Worship Lifestyle by Kaylee Page, Donavan Smith & Gabe Murillo

WORSHIP LIFESTYLE a life laid down

M Y HE A RT E X PL ODES W ITH PR A ISE T O YOU! NOW A N D FOR E V ER M Y HE A RT BOWS IN WOR SHIP T O YOU, M Y K ING A N D M Y G OD! E V ERY DAY I W ILL LIF T U P M Y PR A ISE T O YOU R NA M E W ITH PR A ISES TH AT W ILL L A ST THROUGHOU T ETER NIT Y. L OR D, YOU A R E GR E AT A N D WORTH Y OF THE HIGHEST PR A ISE! FOR THER E IS NO EN D T O THE DISCOV ERY OF THE GR E ATN ESS TH AT SU R ROU N DS YOU. GEN ER ATION A F TER GEN ER ATION W ILL DECL A R E MOR E OF YOU R GR E ATN ESS A N D MOR E OF YOU R GL ORY. YOU R AW E-INSPIR ING AC TS OF P OW ER H AV E E V ERYON E TA LK ING! I’M TELLING PEOPLE E V ERY W HER E A BOU T YOU R E XCELLEN T GR E ATN ESS! OU R HE A RTS BU BBLE OV ER A S W E CELEBR ATE THE FA M E OF YOU R M A RV EL OUS BE AU T Y, BR INGING BLISS T O OU R H E A RT S .

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CONTENTS

W EEK O N E who is a worship leader?

01 W EEK T WO stepping into your authority

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W EEK TH R EE developing disciples

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W EEK FO U R filled to flow

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W EEK F I V E communication: the key to success

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W EEK S I X reading the atmosphere

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W EEK S E V EN workshop // creative space

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W EEK EI G HT workshop // creative space

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one Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

Luke 4:8 NLT

For God is spirit, so those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth John 4:24 NLT

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!”

Psalm 149:1 ESV

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W H O I S A WO R S H I P L E A D ER?

I remember auditioning at my local church when I was thirteen years old.

I was terrified. The musicians on the stage were ten times the musician I was, and I had only just begun to understand what chord progressions were.

I was at the beginning of my development as a musician and worship leader but I still remember thinking to myself, “This is what I want to do! I want to be a worship leader!” I remember making that same declaration four years later when I started getting involved at a 6,000 member church with high-level production and musicianship.

No matter what season of development we’re in, and no matter what kind of congregation we’re leading, we need to be asking ourselves the defining questions: “Why do we want to be worship leaders? Do we feel called by the Spirit to partner with Heaven to arrange an encounter between God and His people?

Do we accept the responsibilities that come with being a worship leader? Or, are we looking to be seen? Are we looking to showcase our abilities and show everyone how talented we are?” These questions are challenging, maybe even uncomfortable, but these are questions we must be prepared to answer before we make the decision to become worship leaders.

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If I asked you to point out the worship leader at a weekend service and you pointed to the person leading the songs on the platform, you would technically be correct. Yes, the vocalists on the worship team are worship leaders, but are the vocalists the only people on stage that qualify to carry the role of “worship leader”? Is it a title? Or has God designed it to be something so much more? We’ll be getting into the nitty-gritty behind the term “worship leader” and what it actually means in this chapter.

Let’s begin with some common expectations people have when thinking about becoming a worship leader.

EXPECTATIONS I get to sing on the stage.

I get to be seen by others.

I am here to fully use ALL of my giftings for Jesus.

I have great ideas that everyone should listen to.

Singing for worship is a side hobby; it’s something I do when it’s convenient for me.

Worship stops once service is over.

Many of us don’t come right out of the gate with these expectations, but it is quite possible that we may hold some of them subconsciously. We may even be aware of them, wrestle with them, and mask them with false humility. If you have carried these expectations -- whether you have shared them publicly or thought them internally -- join the club! No shame here!

We have all been there.

These statements sound reasonable, but they aren’t the fullest focus of worship. Yes, the ability to sing or play an instrument does show that you have talent, but pure talent alone does not make you a worship leader. The purpose of this book is to teach that worship leading is not about a stage or a title -- it’s a lifestyle. Here are four realities and qualities of a worship leader that might challenge your perspective of the term.

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REALITY As a worship leader, you are first and foremost a servant. It is your job to minister to the congregation and bridge the gap between the Bride of Christ and the Groom.

As a worship leader, you are partnering with Jesus to arrange and facilitate a meeting place for God and His people. If you have any part in doing this, you are a worship leader! This includes the sound engineers, lighting directors, service producers, and teaching pastors, as well as vocalists and musicians.

As a worship leader, you are surrendering yourself to a life of worship, not just a 23-minute worship set. Remember that through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, we have become the new tabernacle where the Spirit of the Lord dwells. We are not only leading the church during service -- in truth, you are always leading others into worship. You lead by what you wear, how you respond to conflict, what you post on social media, how you love others, but most importantly, how you love Jesus.

Being a leader doesn’t change when you step off the platform. It is our responsibility to lead by example on and off the platform. Being a worship leader doesn’t necessarily involve music.

A worship leader demonstrates a heart of worship and affection toward God every single day.

As a worship leader, you must realize you carry a God-given authority. Did you know that there are Scriptural examples of worship leaders being sent before the warriors on the battlegrounds? The authority that they were given to carry on that battleground is the same authority that you possess. We are on the front lines. People come into church with heavy hearts, broken marriages, family tension, addictions, and so much more. And what is the first thing that people see when they come to church? The worship team! They come in, they see us, and we get to point them to Jesus.

Being a worship leader carries a lot more responsibility than some people might think. It’s more than just a role or a position, it’s living out a worship lifestyle.

With these realities in mind, let’s imagine you made the worship team at your church.

Congratulations! But… now what? What does being a worship leader actually mean? Let me share a story from an amazing worship leader named Rick Pino that will hopefully shed some light on the subject.

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THE SUPREME VOCATION

In his “worship coach” video series, Rick Pino shared a dream that his friend -- another worship leader -- had. In the dream, they were standing in a line with a bunch of other people and Jesus was handing promotions to each person. When Jesus came near Rick and his friend, Jesus walked past them and continued handing over promotion scrolls. In the dream, Rick’s friend was frustrated and confused.

