Judging The Service

It is very difficult to assess week to week if you are making progress. Because week-to-week evaluations can largely become asking the question ‘Did people respond the way we hoped or anticipated?’ If the primary purpose of the corporate gathering is for the spiritual formation of God’s people than we can only tell as we look back over months and years if we are making progress in the work that we feel called to do as worship leaders.

So how do we judge the service? Honestly, we can’t. I encourage a service evaluation. But ultimately, we aim for intentionality and consistency. We labor to build trust in and among our people so that as we stand in front of them and lead them in sung worship, that they feel safe, and trust that we will lead them to a good place.

Ultimately, as followers of Jesus, our main job is making disciples. And part of making disciples is realizing that discipleship is a lifelong work. It is slow, ongoing, and never ends. So rather than judging a result, we have to become comfortable with tension. We have to be comfortable in allowing the Spirit to guide us into using the best of what we can offer to do what only He can do - lead people to Jesus, and transform their lives.

Go slow. Be consistent. Formation takes eternity.

8 January: Liturgy + Set List

• ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK

Call to Worship: Psalm 119:17-20

My hope and prayer for this morning and the year ahead is that we will be people who have souls that are consumed with the things of the Lord, not just the things of the world. Let’s sing to that end:

• CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED

• THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD

Sermon: Mark 1:1-14

Brothers and sisters, hear the good news - Christ has come and will come again. Let’s join in the ancient praise of all God’s people proclaiming that good news.

• RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

• GOD SO LOVED

Benediction: Hebrews 4:14-16

Communicating With The Team

Communication is an invaluable part of any relationship. And when you are serving on a team, there must be clear, open, honest, and frequent communication to be able to move together toward a common goal. And that common goal for those of us that serve on worship and production teams is to enable the people of God to proclaim the truths of the Gospel together in song, word, prayer, and gathering.

Communication with your team should begin before you gather for a rehearsal or service. Who are the musicians who are serving? What songs are you singing? What are the keys? Are there elements outside of the service that will affect the way you move through the service? What are the structures of your songs, and transitions? Communicating these details again and again, in writing and aloud will be incredibly helpful for your team to be able to move in the same direction together.

Consistency in your communication is just as important as what you say. When can the team expect to hear from you about when they are serving, the set lists, and any changes to the normal rhythms? Will you communicate everything individually, through a Facebook group, an email chain, or Planning Center? Ultimately, you need to use the tool that makes the most sense for you and your team, but building regular rhythms of communication from week to week, as well as month to month, is essential to creating consistency of expectation for the team.

The rehearsal is a locus point of communication for the team. Again, finding a consistent way that you move through rehearsals will build familiarity and comfort for the team. Walking your team through the order of service, clarifying parts, setting expectations, and giving space for questions in regards to the liturgy should be incorporated frequently for a team to have clear communication.

Finally, clarity is a necessity with as many moving parts as we oversee as worship leaders. Holding the larger picture of the whole morning, and how every aspect of those we lead contributes to what we are trying to accomplish in a morning. Practice what and how you will walk your team through rehearsals and a service, make notes, write it down until there is clarity in what and how you are communicating.

One True Worship Leader

As musicians responsible for sung corporate worship, we consider ourselves worship leaders. Pastors, preachers, and teachers planning and executing a corporate gathering may also see themselves as worship leaders. As I have shared previously, I believe that every musician, vocalist, sound, and tech person should view themselves as worship leaders. But at the end of the day, there is one person by whom we all must first be led before we lead. And that is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who is the true worship leader in our preparation and in our leadership of the people of God.

Yes, we choose songs and scripture, rehearse bands, and plan our transitions, but if we are not first, and continually being led, guided, directed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are just singing songs. And while music is powerful, and people may leave impacted by it, there is no lasting transformation without a Holy Spirit-revealed encounter with the living Christ.

‘When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.’ - John 16:13

It is the Holy Spirit that leads us in all truth.

It is the Holy Spirit that leads us to see and respond to Jesus.

It is the Holy Spirit that will confront and convict us of sin.

And it is the Holy Spirit who comforts His people.

There is one true worship leader in our gathering, and it always has been and always will be the Holy Spirit.

Leading From The Congregation

One of the things I say most frequently to my team: we lead more off of the platform than on the platform.

For me, there are at least three things that I am trying to help my team understand with this language, first, that each member is a worship leader. Whether they are a musician, vocalist, sound person, running lyrics or lights, or the person who has assembled the set list and is leading the congregation verbally - each person is a worship leader. Second, it matters what we do, where we are, and how we are responding after we step off a platform, out from behind our instruments, and the way we engage in the rest of the gathering. And third, that each team member carries the responsibility of worship leader even on weekends where we are not serving on the platform.


Here are some considerations when it comes to leading worship from the congregation:

Presence.

This means after we serve on the platform, we go and sit through the sermon as a member of the congregation. That our presence is visible not just during ‘our part,’ but that we are identifying ourselves, and being identified, as sheep - not just as shepherds. Our presence in the gathering matters not only on the weekends where we serve up front, but also during those weeks where we are not. My personal conviction is that our team should be primarily made up of people who call this specific congregation their home church, and therefore would be attending this home church even if they were not serving on the team. If team members are only present at church on weekends that they are serving, it would beg the question, why?

