worship in Keyboard and guitar? NO NO Spirit and Truth. He also says in His word that you must be of the spirit to discern spiritual things that these are rubbish to those who are perishing but life to those whose lives are being BEING saved. WE who lead MUST understand the Heart of the One we adore far before the method and the method will take care of itself if we will learn the Heart alone. God’s Heart IS the power of Worship. What should a worship leader really know? Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and Resurrected! When we look into His face we will know exactly how to lead others to His feet!
God’s Will for us in Worship: to worship Him in Spirit and IN Truth -
In Spirit - as believers washed in the blood of Christ and seeking His return
IN Truth - knowing our own nakedness before Him.