“Why didn’t we get a promotion? Why don’t we get a better vocation?” Rick answered, “We have the best job of all-- we are a part of the Supreme Vocation. We have the job of eternal worship leading.”

Pretty awesome, right? But… what does the Supreme Vocation entail?

Well, in Revelation it says this:

“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, FOREVER AND EVER!’” Revelation 5:11-13 This verse is so rich and powerful, because it spells out our Supreme Vocation.

The Supreme Vocation is what we will be doing for the rest of eternity -worshipping the Lord. It is what we were created to do, and it’s part of our original design. Do you know what else I love about this verse? It doesn’t say “and all of the vocalists on earth say this” or “and every music director shall do this.” It says all living creatures. Regardless of your talent, regardless of your position on the platform, regardless of your job on earth, we are all a part of the Supreme Vocation.

Everyone can take part in the Supreme Vocation wherever they are. You don’t have to be on a platform to worship, and that really shouldn’t be the only time you are worshipping. A plumber can worship while they work. A mother can worship as she drives her kids to school. A business executive can praise the Lord in his office before he goes into a meeting.

Becoming a worship leader at a church is a wonderful thing. But you must understand its implications. It’s not just about a platform. It’s not a performance and it’s not just a one-person role. It’s a lifestyle, an acknowledgment that worship isn’t something we do-- it’s who we are.

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BURNING FOR JESUS

Living sacrifice and a continuous flame: “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your true and proper worship… Never be lacking zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” Romans 12:1 and 11, NIV Consumed by Holy Fire: “Then all at once, a pillar of fire appeared before their eyes. It separated into tongues of fire that engulfed each one of them. They were all filled and equipped with the Holy Spirit and were inspired to speak in tongues-- empowered by the Spirit to speak in languages they had never learned!”

Acts 2:3-4, TPT Our responsibility as Worship Leaders is not just to pour out, but to keep our flame alive and allow God to pour into us. You can’t pour water out of an empty jug.

In order for us to serve and set the example of worship and live out our Supreme Vocation, we need to first offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Surrender is an act of worship, and nothing pleases God more than saying “Here’s my life, use me.”

Believe me, He will fulfill that request.

We also have to stay connected to the Holy Spirit. If we follow what Jesus said in John 15 and stay connected to the vine, He will work in and through us and we will be empowered. The disciples spoke a language they’d never even heard before after being touched by the fire of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you, but I want to have access to that empowerment.

THE CHALLENGE So, now you know that you already are a worship leader. Do you want to learn more about what it means to be a worship leader, working with a team, leading a congregation, and committing to a lifestyle of worship?

If so, then I welcome you to the Supreme Vocation.

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YOU 1. DEFINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WORSHIP LEADER.

2. WHILE BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS YOU CAN, AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER, HAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT A WORSHIP LEADER IS CHANGED?

3. EXPANDING ON THE CONCEPT OF SUPREME VOCATION BY RICK PINO, ARE THE SINGERS AND MUSICIANS THE ONLY GROUP QUALIFIED TO BE “WORSHIPPERS”? EXPLAIN YOUR THOUGHTS.

4. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP? HOW DOES A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP GO FAR BEYOND A 23-MINUTE SET OF MUSIC?

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Additional reference material

Study books

Website links

Commentary

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two “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

Luke 10:9 ESV

“Worship is the proper response of all moral, sentient beings to God, ascribing all honor and worth to their Creator-God precisely because he is worthy, delightfully so” // D.A. Carson

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ST EP P I N G I N TO YO U R AU T H O R I T Y

I have been involved in ministry for 17 years serving in various capacities. I have been on the road playing for worship artists, recorded albums, played piano, bass guitar, electric guitar, preached sermons, and even sang a song for a worship set. (Those who know me understand that it is not my preference to sing!) I have also auditioned, cleaned bathrooms, stacked chairs, and served any need the church has had. This is what it has looked like for me to walk in my authority.

When God calls you to do something, and you begin to do it, you are walking in the authority that has been prepared for you. The important thing to remember is to not abdicate that authority. We can abdicate our authority by comparing ourselves to other musicians, singers, and ministers, by being discontent with what we have been given, and by allowing fear to incapacitate us, keeping us from stepping outside of our comfort zones. I have been there. I have compared myself to other musicians, complained about the opportunities that I wasn’t receiving, even allowed fear to keep me from moving forward.

God has called us to partner with Him in creating a space where people can experience Him -- whether that’s in front of 10,000 people or 10 people. The best way for me to accept this invitation with both authority and humility is to understand that Worship is not a thing I do, it’s a life I live.

If you’re reading this, that means you accepted the challenge and want to learn more about living a worship lifestyle and stepping into worship leading. That’s awesome, and I congratulate you. Now, are you ready to learn more?

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Before we go any further on this topic, we need to acknowledge that God is the one who has all authority. He has authority over the heavens and the earth. However, in Romans 8:17, God calls us “joint heirs with Christ”! Matter of fact, Jesus did many of His miracles with His disciples! God has clearly articulated His desire to have communion with us. We are His royalty.

“Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. “ Psalms 118:10-14 NLT “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6 NIV Isn’t that awesome? The authority God has given us is mighty and powerful. But something important that we must remember is that stepping into the authority God has given us does not mean abusing it or becoming arrogant.

Listen closely -- arrogance is a roadblock of the heart. If we become arrogant and think, “Look at how much responsibility and influence I have!” and we elevate ourselves above others or even God, we’ve missed the point. In the Psalm we just read, David didn’t say he defeated his enemies with his own authority. He said, “I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord”. And in verses 13 and 14, David talks about who was behind his victories -- God. It was God who rescued David, gave him his authority, and empowered him to emerge victoriously. In verse 14 David ends his praise by proclaiming God is his strength. The moment we try to defeat our enemies with our own strength is the moment we lose the fight.

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The same goes for misusing our authority or abusing it. God didn’t intend for us to use our authority against our brothers and sisters. God gave us authority because it’s part of our Supreme Vocation and a weapon to fight against our real enemies -- those in the spiritual realm.

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:12 NLT Our enemy is very manipulative, conniving, and deceitful. He will do whatever he can to bring darkness to everything in this world. I’m not saying this to scare you; I’m saying this to inform you. And because of the cross, this is where we come in!! We have a job to do, which is to worship God and serve our church body.

