Effective worship leading requires much more than just nailing down its technical aspects. As important as or more important than technical skills are the worship leader’s relationship with God and with others, his or her spiritual walk, knowledge of Scripture, attitudes, lifestyle, self-discipline, and understanding of music.
Personal Qualities of the Effective Worship Leader
Maintaining a Strong Relationship with the Lord. The only way to be effective long-term as a worship leader is to maintain a close relationship with the Lord. If a person is not in constant pursuit of a close relationship with the Lord, continually allowing God to fill him or her, then that person will have nothing to give. There are some practical things that can help a worship leader through a few services, but beyond that, they will be empty. Worship leaders need to be daily renewed and refreshed by Jesus, the Living Water. If they forgo this ongoing relationship with Jesus, they have really missed the fullness of God’s calling on their life.
Anyone aspiring to be an effective worship leader must have as his or her main anchor point an ongoing relationship with the object of their worship, the almighty God. Other ideas and concepts will be discussed below to help aspiring worship leaders on their path to becoming the most effective leaders of worship they can be. However, maintaining a relationship with the Lord is foundational to it all.
Maintaining a Humble, Servant Attitude. Although musical abilities are important for a worship leader, ultimately the Lord does not need human talents—he wants hearts. All the abilities that people can muster are of very little eternal consequence. God is looking for a broken and contrite heart, one that is not self-centered but focused on him.
Jesus portrayed this humble, servant attitude. He told people that he did not come to be served but to serve. He taught that his followers should do the same. “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
In practical terms, worship leaders can be servants in many ways. Serving the Lord can be done by worshiping and obeying him in all that they do and say. Serving one’s church can be done by constantly learning and growing in the things that will enable a person to better lead others in worship. Worship leaders can serve their pastor by honoring him or her in words and actions. It is a daily decision to be, like Jesus, humble servants.
Keeping a Levitical Heart. The main purpose of the Levites in the Old Testament was to be given wholly unto God (Num. 8:14–16). Anything else in their lives was of secondary importance. All that they did and said was consecrated unto God. Nothing outweighed their belonging to him.
This attitude of being given completely to the Lord also needs to permeate the life of every worship leader today. What God required of the Levites is the same as what he requires of those involved in the ministry of praise and worship today. He is not just looking for talented musicians. He wants hearts. The main purpose in the life of a worship leader is simply to be to his glory (Eph. 1:12). A leader of worship should model for others this idea of existing for God’s glory.
Living a Life of Worship. A congregation can never fully enter into worship as God desires until that congregation learns to live out a lifestyle of praise and worship. The worship of the sanctuary is meaningless unless it is preceded by six days of worship as a way of life. The Sunday morning experience of worship should be the by-product of an entire week of worship unto the Lord.
This principle is obvious throughout Scripture. “I will extol the Lord at all times” (Ps. 34:1, emphasis mine). “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised” (Ps. 113:3). “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb. 13:15).
Christians must realize that worshiping God really is their reason for existing. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Effective worship leaders must teach this concept to their congregations, but more importantly, they must exemplify it.
Being Thankful to God. Christians should be models of thankfulness. They should cultivate thankfulness in their everyday interactions with people. More importantly, however, they need to cultivate continual thankfulness toward God. This is especially true for those who lead in worship.
God has forgiven and extended friendship to those who accept Jesus. Thankfulness should be a natural outgrowth of that relationship. Even beyond forgiveness and his constant companionship, God called us his children (1 John 3:1). With a realization of such great love, Christians should have a heart that overflows with thanksgiving. The main thing one must do is simply make thanking God a habit. It is a choice to daily make giving thanks to the Lord a regular part of life.
It is necessary for people to mentally stop themselves from complaining or even being complacent. Instead, it is necessary to give thanks to God. A heart that is daily full of thanksgiving to the Lord will be much more effective in leading corporate worship.
