What does the title worship leader bring to mind?
One individual?
Someone who can play an instrument and sing at the same time?
The person building a set list, leading a rehearsal, and giving the congregation verbal cues for the next lyric being sung?
While there may be some overlap in the functional role of a worship leader with what I have listed above, today I want to make the case that every member of a worship team is actually a worship leader.
Let’s start by removing the word ‘just,’ from each role within our teams. There is no such thing as ‘just.’
I am just a musician,
just a vocalist,
just a sound engineer,
just running lyrics.
No.
You are a worship leader.
It takes each one of those roles functioning together to serve the people of God in their response to His revelation of Himself in sung corporate worship.
We do not just sing songs, we lead people in worship.
Musicians and vocalists, you are not just singing songs, you are going first, leading with your lives, leading with your instruments, leading with your hearts as you are led by the Spirit of God, to lead people in worship to Him. You are a worship leader.
Sound engineer, you are not just moving faders, you are mixing melodies and production, enabling the team to hear one another and the congregation to sing out in response to who God is and what He has done. You are a worship leader.
Lyric runner, you are not just clicking slides at a computer, you are helping to put words in people’s mouths, truths in the hearts and minds so that we can sing with one voice as one people to the glory of God and the building up and edification of His people. You are a worship leader.
And for a host of other roles that are a part of the corporate gathering of God’s people - there is no just - there are only worship leaders. No true encounter with Christ ever leaves us the same, it will naturally flow from our lives like the woman at the well, like the disciples, like Mary at the empty tomb - ‘come and see…’
We are worship leaders when we encounter Christ, and use our skills and gifts to point people to Him. Yes, you are a worship leader.