I have good news for you. Because of the authority God has given to us, when we speak the name of Jesus, our voices have power. When we sing of the glory of God, the enemy cowers. When we use our authority in the right way, we can break off strongholds. The worship song “Champion” explores these themes and realities. God is our champion and can defeat even the biggest giants. And, when we open our mouths to proclaim the victory of Jesus Christ and the defeat of sin and death by the cross, walls come down and miracles break out. For this reason, we don’t need to focus our time on the enemy -- we just need to look at Jesus.

How do we do this? Remember that worship is what brought down the opposing enemies of Israel that we read about in 1 Chronicles 16. A posture of worship is an important part of being a leader. I would even go a step further to say that worship is a powerful tool against depression, anxiety, and fear. John 10:10 says the enemy comes to “steal, kill, and destroy”. Instead of yielding to the enemy’s tactics, we get to take action and combat them with worship and prayer. Before a service, take authority over the atmosphere. Speaking the name of Jesus aloud and praying against any attack of the enemy wards off his advances. Stepping into your authority means worshiping even before the service begins.

This brings up another connected topic we need to touch on. I know how easy it is to blame the enemy when a song doesn’t go perfectly as planned, or technical issues happen, or we just aren’t “feeling it”. Sometimes we blame it on a spirit of heaviness, or demonic activity. While there are many times where demonic strongholds need to be brought down by worship, often what really gets in our way of worshipping and praying is us.

I’m not talking about arrogance or abusing our authority. I’m talking about a different roadblock -- complacency. This roadblock affects those who have served on a worship team, have worshipped in the congregation, or worshipped God in private.

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Have you ever thought, “I really don’t feel like worshipping right now” or “I’m in a bad mood, so I can’t worship” or “I’m so busy”? It is really easy to fall victim to complacency. (No shame or condemnation because it happens to all of us.)

But should your busyness or your bad mood keep you from worshipping? No. Remember, we don’t worship because of a feeling. We worship because God is worthy and it’s what we were born to do -- it’s our Supreme Vocation.

WORSHIPPING PAST THE FEELING Worship because He is good: “O Lord, how long will you forget me? How long will you look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me” Psalm 13 NLT Worship at all times: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” Psalm 34:1 ESV An expensive sacrifice: “But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” 2 Samuel 24:24, NIV Everyone has gone through something that has made worshipping costly. Maybe you’ve experienced a loss. Maybe you’ve been stressed out of your mind and the idea of adding “spend time with God” to your to-do list overwhelmed you. Or maybe you’re in a season where you feel like nothing is going right. All of these experiences are real and valid.

What do we do when we face them? Do we stay in a place of being overwhelmed, complacent, busy, and tired? Maybe it’s time to stop looking at spending time with God in worship as something to check off of a to-do list.

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How do you spend time with your friends and family? Do you have conversations? Do you play music together? Do you take turns talking and listening? Why not do the same thing with God? He isn’t a made-up figment of our imagination. He is just as real but far better than any other relationship we have! Speak to Him. Bring Him all of your stress and worry. Love on Him. Draw near to Him out of relationship, not religion. So many of the Psalms are David crying out to God and lamenting due to his circumstance.

And it’s alright to do what David does -- we’re emotional beings who feel things like stress, grief, and listlessness. Lamenting is a part of human nature, and when we lament to God about our circumstance, God listens: “I cried aloud to him with all my heart and he answered me! Now my mouth overflows with the highest praise.”

Psalm 66: 17 TPT David, though he lamented about his hopelessness, never gave in to his circumstance and allowed it to stop him from worshipping. Remember Psalm 13, which starts off sorrowful and ends with a declaration of faith and trust in God’s love and goodness. When we suffer a loss, or when we are going through something difficult, our response should be to fall on our knees and worship. He’ll walk us through our pain and grief.

When we feel stressed, the Bible says to cast, not gently put down, but rather, cast your cares at His feet. He’ll replace the stress with His perfect peace. When we feel like we’re in the wrong season and everything is pointless, worship anyway.

God hears you. God understands. But He can’t help you or connect with you if you won’t look to Him. Love (and subsequently worship) is a choice. Your heart posture matters, and that’s why we need to choose to worship.

Choose to battle your complacency. Choose to spend time with God. Choose to give over your stress and grief and helplessness to the Lord. Choose to worship past the feeling.

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YOU 1. WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘AUTHORITY’ MEAN TO YOU?

2. HOW HAS GOD CALLED YOU TO WORSHIP WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW?

3. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES. HOW HAVE YOU WORSHIPPED PAST THE FEELING?

4. IS THERE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO LAY DOWN AT HIS FEET RIGHT NOW THAT KEEPING YOU FROM CONNECTING WITH HIM?

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Additional reference material

Study books

Website links

Commentary

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three “‘Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.’ This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them.”

1 Timothy 4:8-11 NLT

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DE V ELO PI NG DISCI PLES

Participation in the secular music industry is very different than participation in music for the church, and for the most part, it should be that way. The differences come up not in skills and talent, but in the practice of developing others. I participated in the secular music world for a very short time. I was a keyboardist and music director for an artist in Los Angeles for about a year. And I have to be honest, it was pretty fun! I was a 19-year-old musician traveling up and down Sunset Boulevard, playing at the Key Club, the Roxy, LA County Fair, and other fun bars and clubs. I also have a lot of musician friends who play for pretty well-known celebrities. In the secular music circle, there is a golden rule: show up to a gig, bring your “A-game” and secure your spot. If you don’t, they will find someone better and replace you.

When it comes to ministry, the golden rule is just the opposite: show up to church, bring a heart to serve, and give away your spot!

Wait, give away your spot?

When it comes to ministry and looking for a job at a church, I learned very quickly that churches aren’t just looking for the most talented people, they are looking for people who can make leaders out of others. More importantly, this is the model that Jesus presented to us with His disciples while He was here on earth. So what does this mean exactly? If I replace myself with someone else, what will I do? Let’s get into that.

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What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “audition”? Auditions are an important part of the process of getting on the team, but our goal when inviting people onto the worship team is to develop them through discipleship and into effective leaders.

