Today, I spent time with friend and artist Josh Lomelino, who teaches web and graphic design over at O’More College of Design in Franklin, TN.

I was sitting in on his class, with a room full of young artists – each a colorful soul in their own right working toward making a career in the arts… well… work.

I was convinced again that artists have the capacity to create the future in culture in ways that many other fields have more limited capacity.

Public policy lives downstream from public opinion, a friend has said, and it is the artists who have the capacity to sway the heart before the mind has a chance to critically dismantle an idea.

One of my great passions is to spend my life infusing fresh vision, theology and creativity in young artists (and old) – telling a Story of the world that places them at the very center of a healing mission rather than on the periphery.

If the StoryTellers can find their way, and the Message for which they were gifted to speak in design and drama and dance and ditty – then the world will indeed listen. That message has a million nuances, and a thousands ways its can be told; it will be artists who deliver truths of both injustice and freedom into the souls of a waiting world.

Young designer Andrew Wierzba (Media76) will be working with us on a project, and I look forward to the journey of growth ahead.

These worship leaders understand what mutual submission is all about. They recognize the mantle that the lead pastor carries for the congregation, and they do all they can to defer to, and support, that leader.

Great worship leaders know how to honor time limits, ask teachable questions, and share the pastor’s vision for the church in song selection and event preparation.

Great worship leaders do not push their way into worship leading or other roles – they offer their gifts, and then allow God to make a place for them to lead.  They are not pushy or forceful – they are centered, and full of trust in God to make a place for their leadership.

Great worship leaders graciously receive input, and even pursue it – especially from the lead pastor and common worshipers in the congregation.

Are You In Your Element?
Dan Wilt, M.Min.

Your life is a gift to the rest of us.

You were designed to live in your element, in that unique way that only you can live in this world.

When you live in your element, the rest of us are impacted – we’re grounded, we’re inspired, we’re empowered, and we’re connected to one another.

The New Testament says this about living in our element in 1 Corinthians 12:4:

“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.
All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!
The variety is wonderful….”

When you live from the center of who you were designed to be, we are all richer and inspired to live in our element.

There are 4 elements in life to which we all must attend if we want to live fully alive before God and people in this precious lifetime we each have been given.

The element of Earth speaks of the grounded life. The element of Wind speaks of the inspired life. The element of Fire speaks of the empowered life. The element of Water speaks of the communal life.

Earth – A Grounded Life
Earth speaks of a grounded life. When I was a young boy growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, I first learned the lesson of gravity. It wasn’t in a classroom. It was the day I decided I wanted to impress the neighbor girl on the playground near our home. I climbed to the top of the monkey bars while she stood watching, enthralled with my courage and wild daring. Like a superhero at the top of the Empire State building, I thrust my arms into the sky, and I leapt into the air.

My memory of what happened next is quite foggy. I remember my feet hitting the ground first, my knees second, my chest third and my nose and face, last. As I say wheezing on the ground, gasping for air and feeling the warmth of the blood pouring from my nose, I heard a young girl’s voice say matter-of-factly “That was dumb.” I remember thinking a simple thought in that moment: “I thought the ground was softer than this.”

Earth speaks of those things of that don’t move in our lives – those things that don’t break on us – rather we break on them. Earth speaks of life elements like faith and a healthy spirituality. It speaks of character and the quality of your soul: integrity, honesty, perseverance, courage, faithfulness, goodness. Earth speaks of our marital relationships, our relationships with our children, our extended families, our friends. Earth speak of our ability to live generously in a world that tells us to withhold for our own benefit. Earth speaks of a grounded faith.

Are you living in the element of Earth – are you tending to those elements of life that ground you, stabilize you, provide a foundation for living well, finishing well, in your lifetime?

Wind – An Inspired Life
Wind speaks of an inspired life. A number of years ago, I was sailing on a boat with my family and friends on a blustery afternoon on Lake Ontario. We decided to go swimming, and while the rest of my family were hanging onto a rope attached to the boat, my oldest daughter and I were not.

The boat quickly moved away from us, and I don’t swim well. We floated in the turbulent waves as we watched the boat rapidly become a small speck quite distant from us. My friend knew exactly what to do. He was familiar with the arts of handling the wind, no matter which direction it was blowing. He moved quickly, grabbed the rigging, threw his many sails into the sky, and masterfully found his way right back to us.

Wind speaks of those life elements that inspire us, that move us where we want to go, that deliver us from our belief that we can do nothing, to our belief that we can do anything. Wind speaks of life elements like art and beauty, gardening, great concerts, inspiring books, energizing friendships, passionate vocational work and spiritual encouragement. Wind speaks of our need to lift our sails into the wind, to learn the arts of riding the winds that are sent to us, and getting to the places we are  made to go.

Are you living in the element of Wind? Are you tending to those elements in your life that inspire you, renew you, that bring you joy, that provide you with the energy you need to move forward day by day through the responsibilities of life?

Fire – An Empowered Life
Fire speaks of an empowered life. I’ve interacted with many friends around the world who, like me, have endured life-threatening battles with severe depression. In each case, there are many layers, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual that can add up to the sense of powerlessness that many feel holds their life in chains. I have watched those same lives, in a time of prayer, or in a season of ongoing encouragement renewal and counsel, come back from the dead, burst through the chrysalis, to live a colorful, resurrected life.