Posture

As a follower of Jesus, and as a worship leader I want to be fully integrated. I do not want to have a ‘stage-self’ and an ‘off-stage-self.’ If I see myself as a worship leader, as someone who is carrying the culture of the team in a visible role, or among the people, there should be no division in the way that I posture myself, and respond leading up front or in the congregation. If you raise your hands on the platform, raise your hands in the congregation.

Engagement

What we do in subtle and significant ways communicates what we value. If musicians ‘do their job,’ walk off the stage to back stage, a backroom, or a coffee shop - what does that communicate to the congregation? If we are to be leaders - servant leaders specifically - we must model what is important and valuable for our people, by being engaged in the life of the church outside of our role, responsibility, and jobs. Sit in the sermon, pursue new people, be connected to community, listen, learn, grow, and then pour out from a place of being deeply rooted as a member - not just of the worship team - but of your church.

Another way that you as a leader can encourage your team to lead from the congregation, is providing new music that you will be introducing to the entire team - perhaps even elders, and ministry leaders, so that when you introduce a new song, it is not just the musicians serving that particular week that will know the music, but those people who can also lead from the congregation. We have a responsibility to equip and lift the eyes of our team to the significance of their role - not just in it’s forward facing nature, but in ways they can lead and shape the culture from the congregation as well.

Recommended Reading [Part 2]

So many books, not enough time… at least it can seem that way to me. With innumerable resources when it comes to leading worship, it can be hard to know where to start. This is a continuation of some of my favorite resources.

Beyond Smells and Bells - Mark Galli

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I always want to learn from those who have gone before us - the Church global, and historic, and primarily, the Church biblically. What I appreciate about Mark’s book is that it helps frame our story within the larger story of the Church historically. How have these ancient practices formed who we are and why we are. One of my favorite quotes:

“For people who find themselves storyless, or with a story that has no larger meaning than the self, the liturgy is a salvation. It shows that we do not have to abandon hope; we don’t have to fabricate a new myth to force meaning onto the world. We can participate in the very story of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who has created and redeemed us, who has gathered us to himself already in a Great Feast, and who promises, in the last act, to gather all things on heaven and earth to himself, so that we may feast together for eternity.”  pg 18-19 

True Worshipers - Bob Kauflin

Bob is a consistent voice in the world of corporate sung worship. His book ‘Worship Matters’ is always one of the first books I recommend to people. This book ‘True Worshipers’ is less about the mechanics of leading sung worship, and more about worship in general. It is also incredibly accessible, for people brand new to thinking or participating in the world of sung corporate worship, and would be a great resource to read with an entire team - sound, tech, musicians, vocalists, etc. One of my favorite quotes:

‘Every church or individual Christian who claims to be Spirit-led must be Word-fed.  If we want to know more of the Spirit’s power in our lives, we would be wise to fill ourselves with riches of His word.’ pg 45

In Jesus Name - Henri Nouwen

One of my favorite worship leaders called this book a ‘must-read.’ There are helpful things that we can learn from mainstream leadership books, and now it seems many mega-church pastors are releasing leadership books and podcasts at every turn. There can be helpful things to learn, but perhaps most discouraging to me - particularly when it comes to leadership resources written by followers of Jesus - is how little dependence upon the Holy Spirit they require. As followers of Jesus, our leadership looks like our Servant Leader more than it looks like any of the high-capacity models of our day. This is why I love Nouwen’s book - it shows what serving in the Name of Jesus could, and should look like. One of my favorite quotes:

“It is not enough for the priests and ministers of the future to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow humans, and able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time.  All of that is very valuable and important, but it is not the heart of Christian leadership.  The central question is, Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God’s presence, to listen to God’s voice, to look at God’s beauty, to touch God’s incarnate Word, and to taste fully God’s infinite goodness?” pg 43

Christ Centered Worship - Bryan Chapell

This book has been quoted in almost every book on worship I have read. It has both informed the way I understand the corporate gathering, the historical gathering of God’s people, and what we are trying to accomplish weekly and longterm for followers of Jesus who gather to worship. A few people on staff where I serve meet weekly to ‘evaluate’ the previous weekend service. The criteria we use to evaluate our weekend service I learned from this book. One of my favorite quotes (and the guideposts we use as we reflect on our gatherings) is:

“Church leaders designed their order of worship to communicate the truths of Scripture, touch the hearts of worshipers with the implications of those truths, and then equip believers to live faithfully in the world as witnesses to those truths.” pg 21

Why All Churches Should Write Original Music

Songs are gifts to the Church.

They have the ability to make theology accessible, articulating who God is, what He has done, and enable us to respond with lives of worship. Songs can become personal markers of our own journey - ebeneezers of God’s faithfulness in different seasons of life. But they are also connectors to a larger story. When we sing the songs which have been passed down through the ages, songs like the Doxology, A Mighty Fortress, and All Creatures of Our God and King, we are acknowledging that we are not the first nor will we be the last. We are a part of a Church that stretches across time, history, place, and space - and will last into eternity.