After all, it’s part of the Great Commission: “Jesus came and told the disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’” Matthew 28:18-19, NLT As worship leaders, we are tasked with developing disciples into other worship leaders that will worship God the way Scripture instructs. We do this by first modeling how a worship team should conduct themselves according to God and the Bible, and inviting selected worshippers to join the team.

You might be thinking, what are we looking for? Who do we invite onto the team and why? What are the qualifications? Should the worship leading team be composed only of people who walk upright before the Lord? Can anyone be on the worship leadership team? If everyone has the Supreme Vocation, why don’t we let everyone onto the team? We’ll answer all these questions in this chapter.

WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING FOR? When it comes to creating standards and prerequisites for joining the worship team, many of us dread the thought of creating another exclusive club within the church body that presents a narrative that everyone in this club is perfect, anointed, and closer to God than everyone else. It’s true that we don’t need another group of Christians sitting on their high horse, thinking they are better than everyone else. We just don’t. What we need are David-like priests who can carry the anointing and be pursuers of the heart of God. “Why David?”, you may ask. If you know the story of King David, the man was anointed, but he was not perfect.

He was an adulterer, murderer, and liar, but yet the Bible still says that David was considered “a man after God’s own heart”! Wow! You see, the goal isn’t to be perfect, the goal is to be in a constant state of self-reflection and reverence for the Love and Holiness of God. The perfection of Jesus on the cross created a ripple effect, allowing all who seek Him to be transformed into the righteousness of God. That alone should cause us to see that we aren’t accepted by God based on how hard we try to be good; rather, we’ve been redeemed by Him and He has invited us into relationship with Him.

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This profound expression of love and the acknowledgment of this expression ushers us into His grace, which then creates a desire in us to be more like Him in every aspect of our lives.

It reminds me of a Spiderman cartoon my kids were watching. Spiderman saves a teenage kid from being hit by a car. The young man thanks Spiderman and changes the course of life to be just like his hero. You see, we don’t do ministry to be loved by God -it’s because we are loved by God that we do ministry. And His passionate love changes us and causes us to desire and seek His perspective. Right now you must be thinking, what does this have to do auditions for a worship team? Here’s where I am going with this: there are many people who go to church every single Sunday but don’t know the Gospel Message. Knowing the Gospel creates true transformation and creates a desire to walk in right relationship with Jesus. So, are you ready to go tell everyone you meet about Jesus?

Are you ready to stand on a mountain, hill, or I don’t know, maybe a stage and proclaim this truth loud for everyone to hear? Well... isn’t that leading worship?

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“When it comes to evaluating the team you currently have or auditioning new team members, don’t be afraid to ask, “Do you know the Gospel?” We include questions like these on a questionnaire prior to auditions. The truth of the matter is, God has called us as ministers to walk in right relationship with Him. This simply means that we position ourselves so that God can use us and speak through us to the people He came to save.

It is impossible to be full of the Spirit and full of self. I expect everyone in our worship department to see every decision and relationship from a heavenly perspective before even our own perspective. Upon accepting the role of “worship leader”, we must be intentional about what we post, how we present ourselves to others, what we watch, who we surround ourselves with. Again, this does not come from a place of self-righteousness but of Godly righteousness. Righteousness is us coming to God and allowing Him to remove any part of us that does not reflect Him, and to amplify the parts of us that do.” // Zach Neese, “How To Worship A King.”

DEVELOPING DISCIPLES We’ve talked about how our purpose for building a team is developing disciples. We’ve also discussed the reality that when it comes to ministry, replacing yourself rather than holding on to what is yours is what makes you an effective leader. As a worship pastor, the more I teach others to do what I can do, the more I become an effective leader. I could spend my whole week doing everything, or I could develop someone to do what I can do. The goal isn’t to “do” as much as it is to empower others. Sometimes it seems so much easier to just get it done yourself. At least you know the task will get completed correctly!

However, there are so many people in the congregation that God sees as undiscovered treasures that He is just waiting to activate in their calling! Don’t hold up the process of someone’s activation.

Jesus himself developed disciples. He knew the importance of developing leaders and teaching them to teach others. But, Jesus didn’t develop everyone he spoke with into disciples. Remember, Jesus spoke to thousands of people during his ministry. How many did he select for his disciples? He selected twelve. And from those twelve, he selected three to share even more with. In Matthew 22:14, Jesus says that though many are called, few are chosen. We are all called to worship God and to carry out our Supreme Vocation.

But there are a few worshippers that God has anointed and chosen to be developed into worship leaders. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12 for some deeper clarity.

“Think of it this way. If the whole body were just an eyeball, how could it hear sounds?

And if the whole body were just an ear, how could it smell fragrances? But God has carefully designed each member and placed it in the body to function as he desires. A diversity is required, for if the body consisted of one single part, there wouldn’t be a body at all! So now we see that there are many differing parts and functions, but one body” 1 Corinthians 12:17-20, TPT

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A hand isn’t more important than a nose. An eye isn’t more important than a toe. God has given us specific roles in the body of Christ, and they are all important if the body is to successfully function.

Here’s the truth: not everyone is called to lead worship from the stage. God entrusts those He has put in leadership with those whom He has chosen out of the body to be developed into worship disciples. We teach those that require a bit of extra teaching.

We build each other up and create a team that works together for the glory of God. It is important that everyone who auditions is respected and celebrated for taking a bold step to walk in obedience to the Lord, even if their talent level isn’t quite where it needs to be to make the team.

We keep our team God-focused by reading chapters of the Bible together or by doing team devotionals. We keep our skills sharp and refined by doing vocal workshops led by our vocal director. We keep our entire department connected by hosting team nights, where we’ll worship together, read from Scripture, and often pray for one another. And, we encourage each other to go deeper into the Spirit.

TALENT We’ve come to the topic of talent for last for a reason.

We want a team of people with great character and a heart for the Lord, but we can’t dismiss the need for great talent and ability. It is important that people on the worship team are skilled musicians. The Bible points out that David was spirit-filled, but doesn’t fail to mention that he was also a skilled musician.

The talent must be there. The ability must be there. It is okay to tell someone they did not make the team because of a lack of skill. That standard doesn’t make the worship team an exclusive club, it just means that for our worship experiences, we are desiring excellence.

