Part 3 in our series:
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.
One Comment
“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.”
When I first started choosing the lineups for our worship team a few years back, I thought I was mainly going to be using my ‘band director’ skills in creating great sets that flowed nicely, etc., etc. Little did I realize God had something else in mind.
The ‘pastoral’ part of worship leading has been stirred in me during my time of serving as a worship planner and the art of putting together a set is more than just focusing on the basic elements: 1) how will the songs work together for transitions; 2) what song(s) can my team play; 3) what is the message for that week, you get the idea. It is now an all-encompassing idea of how can I lead the people of our church to draw closer to God, to open their hearts to receive what they need most from God on that day as we gather together.
I’m still working on some of the other qualities of a great worship leader though. Always something to aspire to, huh??
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