There are amazing songs accessible to the Church like never before. Gifted songwriters, worship leaders, and liturgists who have the ability to put into lyric and melody the things that the Church needs to hear and say to God. With such skill and talent available, why should the local church bother with writing songs for their particular expression of the Body?

Because those songs do not have the ability to carry the unique stories and struggles, triumphs, and joys that come with relationship, discipleship, and burden-bearing in the local community of faith. It isn’t that we want one or the other - only songs written by professional songwriters, or only songs written in and to a local expression - we need both. Our communities need songs that give us voice and connect us to the bigger picture, and they need songs that articulate our specific stories as we walk together as worshipers and lovers of God.

What do your people need to hear?

What do your people need to say to God?

Write it.

Three Prayers of Preparation

There are many ways to approach Sunday service. Whether you are a part of a team that plans collaboratively, flying solo, following the liturgical Church calendar, or reinventing the wheel weekly. Regardless of the methodology, there are three questions - three prayers - which I have found to be helpful in the time of preparation for a service:

God, what are You saying through Your Word?

Spend time in the text. Read through the passage that will be preached - read the whole chapter, understand the context, fill up your mind and heart with the Word of God before you ever pick up an instrument, or choose songs. Ask God to illuminate His Word through His Spirit to you as you read, meditate, pray, and plan. Speak to your pastor, what are the points of the sermon? If the pastor has one thing they want the people to remember from the sermon, what would it be?

God, what do You want to say to Your people?

Scripture tells us, ‘Who can know the mind of God?’ Romans 11:34. Preparation should never lead to a rigid assumption. ‘God, I’ve got this, I read the passage, I know what You want to say here.’ No. We must continue to be led by the Spirit, listen, and respond to His voice in our preparation as well in the moments during the service. Preparation gives us the freedom to respond to the Spirit, wherever He may lead.

God, what do Your people need to say to You?
The first two prayers should guide the third. What is God saying through His Word and desiring to say to His people? Now, we prayerfully consider how He should lead us as a people to respond. What are the songs we need to sing, the Scripture which needs to be read, the liturgical elements to incorporate, or the ways we need to lead? What is happening within the life of the Body, the community, country, and world? How do we help give language to those who are hurting as well as those who are rejoicing?

Preparing to lead worship is more than choosing songs and keys. Preparation can be just as prayerful and worshipful as the actual worship gathering. If your preparation for Sunday could use some prompting, you can download my free Worship Leader Weekly Checklist here.

Song Leaders Vs. Worship Leaders

In 2012 I attended the first LIFT conference and heard Matt Redman say something which shaped the way I saw leading worship. He said there was a difference between a song leader and a worship leader. This line was so significant, I remember almost nothing of that conference apart from this insight.

As I have continued to reflect on this idea, here are a few things I think define the difference between a song leader and a worship leader…

Song leaders lead songs, Worship leaders lead people. Any competent musician can pick up an instrument and lead a congregation in singing - even non-believers would be capable of that. Worship leaders lead themselves, the team, and the congregation - and one of the ways they do that is through song. Bob Kauflin says - if your instrument and platform were taken away, would your church still recognize you as a leader?

Song leaders use relationships, worship leaders are in relationships. For song leaders, people are either an obstacle or a means. They use people and their skills in service of a song leader’s goals. Worship leaders shepherd, come alongside, engage the ready, and pursue the disengaged. Worship leaders have spaces and relationships where they are known apart from what they do, are accountable and vulnerable.

Song leaders focus on external, worship leaders focus on internal. A song leader is primarily focused on the things that people see - the song choice, setlist, sound, and quality of the band. A worship leader focuses on cultivating those things which are less visible: character, leadership, personal holiness, union with God, a heart for the team and congregation, prayer, and devotion in the secret place.

Song leaders disconnect Sunday from all of life, worship leaders see Sunday as a continuation of a life of worship. Song leaders view Sunday morning as the endpoint of their preparation. Worship leaders view Sunday morning as the culmination of a life of worship, the chance to re-center, remind, encourage, and equip the people of God to be sent out on mission as worshipers once again.

Song leaders help people to sing, worship leaders, help people to live lives of worship regardless of the setting. The world and the Church are filled with gifted musicians, but is often lacking for those servant leaders who help us orient our lives toward the only One worthy of our worship.

Although I have spent time contrasting some of the differences between song leaders and worship leaders, these roles are not black and white. They exist on a continuum. Our natural skills, talents, discipleship, personality, and maturity all influence who we are, and who we are becoming in this process. Every one of us attempting to grow and develop as worship leaders are a mix of song leaders and worship leaders.

It has taken me many years of leading worship to realize that formation toward becoming a worship leader happens from the inside out more than the outside in. The more time I spend focusing on the externals - the obvious skills of being a song leader - the more malformed I become, the more malformed my team becomes. But when I invest from the inside out, I grow a team of worship leaders with song leader skills.