Walking in God’s Grace. Probably the most common cause of a feeling of inadequacy within worship leaders is the realization of their own failures. A common attitude is that, because of their sins and failings, they cannot stand before God and lead his people in worship. Of all the problems within the church today, the most prevalent is a failure to comprehend or fully believe the power of the gospel of Jesus.
There is no question that everyone has failed the Lord and will continue to do so. For this reason, God has made a way to find forgiveness and acceptance through Jesus’ atoning work on Calvary. As people confess their sins with a desire to turn from them, the blood of Jesus truly does wash away those sins and the accompanying feeling of guilt. Grasping this seemingly simple concept would cause major changes within lives and ministries. When worship leaders understand that God’s mercy can cover any failure, it will be easier for them to continually believe he can use them.
It is not a question of living a perfectly sinless life. If people had the power to do that, then Jesus died for no reason. The real issue is how sin is dealt with after it is committed. God’s way is for people to turn to him in repentance and find grace and forgiveness.
Maintaining Self-Discipline. Self-discipline is not necessarily fun, but it is essential. Worship leaders must be willing to discipline themselves in many areas—prayer, the study of God’s Word, musical practice time, preparation for leading, and others. This is often one of the most difficult things about being a worship leader. It requires less effort to procrastinate, be lazy, and be disorganized than it does to be organized, diligent, and disciplined.
Effective worship leaders will pray regularly for those whom they lead and minister to. They should pray regularly for their own sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. They must work diligently at music understanding, music performance, and music theory.
All of these areas require a truly committed attitude to be really effective. If worship leaders allow flesh, their mood, or even the attitudes of others to dictate the discipline in these areas, they will not be the leaders God has enabled them to be. Self-discipline is an absolutely essential element for an effective worship leader.
Knowing and Understanding God’s Word. A major responsibility of any worship leader is to be a firm, solid Christian, who knows God through his Word. Putting all gifts, talents, and callings aside for a moment, this very basic foundation must be understood. God’s Word is the only reliable source of truth. It must be the final authority in all one believes. The Bible has within it all that is necessary to know about walking through life. It teaches of God’s unsurpassable love and grace. It declares the necessity of prayer and seeking God continually. It urges diligence in repentance and walking in holiness. Without a strong knowledge of and a firm commitment to the truths that God has revealed in the Bible, no gift, no talent, no calling will ever bring about God’s intended purposes.
Musical talents are an important commodity for a worship leader. But even more necessary is a thorough knowledge of God’s Word. Knowing God through his Word is an essential element in being an effective leader of worship. Knowing the Lord through his Word needs to be an extremely high priority for all believers, but especially for worship leaders.
Accepting the Role of Being an Example. People have a need to be taught not only by words but also by actions. The “don’t do as I do, do as I say” mentality must be removed from the thinking of the church. Worship leaders cannot just talk about worship being a way of life. People must see them live it out.
In his letter to the church at Philippi, the apostle Paul states, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Phil. 3:17). Effective worship leaders must be willing to accept this role also. Regardless of how worship leaders see their own position, others will look to them as examples. In every situation, they will be observed, and, therefore, their lives must be exemplary. They must not shun this responsibility but accept it.
Cultivating the Gifts That God Has Given You. God has given each one of his people certain gifts to use for his glory. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Cor. 12:7, 11).
The Lord gives gifts and then expects the recipients of the gifts to learn to use them to their fullest potential. Certainly, he will lead and guide in their usage, but people must learn to work with the gifts to excel at them. It is very rare, even in Scripture, for the Lord to sovereignly give a “full-blown” gift to someone.
In practical terms, worship leaders need to use and work at the gifts God has bestowed on them for their position. Musical gifts must be cultivated. Songwriting skills should be honed. Public speaking skills should be enhanced. All of these things and more are necessary for one to become effective as a worship leader.
Keeping Priorities Straight. One of the most difficult things for people to do in any area of life is to decide what is the highest priority for the moment. Generally, this is because of the lack of defined priorities and goals within the life of an individual. When one has clearly established overall priorities, moment-by-moment decisions become easier.
