worship leadership

Leading Worship in a Smaller Church

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Worship leaders at small churches can learn five principles from the life of a famous football coach to help them to better lead worship.

If most of us had our “druthers,” and we could choose between leading worship or being part of a worship team in a smaller church (75 to 100 members), or a larger church (500 to 600 or more), we would choose the larger. C’mon now, be honest! Fact is, though, many of the worship leaders and teams ministering today are serving in smaller churches.

Since 1975, I have helped build worship teams in five churches, mostly in southern California. Two of the churches grew quickly, having many musicians and creative people to work with. The other three grew quickly but had few musicians. All this is to say, I know how difficult it is to lead the people when you don’t have the luxury and the pleasure of having a good solid rhythm section, an inspiring improvisational keyboard player, a tasteful guitar player, and a woodwind or string player.

If you are currently in a smaller church, there are some basic concepts to keep in mind that will help you to accomplish your goal as a worship leader (or team). Lest I be misunderstood, I am presupposing that you are squared away on all the heart issues concerning worship: what it is, why we do it, and so on.

At a memorial service for the late NFL Coach George Allen, I was deeply moved and motivated by the impact that his life had on the lives of many great athletes. In twelve seasons of coaching pro teams, Coach Allen never had a losing season. But what was most impressive was that he accomplished that against great odds. His motto was “The Future Is Now,” which to him meant that his focus was on winning now. That meant winning with players that everyone else thought were “over the hill,” too old, and worn out, rather than building a team with a goal of winning in three to five years, the common practice for a coach starting with a new team. Coach Allen, a Christian, managed to accomplish his goals through the use of five essential principles. They are applicable to us and our goals for worship leading.

Leadership. The first principle is leadership. This may seem obvious, but sometimes this essential ingredient of worship leading is not there. The worship leader needs to lead. In the early days of our church, the Vineyard, the Lord led us in a direction away from the model of the “song leader” who functioned in many churches as a choir leader with the congregation as the choir. He or she called out the next number in the hymnal and directed it.

The Lord began showing us another way, which has become the general standard in Vineyard churches. We saw Vineyard worship leaders (and songwriters) Carl Tuttle and Eddie Espinosa stand up, start playing, worship the Lord, and not give a word of direction between songs. We learned to focus our attention on the Lord, and in our worship we learned that we could stand up, sit down, kneel, raise our hands, even sit on our hands as long as we were not drawing attention to ourselves.

Carl and Eddie were leading even though they did not say much. But in newer or younger churches where people are coming from a different style or from no church at all, they may not understand what’s happening. It would then be important that some explanation be given as to what you are about to do and why.

Moreover, we have begun to experiment with different styles of worship; namely, the approaches of Graham Kendrick from England and Kevin Prosch from Kansas City, both of whom address the congregation from time to time during worship—an effort to bring praise, honor, and adoration to the King. Although you should avoid being a “cheerleader,” don’t be afraid to lead the people!

Passion. The second principle that characterized Coach Allen and his leadership style was passion. Passion refers to strong feeling or emotion. Coach Allen was passionate about his commitment to his players and his goal to make them winners.

Too often worship leading becomes routine, and it is difficult to maintain our passion for that commitment. When we first begin, it can be quite exhilarating, but after we have conquered the stage fright and have become accustomed to seeing and being seen up front, the exhilaration fades and the routine takes over. This can be especially true in smaller settings.

This leads to sloppiness and poor leadership and can deeply affect the worship of the people. They may do it, but they will do it in spite of you. Some people are naturally more passionate than others, but it is a quality that can be nurtured. It is the quality I most appreciated in songwriter and musician Keith Green. It is a quality that the apostle Paul encouraged in the church at Rome—“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). The Lord condemned the Laodiceans for lacking in it (Rev. 3:16), and it is the quality that characterized the life and faith of Caleb, who followed the Lord wholeheartedly (Num. 14:24). Don’t draw back from expressing your love for Christ and your worship of him with passion, and your people will have the same passion for worship.

Enthusiasm. Third, Coach Allen was enthusiastic about his work. Enthusiasm is tricky. In my teaching on worship, and in modeling it over the years, I have been strictly against a “performance mode” for leaders and musicians. We have stressed, and I believe rightly so, that the preeminent requirement for a worship leader (or team) is humility, with a total focus on directing everyone’s attention and heart toward the Lord.