It’s true that God cares deeply about the heart, but if we read through the building of the tabernacle in the book of Exodus, we will clearly see a demand for excellence.

I believe that God wants our very best. Not everyone’s “best” is to be displayed on a stage. Every single person that auditions must be honored and respected, and led well, especially the ones who don’t make the team. At our church, we provide everyone who does not make the team with a clear reason why they didn’t make the team, as well as a contact for a development coach or teacher. It is okay to seek out team members who can play an instrument or sing proficiently.

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YOU 1. DO YOU SEE HOW THE “DOG-EAT-DOG” WORLD IN THE SECULAR MUSIC INDUSTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE “REPLACE YOURSELF” DYNAMIC IN MINISTRY?

2. HOW CAN AWARENESS OF THIS CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF WORSHIP MINISTRY?

3. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO EMPOWER RATHER THAN DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF?

4. WHAT ARE SOME BARRIERS THAT KEEP YOU FROM GIVING AWAY YOUR SPOT?

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four “And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord Jehovah. Keep speaking to each other with words of Scripture, singing the Psalms with praises and spontaneous songs given to you by the Spirit!”

Ephesians 5:19 TPT

“Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

Psalm 33:3 ESV

“If we want to avoid the pitfalls of stuffy traditionalism and trendy relevance, we need a rich grasp of what the Scriptures teach about worship” // ProChurch.com

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F I L L ED TO F LOW

Have you ever been in a situation where you are serving in a worship service and you just didn’t feel passionate about what you were doing? It happens to all of us. I have been a part of worship services where I didn’t feel like I was connected to God and quite frankly, wasn’t really passionate about what I was doing. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve ever felt this way.

I like to call this “spiritual dehydration”.

Did you know that by the time you begin to feel fatigued due to a lack of water in your system, that your body has already passed the point of dehydration? Feeling the effects of dehydration in a moment could mean that you have already been deprived of water for days. In my opinion, the same thing works with our connection to the Spirit while we are serving. Often we believe that serving will help us draw closer to God, and it most definitely can! However, when we are serving, we are pouring out to God’s people, and it is impossible to give what you don’t already have. It is impossible to lead people to a place where you haven’t already been yourself.

We minister from the overflow of time spent in the presence of God. We can power through and get a job done, but by now we’ve made the point that worship is so much more than just getting something done.

Many churches follow a “flow of service”, and a flow of service can look very different depending on the church. Our flow at Centerpoint Church consists of two songs up top, an offering moment, then the message, and then half a song to close the service. We would call this a “program”.

Our church uses Planning Center Services to help structure and arrange what our services will look like. (I have been a part of churches where the authority of the Planning Center Flow Sheet was right there underneath the Bible! “We must follow this flow for the sake of production! For timing! Crossing over feeds from satellite campuses!” I’ve seen it all at this point.) There is nothing wrong with formulating a plan and executing that plan.

However, it’s clear in Scripture that there are times when God’s plan doesn’t quite line up with our plans. It wasn’t Noah’s plan to build an ark. It wasn’t Moses’s plan to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Jesus even asked the Father if the plan for his brutal crucifixion could pass from him. Nevertheless, it is God’s sovereign plan that is always perfect.

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We need to make sure we incline our ear to the Holy Spirit as we conduct our planning in ministry. So what can this look like in a worship set? This can look like singing another chorus at the end of a song with maximum congregational participation. This can look like deviating off the ableton live click for a moment and singing prophetically over the congregation. The point is to pray over what is planned, and then offer up that plan to the sovereignty of the Lord.

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There’s nothing wrong with following the worship set. Straying away from the set can be tricky, especially if the team isn’t prepared or if the congregation doesn’t know which direction the worship leader is going. So yes, you should follow the flow of the set. But there’s a difference between safely sticking to the set and adapting to where the Spirit is going while still following the set.

Sometimes, the obsession with being “safe” in a worship set can be a roadblock to going deeper into the presence of God, for us as leaders and for the people we are leading.

It’s very tempting to “stick to the script”. But if we don’t allow any room for the Spirit to work through us, we’re essentially shutting the door to what could be a powerful moment of ministry. Allowing the Holy Spirit to move in and through us is so important.

Moments of spontaneous flow are where breakthrough can happen and people’s lives are touched in a very special way. Partnering with the Holy Spirit can help us grow as worship leaders and allows for an outpouring of the fruits and gifts of the Spirit.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PARTNER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT? Picture this: in front of you is a pitcher of water and two glasses. One of the glasses is half full, and the other is empty. Now, when we lead worship, we’re not just leading the congregation through some songs. We are connecting them with God and facilitating a moment where the Holy Spirit can move. In other words, we are pouring into them.

Imagine that you are the glass of water. You can pour into the congregation and your team for a little while, but what happens when your cup starts to run low? If you’re not connected to the Spirit, you will pour out until you’re empty. Then, you won’t be able to pour anymore. This is often called “burnout”. Burnout is very common in ministry, and very easy to fall into. However, if you keep your heart open to the Spirit -- the pitcher of water -- and allow Him to move in and through you, the Spirit will pour so much into you that you will become a leader that overflows, and can pour out abundantly into your congregation and team.

Living by the Spirit is a part of the worship lifestyle, and when we do this we have access to the fruits of the Spirit -- fruits that we can pass on to our teams, and our congregations. The opposite of living by the Spirit is living by the flesh, which opens the door to sin, bad judgment, poor character, and spiritual unhealthiness. But here are the fruits you reap by operating in the Holy Spirit “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

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Be a Galatians 5 worship leader. Lead your team with kindness and patience. Lead your congregation with faithfulness and joy. Change the atmosphere with your love. Carry peace and self-control with you both in and out of the church. This is what it is to live by the Holy Spirit.

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Being filled to flow with the Holy Spirit is one thing; what about facilitating a flow moment? How do you do this? Is there a “right” way to flow? Let’s talk about spontaneous flow worship together.

SPONTANEOUS WORSHIP Learning how to flow-lead takes patience and time. It also takes a lot of time spent in the secret place and deepening your relationship with God. Be in the word and talk to God. You will hear Him speak to you, if not in an audible voice then through His word.