Because of the potential busyness in the life of a worship leader, setting overall priorities is especially necessary. Therefore, it is essential for worship leaders to determine, understand, and implement biblical priorities in their lives and ministries. With these in place, they will find themselves directed more by God and his will than by the pleas of countless people and needs for time. Seeking the Lord for his priorities is an absolute for an effective leader of worship.
Using and/or Cultivating Administrative Abilities. The worship leader or minister of music is not ordinarily primarily an administrator. Musical leaders usually are most often enlisted for their artistic, musical, and creative abilities, not for their organizational prowess. In fact, they often have a disdain for administrative details. The worship leader with this type of thinking must change his or her attitude.
It is possible to develop organizational skills even if they do not come naturally. In endeavoring to do this, a person could take a class on administration at a local junior college. He or she could go to an organizational seminar. Administratively gifted friends can be a good resource for advice about a specific situation. Whatever course of action is followed, a worship leader cannot be truly effective without acquiring some degree of proficiency in administration and organization.
Caring for the Congregation. Since the first priority of a worship leader is to minister to the Lord, ministry to people sometimes seems difficult to grasp. However, if a worship leader sees only worshiping the Lord as valuable, he has missed half of his or her job title: Worship leader. Worship leaders have a responsibility to lead people in worship.
It is necessary for the effective worship leader to learn to not just “do ministry,” but to minister to people. It is easy for leaders to miss this seemingly simple idea in much of what is referred to as “ministry.” Caring for the congregation refers to seeing the needs of those being ministered to as more important than the needs of the minister(s). The Bible tells us to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). Caring for the congregation also means listening carefully to people’s positive and negative comments. All of these are prerequisites to being effective as a worship leader.
Building an Effective Worship Team
Choosing Members of Your Worship Team. In adding members to a worship team, the first step is to pray. It is necessary to pray that the Lord will either raise up the right people within a congregation or send the right people to the congregation. Additionally, prayer for wisdom and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is essential. The worship leader, who will make the final decision about who is to be a part of the team, should be careful to listen to the Holy Spirit.
It is also good to evaluate certain qualities in the lives of prospective candidates. Spiritual maturity should be the first quality to look for. Additionally, commitment to both the Lord and the church is necessary. A degree of musical proficiency is essential, too.
Finally, communication with prospective team members is imperative. Consistent, thorough communication, both written and verbal, addressing what is expected of each worship team member, needs to be implemented from the beginning.
Developing Unity. A worship team needs to be a group of friends who minister together. Friendship is a needed but neglected aspect of many worship teams. It is obvious from both Scripture and experience that negative attitudes within a congregation can be a hindrance to worship. The Bible teaches that God is building his people into a temple to offer up spiritual sacrifices, or worship (1 Peter 2:5). If the building is not built with the right relationships, then the spiritual sacrifices offered in that temple will be lacking. This effect is magnified if poor relationships exist between the members of the worship team—a microcosm of the congregation as a whole. The main responsibility of the team is the area of worship. If there is constant discord within the team, then the praise and worship will suffer greatly. Great unity, however, can cause a positive overflow within the congregation.
Because of this, it is necessary to endeavor to build strong relationships among worship team members. God honors efforts to solidify the ties between his people. The Bible consistently encourages unity among believers. The worship leader should be the catalyst to building these relationships by continually caring for the members of the worship team.
Getting the Most from Rehearsals. In attempting to get the most from rehearsals, there are many practical considerations. The first of these is the frequency of the rehearsals. How often you rehearse must be determined by the situation; however, a once-a-week practice works best in most cases. The length of practice sessions should also be determined by the particular circumstances. A team of two musicians will probably not require as much time as a thirty-piece orchestra.
