Many, I know, would scoff at the idea of the sound guy as being a worship leader. Several worship leaders I have known simply cannot envision this concept. They view the role of the sound mixer as being a servant to the band, a minister with the gift of helps - and geeky knowledge of sound.
Thing is, though, worship leading is mostly a black and white job. You (presumably) schedule the musicians, pick the song selection, the song order, manage conflicts and the run the rehearsal, which is the same thing, really. Continue reading →
Gary Durbin is a worship leader I met at a conference earlier this year. Over at his blog he shares the following:
Most worship leaders are not in huge churches. Most worship leaders do not have big budgets, paid sound team members, paid musicians, and some are not even paid themselves. So, I have to remember, as the song says, “There must be more than this…”.
What is your experience with leading worship? I personally have led in small churches and in huge churches in the past years. Do you relate to what Gary is saying?
On my blog RKWL (Rich Kirkpatrick’s Weblog) I have a series for the past year where the myths we have with our weekend worship expressions are discusses. Sometimes controversial, this dialog needs to be had. Join the conversation!
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
-Jesus
A good number of you are probably worship pastors. I’m also a worship pastor. Or more specifically, I am a worship/connections pastor. Many of us are not at large churches with large budgets, and in turn, aren’t able to specialize in one area. Many times I have looked at where I am in life and found the phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none” to be a fair description.
As the Worship/Connections Pastor, I am currently:
Equipping a network of Life Groups and Life Group leaders
Managing our hospitality teams of greeters and info table peeps
Following up with weekly visitors
Part of our pastoral leadership team, setting vision and sharing teaching on occasion
Maintaining our website while working with some others to create a new look/feel for the site
Leading a team of 42 people on a trip to Mexico this Christmas
Putting together a 6 week study on the book of John with a professor at our church
I think the last three fall under “other duties as needed” in the job description. In addition, I have recently felt a strong desire to start a ministry to reach more students at UCSC, our local university less than a mile away. Making time for my family is a top priority, along with exercise and missional living.
I definitely don’t share that as a means of bragging. In fact, I often wonder how my plate keeps filling being that, even after much growth, I am probably one of the worst time managers in the universe. Some of it is my personality. I like to have a lot going on. Call it sadistic. I usually get to the point very quickly where I feel like I am in WAY over my head.
The great part about being in over my head is I am forcibly reminded that I can’t do anything without Jesus. When things seem manageable, it’s easy to rely on my own abilities. I think I can do it myself. I don’t really believe that apart from Him, I can do nothing. God consistently, throughout my life in ministry, has led me to places where I am in over my head and I have no choice but to trust Him to make things happen.
How is God reminding you to rely on Him more today?
What dreams has he placed in your heart that are bigger than your own abilities?
Where has He gotten you in “over your head” so that He could come through for you?
“anonymous worship guy” is writing anonymously on behalf of the blog administrator to protect himself and his church. Having authentic and unedited thoughts in this case we hope will be healthy and honoring to how Jesus would want it to be.
I am a Pastor at a small church in Northern California. I am also the youngest staff member at this church. I was hired to bring new energy and life to the church and to help provide a direction. I’ve been here a year and I’ve helped to provide a new direction; but that direction has turned into that street sign above. By that I mean that I helped to plot a course straight ahead in one direction, but the Sr. Pastor then, with the help of feed back from the older congregation members, tries to add directions that will make everyone happy. We then end up with direction that means nothing. I stay the course, while the Sr. Pastor goes one way, the elders another and the trustees another, and well you get the point.
Today my Sr. Pastor comes to talk to me while I’m setting up for worship this weekend and says, “We are going to go back to the old hymns and choruses.” WHAT? Back? We had a vision a dream an idea a direction. And now we are back to the starting line (which if you need a reference is where that separate arrow in the photo points to). At our church direction means nothing. I’ve been asking why this is. The answer is lack of strong leadership. It’s not that we don’t have good leaders at the church; it’s just no one wants to take the helm.
To be honest I do, but I am just an associate or assistant pastor, and I know it’s up the Sr. or lead pastor to take then helm. I have told him a few times he needs to. He doesn’t want too because he is afraid of offending people. The elders, some of them, may want to, but can’t because they don’t work at the church.