It is sometimes difficult for professional musicians to become worship leaders because they have spent years developing performance skills and entertainment skills. As soon as they are in front of a group, these skills automatically take over. This is not necessarily bad, but it does not necessarily help people worship, either. They may enjoy themselves, and so forth, but are they worshiping?

On the other hand, because you are in front of the people to lead them, there is much to be said for warm smiles and enthusiasm in singing and playing. Sometimes less-experienced leaders and teams have hearts to worship, but they are painfully shy, and this makes everyone uncomfortable and insecure. Sometimes we may not feel enthusiastic, especially in an early morning service, but it is our calling and our responsibility to lead the people, even if the audience is small. So “doing enthusiasm,” like “doing good works,” is something to consider. You must decide if you want to be effective. “Doing enthusiasm” can be a choice, and it can be a godly work. Try it—you’ll like it. And so will your people.

Discipline. Fourth, Coach Allen was extremely disciplined. The card on his desk read, “Is what I’m doing—or about to do—getting me closer to my objective?” His objective was to win. Our objective is to worship and to lead others to worship the Lord. To reach our objectives, we must be disciplined. God highly values excellence. A passage of Scripture that has long been a favorite of mine is Exodus 35:30–35. It says that when it was time to build the tabernacle, God chose the finest master craftsmen and designers to do the work. He had “filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers” (v. 35). He had in mind to build a gloriously beautiful tabernacle that would express his own beauty, character, and creativity. The sight of it would draw the hearts of the people to him. I believe he desires the same from our music. If you have only a guitar or a piano, discipline yourself to play skillfully and creatively arrange the songs that you choose to fit your instrument. At my church, the worship leader and I played guitar, piano, mandolin, and violin (switching off) for two years, until the Lord brought additional players. The worship leader worked very hard to program drums, bass, and strings into a sequencer. It had drawbacks, but it filled out the sound until live players came.

If you can’t afford a sequencer, you can arrange the songs so they will work for you. But it takes work, time, and discipline. Let us not be lazy or negligent in perfecting our skills. Let us not depend on the old standby, “Well, the Lord will bless it anyway.” No! Let us do it right. Let us honor him with our craft, or let us not do it at all.

Love. Finally, the principle that impelled Coach Allen to motivate others was love.

In his retirement years, after leaving the NFL, Allen took a job that raised people’s eyebrows. He agreed to coach at Long Beach State. It was unheard of for a coach of his stature and age (seventy-two) to go from the NFL to a college that was not even a football school and to coach a bunch of kids who were not quality players.

Little by little, using all of these principles—leadership, passion, enthusiasm, and discipline—he accomplished what he (and many of his friends and former players) considered to be his greatest success. For the first time in years, and to the disbelief of almost everyone, Long Beach State had a winning season. How did he do it?

He practiced those principles, but there was one other principle. It was said that during the game halftimes, the main thing he told them was, “We’ve got to love one another!” What? In a halftime pep talk? Yes! Brothers and sisters, it always comes down to this, doesn’t it? The bottom line is, we must love one another. We want to be successful and effective worship leaders (or teams), whether our church has 75 members or 600. We can if we take the time and care to practice these basic biblical leadership principles, and if we love one another.

Leadership with Style and Grace

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Body Language

Presiding well as a worship leader means using the body well. Presiding well means being comfortable with oneself in the public space to the extent that one doesn’t call attention to one’s uneasiness. It means looking like one knows what one is doing and speaking as if one means what one is saying. Presiding well means a certain honesty in expression: being who one is in the presence of God.

The Face. Some of us have faces that give us away; some of us have faces that conceal what we want to reveal. Live with the face you have, but be aware of it. A face that shows tension and strain (pursed lips, tight jaws, rigid head movements, tight neck muscles) calls out for attention and concern. Unfortunately, such faces draw attention to themselves and prohibit a “welcoming” greeting. Often such faces thinly mask a mind that is too concerned with trying to remember what’s next in the order of service or what’s next in a text. Such a face might loosen up when the worship leader begins actually attending to the assembly. Fear of one’s own possible mistakes or fear of the assembly get in the way of effective worship leading.