Additionally, what should be done at each rehearsal must be addressed. Many things should be considered: worship, prayer, introducing new songs, revising old songs, evaluations of previous services, teaching, discussion, practicing special music, etc. All of these can be done, although it is unnecessary to attempt to include all of them in each practice. Worship and prayer, however, should be a part of every practice session, though the amount of time dedicated to them will vary. In fact, using variety will help keep rehearsals from becoming boring and predictable.
Understanding the Role of Music
The Purposes for Music. Throughout the more than 800 references to music in Scripture, there are several reasons given for the use of music. One use is simply to praise and worship the Lord. Throughout the book of Psalms, God’s people are entreated to “Praise the Lord!” and to “Sing unto the Lord!” Another use of music is to teach God’s Word. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16). Music can also help to release God’s power (Acts 16:25–26; 2 Chron. 20:1–22). Additionally, music is a means to tell of God’s great works and, consequently, to stir up faith: “tell of his works with songs of joy” (Ps. 107:22). Music also helps to bring a unity within a corporate gathering and aids in the focusing of hearts and thoughts toward a central point, in this case Jesus. Understanding these purposes for music will enable a worship leader to be more effective.
Music as a Tool. Just as a craftsman carefully chooses the tool he uses for each specific task, so a worship leader can choose the instruments from among those on his or her worship team that best express the various “moods” of the Spirit of God. For example, a slow, intimate time of communing with the Lord would be better enhanced with soft strings or solo acoustic piano than with a blaring electric guitar solo or loud cymbal crashes. On the other hand, during a boisterous time of jubilant celebration, electric guitar and loud cymbals might be very appropriate. Obviously, these are extreme cases, but worship leaders need to learn even the subtle nuances of musical enhancement of worship. At times, this may even mean that worship leaders, if they lead with an instrument, must stop playing to allow a more fitting instrument to carry the music. Worship leaders who are willing to sit out themselves are better able to ask others to do the same. Using all of the instruments available to their fullest potential—but not overusing them—is the key.
The Power of Music. Music in and of itself is a powerful force. Even before adding the anointing of the Holy Spirit, there is an apparent force in music. Secular studies alone have proven that music will affect a person’s mood, alter buying habits, help relieve pain, reduce or increase stress, make people work more efficiently, and even affect eating habits.
There are numerous scriptural references to the power of music (1 Sam. 10:5–6; 16:23; 2 Kings 3:15; etc.). God has apparently put an inherent quality in music that gives it some sort of sway over the unseen realm. This is true for both good and evil purposes.
An effective worship leader needs to begin to find through personal experience and the experiences of others how to use music to its fullest potential. In addition to instrumental sensitivity, a worship leader needs to find out how music relates to what the Lord is doing and then use it to accomplish his purposes. Seeking the Lord for his understanding of the power of music is the key.
Compiling a Solid Song Repertoire. The first thing to do in compiling a solid song repertoire is to examine the lyrics of old songs and potential new songs. It is best to examine the lyrics separately from the music. When checking the words, it is essential to be certain that they are consistent with Scripture, that they are within the experience and understanding of the congregation, and that they rhythmically fit the music.
When examining the music, it is good to be certain that the music is of good quality; that it is within the experience and understanding of the congregation, and that it enhances the words.
It is also good to check for overall variety within the song repertoire. Be sure that a variety of keys, rhythms and tempos, and styles of music is represented, and that there is variety within individual songs (e.g., men sing, women sing, soloist sings, etc.).
An effective worship leader must constantly be searching for new songs to enhance the repertoire.
The Path to Excellence
Being Loyal to Those in Authority over You. The most important characteristic a worship leader must pursue in relation to his or her pastor is loyalty. This is not a simple one-time verbal assent of loyalty, but a daily working out of that loyalty. Developing loyalty is not necessarily simple. It does not just happen; the worship leader must work at it (Heb. 13:17).