Fire speaks of those life elements that empower us, that revive us and give us a strong and vivid sense of destiny and purpose in the world. Fire speaks of a spirituality that celebrates God’s greatness and our own. Fire speaks of ongoing personal development in areas of our passion and our skills. It speaks of study, risk, and placing ourselves in situations where wild adventure is the only option. Fire speaks of life elements that remind that we are someone’s hero in this lifetime, and that we have strength beyond ourselves to drawn on to accomplish our unique heroic mission in our lifetime.

Are you living in the element of Fire? Are you tending to those elements in your life that catalyze energy, passion, skill, hope and faith within your soul? Are you living in such a way that you are regularly empowered to do what you are called to do?

Water – A Communal Life
Water speaks of a communal life. I, like hopefully many of you, love flyfishing. One of my favorite summer pastimes to stand in a river with a friend down the way, casting my line into placid, lush pools where the fish are resting. In the river and its pools, one sees the very nature of water. H20 runs to the lowest places. It nurtures the growth in those hidden areas that teem with life and they become alive.

Water speaks of those life elements that connect us with one another in a deep and growing sense of community. Water speaks of friendships maintained over the course of decades, of lifetimes, that are nurtured on a daily or weekly basis. Water speaks of the hope that comes in a moment of tremendous distress, where lives with which we share both joy and pain come around us, run to the lowest places in our hearts and nourish the seeds that are buried in the soil of our suffering. Water speaks of our faith communities, spiritual friendships, our connection with our tribes, and our intentional connection with our communities.

Are you living in the element of Water? Are you tending to those life elements that nurture encouragement, accountability, shared wisdom and mutual inspiration in your life? Are you living in such a way that authentic relationships are running to the lowest places in your life, because you are running to the lowest places in theirs?

A Simple Question
I began with a simple question. Are you in your element? Are you tending to the elements of earth, wind, fire and water in our daily, weekly, monthly and lifetime basis, we will find ourselves at the very center of a destiny that begins and ends in a Story bigger than us all.

You were made for this kind of elemental life, to be who you were designed to be – to live in your element for the sake of us all.

To uoin others on the Elemental Life journey, dive in here.

Worship leaders who play their instrument well have a much longer sustainability factor within a changing congregation than do those who are weak technically and cannot handle a diversity of demographic or need in a local community.

Great worship leaders are able on their instrument. They are not always the most proficient musician on the team; in fact, they are sometimes the least! However, they can lead the band confidently with what they do know.

Great worship leaders have just enough arranging ability to take a rag tag team, intuitively know what songs they can pull off smoothly, and what songs they simply cannot, and make them sound sweet together in simple arrangements.

Great worship leaders practice privately, and keep their own chops up personally or with lessons.

WORSHIP LEADER ROLE PERSONAL EVALUATION
www.worshiptraining.com

This evaluation we developed at worshiptraining.com can either be done on one’s own, or in tandem with a pastor/overseer. In the latter case, it would be good for each to fill out their perspective on the following answers, then compare notes.

PART 1
Reflect on the many roles the worship leader must fulfill among those who we lead in worship.

Which roles come more naturally to you by personality, and which are areas of challenge for you to grow in? Use the following list to help you answer.

- Priestly (building bridges for people to connect with God)
- Teacher (communicating themes without music)
- Storyteller (retelling the realities of the Kingdom in music)
- Evangelist (leading others to a place of challenge and commitment)
- Pastor (relationally nurturing our teams, communities)
- Prophetic (challenging Christians to go to new edges in their faith)
- Administrative (organizing worship, planning, details, events)
- Intercessory (committed to pray for those we lead/lead with)

PART 2
When working with a worship team or group of musicians, what is your greatest strength? Your greatest challenge? How about when working with your pastor or those in oversight roles (small group pastors, etc.)?

Copy and paste the following in your answer, and rate yourself 1-10 beside it. I.e. 10 is “amazing at this,” and 1 is “oh my goodness, this is a rough patch for me.”

In cases where you’re not sure how the “w/pastor” rating fits, rate how you think your pastoral leader would rate you in this area.

- Honest communication? (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Submission to another’s leadership? (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Musical strength/leadership (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Pastorally supporting others? (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Conflict resolution? (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Being a team player? (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Supporting another’s vision? (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Being easy to get along with/likeable (w/team: w/pastor: )
- Mentoring other leaders/musicians (w/team: w/pastor: )

If you’d like to join our course, go to Essentials In Worship Leading at WorshipTraining.com to register.

GREAT WORSHIP LEADERS: Pastoral
Dan Wilt, M.Min.
Learning Community Director
WorshipTraining.com

These worship leaders have a wider skillset than just playing an instrument, leading worship and leading a band. Most churches cannot afford such a limited capability in a new staff member. Most pastors and leaders I know are looking for worship leaders stirred by Kingdom passion, and motivated by pastoral love for the church.

Great worship leaders are flexible. They can lead worship in a home group, or lead the devotional time, or speak before the church on Sunday morning if asked. Great worship leaders know their scriptures, and know how to sensitively pray for a cancer patient in a hospital, and for a congregation in the midst of a building program.

Great worship leaders actually care for, and shepherd, their worship teams.

Great worship leaders “pastor” the congregation as they lead worship. It is clear to the church that the worship leader is not primarily in front to express his or her musical preferences in worship. There is a keen sense that the worship leader is there for them to have a meaningful connection with God.

Great worship leaders know when to ask someone to join a team, because their hearts are right, and how to ask someone to take a break because their hearts are askew from the central mandate of the team – to serve.

Great worship leaders read history, theology and classic Church writers in order to understand what makes and breaks the people of God. That learning finds its way into everything from the prayers uttered between songs, to the songs selected each set.

See our Essentials In Worship Leading online course for training in these ideas.