If we train our ears to hear our Shepherd’s call, following God into a flow moment will be second-nature. Of course, there’s also trust involved. Cultivate a deep relationship, and then trust that God will take you where you need to be.

Once you’ve become familiar with hearing God’s voice, you need to allow Him to guide you. This requires you to lay down control and step into the unknown. It can be daunting, but God will guide you through it: “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left” Isaiah 30:21 NLT Tuning your ear to hear and identify God’s voice can be tricky, so we always ensure that what we hear lines up with scripture before acting on it. This is not just for sharing a prophetic word or flow, it’s for daily life. If the words you hear are encouraging, filled with love, and lined up with His word, then we should be inclined to believe that it is God that is speaking. If the message is self-focused or not scripturally sound, then use caution before claiming it to be a word of the Lord. All things that we feel are to be tested and affirmed by the scriptures. God corrects His children, but He does not criticize or berate them, and neither should you. So before acting on a word you feel God has given you or walking down a path where you feel like He’s leading you, double-check that it aligns with who He is.

WHAT IS A FLOW MOMENT? A flow moment is a moment in a worship set that is dedicated to either a prepared scriptural recitation, allowing the musicians to play prophetically over the congregation, or releasing a Spirit-led word of knowledge in the form of a melody. When it comes to facilitating a flow moment, it’s natural to be nervous at first. You’re going “off the script” and basically saying, “Okay God, where to?” Don’t worry about your flow-leading looking like someone else’s, and don’t fall into the comparison trap. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” If you find yourself thinking, “That girl’s way more experienced than me”, or, “His worship sounds better than my worship”, shut that thought down. Spontaneous worship flows from God and into the heart of an individual.

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The key word there is “individual”. Every person is different, and so is their worship.

When you flow, don’t get caught up in doing it the “right” way. Instead, do it God’s way and just surrender to His guidance. If you’re unsure of where to start, simply begin thanking God. Listen to the music and listen for God’s voice. With time, trust, and tuning, you will begin singing songs of praise that glorify God and are unique to you.

Another facet of flow-leading is communication. We’ll be going into detail about the importance of communication in the next chapter, but what I’ll say here is that your team and your church needs to know where you’re headed. Whether it’s a hand gesture to your team or a simple statement like, “Sing out your own song to God” to the congregation, your communication will allow everyone to follow your lead and, more importantly, God’s lead.

ACTIVATION EXERCISE We’re going to take some time and glorify God with worship.

Before we do, take this moment right now and draw near to God for a minute or two.

Read a Bible verse or just talk to Him. Then, in a few minutes, we’ll all stand and listen to God’s voice. Remember, worship isn’t just music. You don’t have to sing; of course, if you feel the prompting to sing out a spontaneous song, I encourage you to do so. You can speak a prophetic word that God gives you or maybe a vision He is showing you.

Don’t focus on your singing voice. Don’t focus on whether or not you look weird.

Release the rigidity and just flow.

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YOU AT HOME, SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN WITH GOD. SIT IN YOUR ROOM, IN YOUR CAR, IN YOUR BACKYARD, WHEREVER YOU FEEL NEAR TO HIM. JUST SIT AND SAY, “GOD, I’M AVAILABLE. I WANT TO HANG OUT WITH YOU.” SAMUEL WAS AWAKENED BY GOD’S VOICE AND CHOSE TO RESPOND WITH OBEDIENCE. SAMUEL CHOSE TO SPEND TIME WITH THE LORD, AND WHEN HE DID, GOD BEGAN TO GIVE HIM PROPHECIES AND STAYED WITH SAMUEL. IF YOU FEEL LED, TURN ON SOME INSTRUMENTAL WORSHIP MUSIC AND ALLOW THE PRESENCE OF GOD TO ENTER IN AND GUIDE YOU. WRITE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE.

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five “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV

“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”

Proverbs 15:28 NLT

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CO M M U N ICATIO N

Where would we be without communication? Successful interaction between one person to another is the key to teamwork. (Notice the word *successful*!) The truth is, there are multiple points of communication that take place in any given worship set, beginning with the communication of the service plan from the senior pastor and production team.

With this information, we form our worship set and worship team. We then communicate the plan to the worship team. During rehearsal, we communicate parts assigned to the musicians and any song changes to the production team. During the service we communicate our purpose of gathering and our intent to draw closer to the Lord in our Worship. God communicates and reaffirms His love, His grace, and His power. Although it may sound fairly straightforward, there are teams that struggle to communicate effectively, resulting in a lack of clarity, confusion, and even disunity. And disunity is not something we want included in our offering of worship unto the Lord.

Have you ever heard the phrase “to be unclear is to be unkind?” A lack of communication leads to dysfunction and disorder, but clear communication is the key to success in a team. Whether you communicate to your music director that you will be late for a rehearsal or you lead your team through a prophetic moment through good communication, we cannot overestimate the importance of communicating. It may seem tedious, but it is something a leader can’t lead well without, especially a worship leader.

Communicating with members of your team and with your directors comes into play on the platform, off the platform, and in private conversations. We’re going to cover all three in this chapter. Let’s start with the communication that takes place before a service.

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CLEAR COMMUNICATION OFF THE PLATFORM This section of communication is highly valuable, but usually not taken seriously. You can tell a lot about a leader by the way they communicate. For example, not responding to the emails or text messages that contain questions about the worship set from your production lead or music director sends an unspoken response: that you don’t care. I know that’s a pretty direct statement! As an MD for ten years, I cannot tell you how many times I have been ghosted by worship leaders after asking questions like, “What key do you do this song in?”, “What is call time and what is downbeat?”, or “How many songs are we doing?” Not being willing to engage in answering questions like these shows disorganization and a lack of intention. I’m not saying this to point the finger, I’m encouraging you to be a dependable leader. Over communicate. If you are serving, speak up if you have questions. Don’t wait until the day of service to ask any clarifying questions you may have. If you are a worship pastor or director, update the Planning Center run sheet with all the correct information. Reach out to your entire team before the weekend.

Be effective in your communication!

Here’s what a dependable leader looks like according to their communication:

Checks Planning Center regularly for updates and accepts or declines requests as soon as they check their schedule.

Replies to text messages and emails within 24 hours. A lengthy response isn’t required -- simply send a thumbs up or a quick “got it!” to show the message is received.