Pastors and worship leaders can have solid, fulfilling relationships, but those relationships must be seen from a biblical perspective. The pastor, just as the husband in a marriage relationship, is the one with ultimate authority. That does not mean he or she lords it over the worship leader, but it does mean that the pastor is in charge. He or she has ultimate responsibility for that particular congregation of people. The worship leader, just as the wife, must learn to be submissive. This is not always easy for a creative, artistic person, but it is essential to establish a trusting relationship between pastors and worship leaders. In addition, worship leaders who show loyalty to their pastors will reap loyalty from their team members. Just as in a biblical marriage relationship, cultivating loyalty in your relationship to your pastor is well worth the effort.
Sticking with It Even in the Not-So-Fun Times. Although leading worship can be a lot of fun, it is not always so. Difficult times are an integral part of being a worship leader. In any part of life, there will be trials. “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Ps. 34:19). God is most interested in how people handle trials. Christians cannot base their walk with the Lord or even their service to him on how things seem to be going in life. There is only one standard by which to safely measure life—the Word of God. If worship leaders rely on good times, people’s reactions, emotions, or anything but the strength of the Lord to carry them through, they will have ultimately missed God’s best for them.
To be effective as a worship leader over the long term requires frequently recalling to mind the promises from Scripture that God will always love and sustain his people and never forsake them.
Ministering Beyond Your Comfort Zone. Frequently, the Lord calls Christians to go beyond the comfort zones of their lives to allow him to “stretch” them. Staying where it is comfortable causes people to stagnate. Going beyond these areas can cause growth. The same is true for worship leaders. Continually doing the same comfortable things will not promote growth. It is only by going beyond those comfort areas that real development occurs.
Jesus said to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19, emphasis mine). He did not say to do it only if it was comfortable. Ephesians 4:12 says that the role of leadership in the church is to equip the rest of the people for the work of the ministry. Sometimes it is easier for leaders to do the work themselves, but that is not God’s best. Ministering beyond the normal area of comfort will cause growth and maturation in the worship leader and in those around him or her.
Preparing Yourself to Lead. The initial preparation needed for leading worship is the realization that there is only one way to come before the Lord: by the shed blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19). One’s own strength or goodness or even excellent musical abilities are not enough. Only Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary allows access to Almighty God.
Beyond this initial preparation is the preparation for the specific service. This requires prayerful consideration of the theme and various aspects of the service and then choosing songs, Scriptures, and other components of the service. All of this can be done prior to the service by asking for the Lord’s guidance in all of the preparation.
Once the songs are chosen, diligent practice of the music performance is necessary. Consideration should be given to medleys, transitions, key changes, and similar matters.
Understanding the Dynamics of the Worship Service. Once the preparation has been completed for a specific service, then it is time to lead. It is important to note that although all of the necessary preparation has been done, it is still absolutely imperative to remain open and attentive to the Holy Spirit while leading. A major change in plans is unusual if prayerful preparations have been made. However, changes can occur and preempt even the most carefully prepared song list.
In addition to this, other practical ideas can be helpful. Create a “flow” in worship by using medleys of songs (endeavoring to maintain concepts such as rhythm/tempo and lyric content), flowing from one right into another. Also, use simple chord progressions to allow the people to sing spontaneously unto the Lord.
Avoid progressing too quickly. Many of the people in the congregation have spent little or no time in preparation, and they are not mentally, physically, or spiritually prepared to enter the presence of the Lord. Finally, always keep your eyes on the Lord.
Desiring and Pursuing Excellence. God held nothing back when he created the earth. His creation was not a halfhearted effort but the absolute best it could be. The church needs to grasp the concept of excellence more fully, especially in the music department. Too often the attitude is, “It’s good enough for church,” or “The congregation will be singing along, so they won’t notice the mistakes.” This attitude is the complete opposite of God’s attitude (Mark 7:37).
An effective worship leader really has no choice but to desire and pursue excellence. The standard of excellence is simply a part of the nature of God. The death blow needs to be struck to mediocrity within the church. If worship leaders can grasp and implement this attitude in their ministries, the blessing of God will be poured out to maintain it.
Praying toward that end and striving for excellence in all areas are the main keys.