The Eyes. The eyes have it! Eyes are meant for looking at people; for greeting them warmly; for offering sympathy, hope, congratulations. They can be wonderful windows into a person. They can also be glaring security gates that post “no entrance.” They can stare blankly into space, giving the message, “no one’s home.”

People look away when they are afraid or intimidated. They look just over the heads of the group at the clock or the wall thinking that no one notices. But many do notice. In fact, within the assembled group are other sets of eyes waiting to make contact, waiting to be invited into human communion. Such eyes support and give assent; they empower the worship leader to lead from the heart.

The Arms and Hands. The arms of the worship leader reach out in greeting when they do so naturally. They gather the assembly together, including in their extension all who are present, never seeking to exclude by gestures made too small or by fingers that bend in. The hands look warm and human: a slight bend to them, not rigid and straight. The palms are raised heavenward while the arms gently gather those who worship. The movements of the arms and hands have a smoothness from one position to another, but a smoothness that does not call attention to itself.

Hands joined nervously in front of oneself merely transfer nervous energy down one arm and back up the other. Merely letting go of the hands allows nervous energy an exit. The worship leader is called at times to gesture in the name of the assembly. At those times the gestures are bold, but restrained, inviting the assembly into them, rather than warning all to keep their distance.

Sitting, Standing, Bowing, Kneeling. One can’t be walking and bowing at the same time or walking and doing other things. Take time, use common sense, sit straight (if, for example, you are leading worship while playing piano), stand on both feet, don’t roll. Bow or perform other actions for the benefit of the assembly—carefully and richly—and not merely for oneself. Point the entire body in the direction of the central activity, don’t merely move the “head.” That way, when one of the worshipers gets bored with the music and looks at the worship leader, the very way the worship leader is sitting or standing and attending to the music will call that worshiper back to worship.

Walking. This may not be an art, but there are better and worse ways of doing it. Public walking is a little slower than private walking, but good walking calls no attention to itself. “Be human and not overly religious” is my motto. On the other hand, I’ve seen people actually skip up the stairs of the sanctuary, taking two at a time on their way to lead worship. The action of worship demands more than this, and so does the assembly. I’ve seen people shift into place after several tries, sort of circling the area looking for the right place, and I’ve seen people cut corners so sharply you’d swear they had a sudden change of heart.

Appearance. If one is wearing a vestment while leading worship, he or she should make sure it is cleaned, pressed, and the proper length. Ordinary clothes offer their own problems: some clothes are judged by the assembly as inappropriate either because they are showy (a stunning evening gown or a formal ruffled shirt) or because they are too casual (e.g., shorts, sleeveless shirts, or blouses).

Movement and Flow. Every worship service has a high point, a focus, a central gesture; and every service has elements and gestures that lead to that point and others that move from there to conclusion. It is the worship leader and others who set the tempo and help the rest of the assembly experience the central focus of the service. This is accomplished by both voice and gesture, by tone and body reverence.

Silence. The advent of “new worship” seems to have signaled the end of silence. Silence gives the assembly time to center itself for prayer, time to take in the Word that is proclaimed, time to reflect on the preached Word, time to focus on an important gesture. Brief periods of silence (ten seconds or less) help establish the rhythm of the service; longer periods take on an important place in the service itself.

Deadly silence is silence that has no positive meaning for the assembly; it is the silence of musicians not being ready to play or the silence of someone taking public time for the private movement of books or candles, or the silence of someone fumbling to get ready for the next part of a service. Creative silence, on the other hand, is silence with a purpose; it is the silence that allows the assembly to breathe, to reflect, to pray.

While deadly silence encourages the feeling of boredom, creative silence pushes the service forward, but without the sense of rush. Time flies as the worshipers are caught up in the act of worship. Worship leaders, pastors, and others must learn the art of calling the assembly to quiet, of pacing the service through silence, of not wasting silence on movements that have no meaning for the assembly as such. They must also learn to treasure the assembly’s quiet time so that they do not disturb it with a nervous word, lengthy explanation, or instruction.

Relation to the Worshipers. All of us who minister to the rest of the assembly remain part of that assembly even as we minister. As leaders of worship, we serve so that others might discover the presence of God in our midst. After all, the good news of the gospel comes through personalities and bodies, not automatically, not without working at it, but only when we are open to ourselves and to others, calling and inviting all of us to transparency and honesty before the Lord. Those who would lead worship must serve the assembly.