Communicates with the vocal director and/or music director ahead of time if they have to pull out of service. Again, no wordy explanation necessary.

If it can be avoided, try not to send a message about having to step out on the day of.

If something pops up, send a message ahead of time to give your directors enough time to plan around your absence. If it can’t be avoided and you get sick or you have a family emergency on the day you’re supposed to serve, make sure you still communicate. It’s better to have late notice than no notice at all.

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COMMUNICATION DURING REHEARSAL A well-run rehearsal can result in excitement, encouragement and expectation, while a poorly executed rehearsal can leave a team very discouraged. So what makes for a successful rehearsal? It boils down to communication.

Here are a few key questions to consider: How long have the songs been up for the team to rehearse?

Were expectations communicated clearly?

Did everyone walk into the rehearsal on the same page?

A rehearsal is also not the same thing as a practice. A practice is where you go over the material, reviewing something you already know or learning the structure for the first time.

A rehearsal is when you come together with the team and go through what was practiced.

Often times, a rehearsal is treated like a practice, but breaking this habit can help prevent a lot of weekend service stress.

What should we be communicating during rehearsal? When you’re testing your microphone or sound checking your instrument before downbeat, establish communication with your tech director. Don’t hesitate to ask for adjustments. When rehearsal starts, make sure you can hear everything you need to be successful. Make sure your voice, the music director, tracks, click, guide, and anything else you may need are clear in your mix. Your music director will call out chord changes, various cues, and lead you through rehearsal and service -- it’s very important that you can hear them.

COMMUNICATION DURING SERVICE During service, it’s go time. Be aware of what is happening around you. Remember that this is not your personal time with the Lord, you are there to lead others into worship, operating from the overflow of your time spent in His presence. Your stage presence matters. Your facial expressions matter. Smile, be engaging, and let the joy of the Lord be shown in your outward expression! I also want to encourage you step into a “flow” if you usually don’t.

FLOW LEADING: your job is to communicate with the music director and team so they can follow where you’re going. The trick here is that your communication will sometimes be indirect and nonverbal. After all, if you said, “Let’s go into the bridge again”, or “Keep it low” into your microphone, your congregation will most likely be confused. The kinds of nonverbal communication we see flow-leads use often include making a “C” with your hand to indicate going to the chorus, a hand directed downward, and laid out flat to keep the volume down, a finger making a circle motion to repeat a verse or phrase, 64

etc. Make sure your team knows your hand signals! Trust that your team can follow you, but make sure that you’re communicating clearly and leading them in the right direction.

Your tool is leading with wisdom: “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his hearts; his steps do not slip” Psalm 37:30-31 ESV MUSIC DIRECTOR: for an MD, navigating through a flow moment can be one of the most stressful things to encounter during a set. But with time, they become beautiful moments of unity. It takes time and trust with the worship leader. The important thing to do is keep your eyes on the worship leader at all times. Over time you build connections with your leader and can even at times anticipate where they will take the moment of a song.

INSTRUMENTALISTS AND VOCALISTS: What is your role as a flow moment is taking place? Your task is to practice active listening and to literally go with the flow. Listen for guidance from your music director, who may relay to you where you’re going. If you’re an instrumentalist, follow the MD’s lead musically. If you’re a vocalist, follow the flow-lead and sing out what they’re singing out. If you don’t know what to do, just begin to worship.

Listen to the Holy Spirit. Be sure to encourage and communicate to the congregation at this time by smiling, keeping eye contact, and singing with confidence. A moment like this doesn’t have to be intimidating, uncertain, and ununified. I believe that the Holy Spirit can speak in consensus as long as we are all listening.

Your tool is listening: “My dearest brothers and sisters, take this to heart: Be quick to listen, but slow to speak” James 1:19a TPT

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M18’S AND AVOIDING THE COMPLIMENT SANDWICH Let’s talk about communication in private conversations with your directors or teammates. The worship staff has a name for these conversations-- “M18s”. The name is based on the Matthew 18 verse about communicating: “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back” Matthew 18:15 NLT There will be times where we get into conflict with one another. If you have a concern or problem regarding a particular team member, go to that person and talk to them. It could be something you need clarity on, a question you need to ask them, or a grievance you need to talk through. The point is, working through it with the person is brave communication and shows good leadership. Once the issue is resolved, make sure you and the other person are ready to be in the Spirit of unity and ready to move on together.

If the issue for some reason doesn’t resolve, then you can involve one of your directors.

Always try to handle it privately first. In our department at Centerpoint, there is a zerotolerance policy for gossip. I believe the Lord has a disdain for gossip and slander in His church, therefore so shall we.

When it comes to M18s, it’s important to remember the phrase “to be unclear is to be unkind.” This means we must be respectful and clear when we communicate. Explain your reason for meeting calmly and respectfully, and if the other person asks questions or doesn’t seem to understand, patiently answer their questions and offer any clarification that they might need.

Clear communication is the key to success in a worship team and is valuable in living a worship lifestyle. Whether you’re communicating on the platform, off the platform, or in an M18, be sure that you’re being kind and clear.

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YOU 1. WHAT IS YOUR COMMUNICATION STYLE?

2. WHO IS ONE PERSON IN YOUR LIFE YOU CONSIDER TO BE A GREAT COMMUNICATOR? WHY?

3. HOW IS GOD COMMUNICATING WITH YOU IN THIS SEASON?

4. HOW IS THAT MODE OF COMMUNICATION INFLUENCING YOUR WORSHIP?

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six “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

Romans 12:8 NLT

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

Galatians 5:25 NLT

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R E A DING TH E ATMOS PH ER E

I remember when I first began to understand the importance of reading the atmosphere during worship. Yes, we are to take authority over the atmosphere, but it is also important to read the atmosphere as well. First, we have to remember that the engagement of the congregation (i.e., the lifting of hands and singing out) does not determine the success of the worship set. I’ve often seen worship leaders get discouraged because of a lack of engagement of the congregation; it is easy to rely on the congregation’s response to validate our leadership. With that said, let me also say that this is not a concert or a show. We are not ministering to get great ratings on yelp or to taking requests for the sake of validation.

The people coming to church are not there to see how talented the worship team is or how awesome the speaker is. The people gathering are there to experience Jesus whether they are aware of it or not. We cannot demand the response and affection from a bride that doesn’t belong to us.