So what happens to a church when direction means nothing? Well if you look at our church, even before I came here, it dwindles and dies. The last real direction that this church had was given to them 6 or 7 years ago, and that direction wasn’t very good. Once that pastor left the downward slide began for this church. In my youthful arrogance I thought I could save it, but I can’t, they don’t want to be saved for one, and it isn’t what God called me to do. The church has been at a steady 40 people for the year I’ve been here, and even that isn’t completely accurate. This church has not grown or gained health of any kind since direction left.
I know that in most situations there will be a staff member who is paid to do this, BUT, when a volunteer builds a team of other volunteers it’s different.
Almost three years ago, our team was informed that our Worship Pastor of 8 years was leaving in 8 weeks. I was asked to step in and be the leader of the ministry. Eight weeks is not enough time to build a team of people to volunteer to lead a ministry, I was the only “official” leader that was in place. So I took inventory and picked six people to be leaders in strategic positions of the ministry. Lucky for me our team was willing and able to do this.
I was told later that they felt since I was willing to make sacrifices as a volunteer that they could also.
For paid staff members, let your volunteers lead and build teams as much as you can, you will be amazed how awesome they really are and you can do what you were hired to do, oversee it all and watch God do miracles through them.
Like a proud parent watches their kid ride a bike for the first time, it just scares the crap out of you but man, what a rush!!!
Tehilla Music was a company I started in 1997 to self-publish worship music that was being used in my local church and a few others at the time. I started a simple website where I gave away sheet music to anyone wanted it. The idea was to simply allow a small overflow of what God was doing through me in my local fellowship to others.
I remember emails from Finland, Alabama, and places I could not pronounce where my little songs were taken and being used. When corresponding with a woman in a church of 50 people in Alabama, I was moved by the gratitude she displayed. The provision for me was that it seemed whatever I invested always came back.
Over ten years later there are newer songs and an expanded idea. The idea is to collaborate with local worship leaders all over the world to capture their indigenous worship expression. And, hopefully this “open source” approach will be a catalyst to see a huge overflow of music.
But, worship is more than music. What I hope this site also accomplishes is encouragement and coaching to the worship leaders out there and pastors out there who are on the front lines. I have served in megachurches and know what its like to lead with 100 people or less in a small church plant.
My many mistakes simply means I can be a resource and catayst to many out there who have not made as many as I have. So, my boasting is in the track record of failed attempts and big dreams. I sure hope you join me on the journey here at Tehilla Music.
The video shown above represents a passion on mine–the next generation. My daughter, who is only 14 in this video, is learning to be an effective worship leader with huge potential to impact many. How can we collaborate to pass on through this site things that will make the next generation better than us?
Like I said, I sure hope you join us on the journey here at Tehilla Music. If you need a church copyright adminstrator for your worship tunes, or a publisher to help promote them, we do that, too.
RECAP: Another big weekend at the Sunridge Community Church. This week we had communion, after leaving this out for months. The timing was right even though the planning was short. It was worth it, especially with the theme of Christ’s love for us. The transcendent moment for me this week was in our second service with Bob leading “Sweetly Broken”.
SET LIST: The new song for us this week is one many already know well called “Sweetly Broken” by Jeremy Riddle. Bob Huestis is one of our main volunteer worship leaders and guitarists who powerfully led us in this song. We also did a song I wrote called “The Greatest Gift” which if you are interested can get on CCLI.com or here: sheet music or mp3.
Here are the songs:
Happy Day - Tim Hughes
Beautiful One - Tim Hughes
My Savior God - Aaron Shust
Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle
The Greatest Gift - Rich Kirkpatrick
Great Is Thy Faithfulness - arr. Lincoln Brewster
How was your worship weekend? In what moment in it did you hear God speak to you?
Many, I know, would scoff at the idea of the sound guy as being a worship leader. Several worship leaders I have known simply cannot envision this concept. They view the role of the sound mixer as being a servant to the band, a minister with the gift of helps - and geeky knowledge of sound.