Practical Advice for Worship Leadership

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Little things count. Improving oneself in the small but important practical aspects of worship leading can lead to greater effectiveness in that role. This entry gives practical instruction in a number of these areas, including visual presentation, oral delivery, movement and choreography, and content of services.

What does it take to lead worship well? As anyone who has prepared to step in front of a congregation for the first time knows, leading worship successfully takes more than courage or a mechanical awareness of what to do and when. Good worship leadership demands knowledge, ability, and preparation—and it begins with a good theology of worship.

In his classic piece “And Then What Must I Do?” Sφren Kierkegaard chastens Protestant congregations for approaching worship with the same attitude with which they approach a concert or a play—as if they are the audience and the speakers (preacher, musicians, liturgists) are the actors. The churchgoers respond to the performance as critics—interested, bored, or deeply moved. Kierkegaard goes on to suggest that while worship might well be compared to a theater, the worshipers are actors, not critics. The worship leaders are prompters who help the congregation perform the act of worship.

The goal of worship leaders, then, is not to star in a great performance, but rather to become transparent prompters who help focus worship on God. How does that happen? By eliminating both the stumbling blocks and the theatrics that draw attention to the leader and away from God.

Visual Presentation

Good Grooming Is Essential. It may seem obvious, but the worship leader’s visual presentation begins with grooming. One should certainly not have to be a fashion plate to lead worship, but basic cleanliness, modesty, and good taste are essential when setting a tone of reverence. Torn or unkempt clothes are obviously inappropriate, but in many contexts so is a too-expensive suit or party dress. Men and women will want to avoid suggestive clothing and garish jewelry, and women will want to keep makeup understated.

Consider the Style of the Worship Service. The formality of worship varies greatly from church to church. An effective worship leader will be aware of the culture, style, and formality of the service that he or she is called to lead. For the most part, the style of the service should determine the way in which the leader conducts himself or herself, not vice versa.

Good “Stage” Presence Takes Practice. Effective presence begins with good posture and attentiveness. Erect posture is both reverent and commanding and indicates to the worshipers that you are prepared to lead them.

Good eye contact encourages the congregation to listen carefully to what you are saying and invites them to participate fully in worship. When singing hymns or leading a responsive reading, you should lift your book so that your voice still projects and your eyes connect with the congregation.

If another leader is speaking, all attention should be fully directed to that person. If your attention wanders to your notes or you begin to gaze out at the crowd, the congregation will be distracted, too.

Gestures Need Not Be Loud to Be Effective. Often the smallest movement speaks volumes. If the congregation fails to rise to sing a hymn, for example, stand yourself. If they still don’t respond, raise your hands to prompt them once more. Your role as a prompter is to help the congregation to worship God.

Oral Delivery

Oral delivery is one of the most criticized areas of leadership—and one of the easiest to change. We all know the frustration of trying to follow a speaker who talks too quietly or too quickly. These problems are heightened in sanctuaries that have poor acoustics.

Practice Diction. To improve your diction, try reading aloud privately or with a friendly “coach.”

First, practice slowing down your speed until you are comfortable hearing yourself speak at a slower rate. Then pay attention to the consonants: Are you speaking each one distinctly? Many speakers make the mistake of dropping the consonants off the ends of words or of running two words together.

Once consonants feel comfortable to you, pay attention to the vowels. Each one requires your mouth to form a different shape. Practice saying phrases like “lips, teeth, tip of the tongue” to become aware of what you’re doing and to make your mouth more flexible. It may feel strange, but it works!

Learn to Adjust Volume and Pitch. If you have a microphone in your sanctuary, practice using it before leading worship. Sometimes a quiet voice is most easily amplified by adjusting the microphone, but almost any voice can gain volume even without a mike.

The first step is to concentrate on how far the words need to go. Try getting your voice to reach the farthest corner of the sanctuary, the back row of the balcony. Then try breathing more deeply, using more of your lungs than in normal speech. A voice backed by diaphragm and lungs will carry many times farther than an everyday speaking voice.