So, am I saying that engagement doesn’t matter? Absolutely not. Although the engagement and response of the congregation during worship should not be used to measure the success of the worship experience, participation in worship can serve as an indicator of the spiritual health of the congregation. People are to be led in worship and as worship leaders, we provide the tools for those individuals (and the congregation as a whole) to be successful. Many who would disagree with a statement like this would say, “We can’t judge someone else’s worship expression.” My response is usually, “What if it isn’t up to you what your expression can be?”

We can get too much in the habit of personalizing everything; our phones, our houses, our cars, even our worship sometimes. But worship is for God and in His word it says to lift up holy hands in His sanctuary and praise Him. (Psalm 134:2.) Break out in praise and sing for joy! (Psalm 98:4). Bow before Him in reverence for who He is. (Psalm 95:6). Understand that only you can give Him the sacrifice of praise that comes from you and your testimony, but we also cannot tell God how He should or should not be worshiped. As worship leaders, we are to lead people to places in the Spirit that we’ve already been and also to places where people would otherwise not go themselves. Worship should cause us to lift our attention to Jesus, to sing songs of His love, mercy, grace, authority, and sovereignty. I believe that leading the congregation effectively brings about encounters with Holy Spirit and equips them to be able to take their worship experience home with them and wherever they go.

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When you hear a worship set during a church service, there might be a range of thoughts that go through your head. Perhaps the worship lifted you out of the sorrows you carried with you into church. Perhaps it was a reminder of Jesus’s love, even in the hardest of times. Perhaps it was exactly what you needed to hear.

A worship set requires a good amount of thought and planning. We don’t just pick our favorite Bethel or Elevation songs. It’s not about which songs will please certain members of the team or which songs will be the easiest to learn and practice. Planning a worship set requires reading the atmosphere and health of the church body and the world. For example, you may want to think twice before choosing a song about God’s love being like a hurricane when just days before an actual hurricane swept through and decimated an entire city. (I’ve done this before unintentionally and it did not go well!) It would probably cause unrest and maybe even stir up some confusion. You also don’t want to play it safe and only play songs the congregation is comfortable with. Knowing your church doesn’t mean refusing to follow the Spirit’s lead or being stagnant.

As a worship leader, your job is to evaluate the health of your church and the state of the world and ask yourself, “What kind of message does Jesus want his children to hear this week?”

HEALTH VS SUCCESS Evaluating the congregation’s response after a worship service is normal. In fact, many worship teams and pastors do it. “How did they respond to a new song?” “Were they involved?” “Are the lyrics of the new song too difficult to catch on to?” It’s important to remember, though, that there can be pitfalls that come with too much evaluation. There is a fine line between being intentional and being nit-picky. A few years ago, the worship team here at Centerpoint used to evaluate the congregation’s response in regard to the team’s success. We even went so far as to giving ourselves a grade on how we thought a worship set went. If the congregation was engaged, maybe we’d give ourselves an A. If they were spaced-out, we’d argue over getting a B or a C. It took a wake-up call for us to realize that we were going about things the wrong way. We put pride in our evaluations and asked all of the wrong questions. I encourage you to steer clear of the trap we found ourselves in. The engagement of your congregation dictates the health of the church, not the success of a worship experience.

Instead of: “Well, they weren’t singing as loudly as usual, so the Holy Spirit must not have moved.”

“Not many people lifted their hands, so obviously they don’t care about worship.”

Try: There was more disconnection than normal. Why is that?”

“A spirit of heaviness was in the room today. Let’s pray together as a team and come up with a solution.

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You must remember that you aren’t just worshippers, you are leaders. If you sense spiritual unrest or unhealth within the church, you need to look deeper. You can do so by taking on the armor of God. The Helmet and the Sword: “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” Ephesians 6:17-18 ESV Take action. Pray without ceasing on behalf of the church body. Keep alert and read the atmosphere so you can be aware of the health of your church. Knowing the state of the health of your congregation will come in handy when planning a worship set. What also comes in handy is knowing the state of the world.

ENCOURAGE AT ALL TIMES The Impact of Encouragement: “Anxious fear brings depression, but a life-giving word of encouragement can do wonders to restore joy to the heart” Proverbs 12:25 TPT Love Covers: “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8, NLTWhen the world is in crisis, it can be really hard for God’s people to hold onto hope. COVID-19 broke out at the beginning of 2020 and for a while, things seemed pretty bleak. Churches and schools closed. People lost their jobs. The economy plummeted.

All you would see when you turned on the news was fear, hopelessness, and despair.

The world needs encouragement, light in the dark times, an abundance of love. When you’re planning a worship set, take into account what’s going on in the world, and take every opportunity to be encouraging. On the off-chance that every single matter of the world is resolved, great. Continue to build up the people of your congregation and encourage them. Give them a break from the anxiety they see in the news and remind them of the hope they have in Jesus. Put together a song list that talks about God’s mercy and love, and how God has secured the victory. A little bit of hope goes a long way.

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ADAPT AND ADVANCE Worship experiences should never become routine. It’s our job as worship leaders to invite the congregation into the worship lifestyle and to go deeper into the presence.

Sometimes this means introducing a song that you feel Jesus wants them to hear or bringing about a necessary change that you feel the Holy Spirit is leading your church toward. 2 Corinthians talks about embracing change: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV Don’t be afraid of the new and the daunting -- remember that part of our vocation is battling complacency. Introducing new songs and advancing in the Holy Spirit can support us in that battle. If you are going to introduce a new song, just make sure you communicate and guide the congregation through it.

FINAL THOUGHTS At the beginning of this course, we issued you a challenge. If you’ve reached this chapter, we thank you for accepting that challenge. The supreme vocation holds weight because with it comes many blessings. I hope you’ve received what we’ve shared with you these past few weeks. Find out for yourself what it means to be a worship leader. Step into your authority and fight the feeling of complacency. Develop disciples as you build a team. Be filled to flow with the Holy Spirit. Communicate effectively and respectfully in order to achieve success.

Read the atmosphere as you plan a setlist in order to know what your church needs. These tools will help you greatly on your journey as you take on the supreme vocation and live out a worship lifestyle. God bless.

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