However, sometimes being louder is not enough. Sometimes pitch needs to be adjusted as well. People with hearing problems lose their ability to hear higher notes first. If a worship leader has a very high-pitched voice, it may be difficult for some people to follow. With effort and time, a speaker can learn to lower his or her voice. One of the easiest ways to practice using the lower register is by singing. Instead of reading the soprano or tenor line of a song or hymn, try singing the alto or bass notes, or try dropping your voice an octave.

Use Appropriate Expression in Your Speaking and Reading. If you have ever listened to a great actor or storyteller, you know that interpretation can transform the written word into a powerful experience. Worship leaders must learn to use their voices to convey the Word in an expressive style that fits the content of the message.

How does that happen? Let’s use the reading of Scripture as an example. To effectively read a portion of the Bible, the reader should begin by becoming familiar with the passage. Look over the passage for any questions of pronunciation. Then read it through a few more times, trying to decide what the central message or high point might be. Look for repetitions of words or phrases: the introduction of new characters, a shift in plot, a surprise conclusion. Determine what type of writing it is (history, poetry, prophecy, letter), and try to catch its tone. You might want to make a photocopy of the passage, jotting down notes to yourself about anything that catches your eye—words that you would like to emphasize.

Finally, practice reading the passage out loud. How does it sound to you? Are there other ways you could read it? Be careful not to overinterpret or get theatrical, but do use your best and most natural voice to get across the message of the Word.

Plan the Words That You Will Say Ahead of Time. Almost always, worship leadership entails preparing some of your own words as well as reading those of others. Your contribution may be as simple as introducing the prayer of confession or the Scripture lesson or as lengthy as offering the congregational prayer or preaching the sermon. Don’t assume that you will remember what to say when you get to the lectern. Neatly type or write whatever you are going to say—prayer, announcement, invitation to confession, assurance of pardon, the creed, even the Lord’s Prayer. Obviously, you know the creed and the Lord’s Prayer by heart, but when you are under pressure up front, you always face the possibility that your mind will go blank. There is nothing wrong with that—as long as you have prepared for that contingency by having the words in front of you.

Also, make sure before the service that you have all the written materials that you need in place—at the lectern, at your chair, or in your hand. Usually,d these materials will include a Bible, a hymnal, and a bulletin (with your notes!).

Movement and Choreography

An often overlooked component of worship leadership is “choreography.” The leader must know not only when he or she should stand, sit, or move but be able to help the congregation know their part as well. Once again, the leader is the prompter. The more confident the leader, the more comfortably the people will play their parts.

Plan Carefully before the Service. Go over it ahead of time, writing notes to yourself in the bulletin (“stand,” “sit,” “move to the podium,” etc.). Where do you need to be and when? Can you move to another position (e.g., behind the communion table or by the baptismal font) during a hymn, when it will be less distracting? Do the others involved in the service know their roles and positions? Are there some portions of the service that might be confusing to visitors and which, therefore, need some explanation?

Note ahead of time any misprints or confusing statements in the bulletin. Sometimes a hymn number is mistyped, or a change in the morning’s order of worship isn’t picked up in the bulletin. Decide if the problem warrants an oral explanation and determine when in the service it would be best to call the error to the congregation’s attention.

Keep Choreographic Announcements Brief. Announcements are distracting. It is amazing how much you can convey just by your own movements. Without your saying a word, people will know they are expected to follow suit.

The only thing more distracting than too many announcements is a leader who doesn’t know what he or she is doing. A poorly prepared leader makes people terribly uncomfortable and invites them to worry about the worship leader rather than focus on worship. So even if you don’t know what you’re supposed to do next, fake it. Look like you know. Someone has to lead—and in this case, it’s you.

Content

What you say in worship is always more important than how you say it. A number of factors influence the content of prayers and the selection of the readings for worship.

All of the Elements of Worship Should Be Related. As you prepare to lead the service, ask yourself some of these questions: What else is going on in the service? What is the theme of the primary Scripture and sermon? Do these prayers and readings relate to and enhance the focus of worship for this service? In other words, do the pieces fit?

The Elements of the Service Should Have Theological Integrity. My preaching professor at seminary was a master at reading between the lines; he always pushed us to ask about the implications of what we were saying. That’s a good rule to keep in mind as we evaluate our prayers, litanies, sermons, and even introductions. What do our words say about God, and what do they imply about us? There are obvious extremes to be avoided—from Kahlil Gibran and New Age poetry to rigid fundamentalism and hellfire and brimstone. God cannot be so broadly or narrowly defined. Every time we pray, preach, and teach, we reveal our true theology.

Know What Belongs in Each Element of Worship. While there are no absolutes, the form and length of each element in the various liturgies are fairly standardized. The worship leader needs to be clear about what belongs and what doesn’t. One seminarian I knew never got the hang of the pastoral prayer—she started with confession, moved to intercession and thanksgiving, returned to confession, and ended who-knows-where.

Use Appropriate Language. The language of worship should never offend. It can challenge, confront, even judge—but it must not abuse. Language both reflects and shapes the way we think, and, as worship leaders, it is important that we choose words that reflect the love of God for all people. Language that excludes people because of race, sex, physical limitations, or age displays our sinfulness and limitations rather than pointing to the embracing grace of God.

Great Rewards

Good worship leadership doesn’t just happen. It begins with a good understanding of worship. It requires a great deal of thoughtfulness and practice. But, as you will discover, enabling and enhancing the congregation’s worship of God is a tremendously rewarding endeavor.

Pursuing Excellence in Worship Leadership

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Excellence starts with godly self-esteem, which worship leaders need to instill in their team members by helping them to understand who they are in Christ. Excellence is not something we arrive at, but something we continually pursue; it is a state of “being” more than a state of “doing.”

Excellence has become a management buzzword. It may soon find itself on the list of “wonderful words to be used for management by clichés.” Nowadays many people are climbing aboard the excellence bandwagon. But what does it really mean to pursue excellence? As worship leaders, can we define excellence so it is more than a noble-sounding sentiment? How can the worship leader develop a team that pursues excellence?

God Inside: Wellspring of Excellence. For the Christian, pursuing excellence is the inescapable consequence of his or her fellowship with the Christ who does “everything well” (Mark 7:37). This is so because everything we need for life and godliness has already been given us in Christ Jesus (2 Pet. 1:3), and we can access what has been given us by believing his “very great and precious promises” (2 Pet. 1:4). As a worship leader, therefore, your approach to excellence begins with creating grace-based, faith-energized people, for they always tend toward excellence.

Start Building a Godly Self-Esteem. As worship leader, your role will be to teach your team who they are in Christ. For if they have an unbiblical self-image, they will be hurt in at least five ways:

1. They will tend to ignore God’s inspiration. Suffering from low self-esteem, they will think that any thought they have surely can’t be worth much. You can imagine how that can rob a worship team of God’s gifts.
2. They will tend to have a master-slave relationship with God rather than one of fellowship, love, and trust. They will be paralyzed by the fear of “doing something in the flesh,” and won’t budge unless God confirms their proposed action with supernatural events. They will fear innovation, although innovation is a sign of life.
3. They may suffer from a damaged internal guidance mechanism that torpedoes the things they do attempt. Somehow they will manage to inject a fatal flaw into their work.
4. People with low self-esteem often have difficulty receiving criticism or even suggestions from their leaders or peers. This is a serious leadership problem all over the world and is the silent killer of many a church and ministry.
5. Finally, people with low self-esteem tend to think they are failures if there is something they don’t know. Therefore, they have difficulty in receiving expert help, too. They will stay away from training sessions, will resist attending conferences, and may not be willing to receive even their leader’s correction.

Go for the Roots. When someone doesn’t know who he or she is in Christ, he or she will produce bad fruit, setting “aside the grace of God” (Gal. 2:21). To start flailing away at the bad fruit may, in fact, create more bad fruit. If we don’t deal with the roots, we will eventually cut our team off from Christ, for Paul also says, “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11), and he proclaims a spiritual unity that grows out of God-given endurance and encouragement (Rom. 15:5).

The Foolishness of Preaching. Often I am asked, “Then, how can you deal with the consequences of a wrong self-understanding?” I can give no better answer than what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:21: “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” Every healthy Christian group includes nurture as part of its dynamic. I would encourage you to teach on the theme of who we really are according to the Word.

Spiritual Identity. Your team members must know who they are before they can exercise their gifts. Nebuchadnezzar was the mightiest king of his day, but when God punished him, he forgot who he was and acted like a cow, not a king (Dan. 4:25–33). He was totally ineffective in his leadership role. Similarly, when Christians do not know who they are, the results may be bovine.

Excellence Is a Pursuit, Not an Achievement. In the pursuit of excellence, be careful not to substitute perfectionism. Perfectionists set absolute and usually quite arbitrary standards by which to judge themselves and others. Their standards may be so high that the result is a paralyzing inactivity. Because they dread failure, perfectionists often become expert procrastinators and blame-shifters.

On the other hand, those who are content to pursue excellence are unafraid to scale the heights. For them the chief issue is improvement. The perfectionists’ standards are static. But those who pursue excellence impose no limits on their performance, and eventually will best the standards of the perfectionist. The gospel is clearly an invitation to pursue excellence. Character, as well as the gifts of the Spirit, are presented in terms of practice and improvement (1 Cor. 14:12; Phil. 3:14; 1 Tim. 4:15). One can talk about improvement only when something is imperfect. Those who pursue excellence are not undone by making mistakes.

The Pursuit of Excellence

Confrontation for the Grace-Based. Building excellence, then, begins with establishing people in grace, helping them achieve a biblical self-image, and unshackling them from the fear of failure. But it doesn’t end there. Problems will still need to be confronted; however, our attitude as leaders must reflect the grace-based approach. Otherwise, we will revert to the old law system in which rules, reproaches, and shame are used to keep people in line.

The new covenant perspective sees confrontations as dealing with tshe conflict between flesh and spirit—between the old sinful nature and the renewed person in Christ (see Rom. 7:7–25). Thus, biblical confrontation comes from the position of an ally, working with Christian brothers and sisters to help them stand against their human tendency to sin.

Being before Doing. God’s Word has in it the power to build us into channels of excellence. Therefore, as a leader you will want to focus on what Scripture says we are in Christ. With that as a foundation, the principles of the Law actually become promises of what God will work in us by his Spirit. Only in that context is it appropriate to discuss the parameters of excellence.

Before anything else, excellence must be spiritual. God is more interested in replicating his character in us than he is in getting us to do work for him. Joyce Meyer has said, “We are called human beings, not human doings” (Counseling Psychology: Theories and Case Studies. [Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1975]). Consider, for example, 1 Corinthians 13:1, which introduces a concept repeated several times in the chapter, each time dealing with a different issue of performance without love: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Even more pointed are Jesus’ words of warning: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers’ ” (Matt. 7:21–23).

Clearly, worship leaders must lead their teams into spiritual excellence. Godliness is to be preferred over musical skill if we can’t have both.

Excellence in the Word. Closely linked with spiritual excellence is a deep commitment to accuracy, completeness, and honesty with regard to the Word of God. We have already said that worship leaders function in a prophetic role and that they must therefore be equipped with Scripture.

Excellence of the Externals. Although Jesus did not espouse glitz and glitter, we can also safely say he did not found the cult of mediocrity. Outward appearance does matter. External things, such as being on time, having your instrument clean, properly grooming your hair, are all signals to the observer that you mean business.

We are not talking about style here as much as a commitment to doing things well. A three-piece suit, for example, may be completely out of place in a church filled with baby boomers. But dirty clothes and their olfactory offenses are out of place among leaders in any setting.

Artistic Excellence. I have observed an ever-growing tendency toward musical excellence among worship teams. This trend results in the development of musical skills in the congregation, which is a worthy goal. Thus, learning at the congregational level is more “caught” than “taught.”

Forbid Carnal Competitiveness. When we deal with artistic excellence, we have to be especially careful of the flesh. The Bible gives us wonderful, healthy advice on this issue: “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else”(Gal. 6:4). Aside from Scripture, the primary yardstick for measuring excellence is each person’s past performance.

Setting Goals for Excellence. We have now come full circle in the entries in this chapter. If excellence is to be more than a buzzword, then it requires our involvement in setting milestones for progress. That’s what leadership does. It creates and fuels vision and mobilizes people to achieve more than they dreamed they ever could. My prayer for you is that the excellence of Christ in you and in your team will find increasing manifestation daily.

Keys to Effective Worship Leadership

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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.