Called to Lead Worship?

Training The Next Worship Leaders

2011-07-30T17:14:00.004-04:00

This is a topic I feel we as worship leaders overlook for one reason or another, and that is making a conscious effort to train the next worship leaders. Do I mean going out and finding some kid minding his own business and "blessing" him (or her) with the great opportunity to lead God's people in worship? No. Though that could work I suppose... However, this is what I really mean. Very few of us lead worship completely on our own, we have a team with us. If you ARE own your own, have heart, God will bring you people to help you lead worship, or God's been trying and you're too picky, that one's for you to decide. I'm a firm believer that those in a leadership positions should (and need to) be training at least one person to do what they're doing in ministry, passing on wisdom and lessons learned to make the next generation more effective for God. I also believe that every person who is in a leadership position should also have someone training them because no one has it all figured out.

Speaking to those who do have people on their teams, I bet most of them have some ability to lead, and we should be speaking life into that potential for them.
-Do they play the same instrument as you? Help them use it more effectively to lead the worship (or blend in with the group better).
-If they play a different instrument (or no instrument at all, they just do vocals) there are still certain truths in worship leading that translate.

Show them what works in certain situations, and what doesn't (because you sure know what doesn't by now, maybe more than what does). Teach them simple things like transitions and keys. Show them deeper things like spiritual truths about worship, in the lives of the people you're ministering to and personally in the life of the worship leader. Teach them what God's Word says about true worship, and how one of the great (maybe the greatest) ones did it, David. Be intentional about training someone in your church.

Practically, if and when you have to miss a service it's great to have someone to fill in for you. Spiritually, some day God might call you (or them) to a new ministry, and we don't want to hinder than transition.

Are you training someone? Have you trained numerous people and have some tips? Are you too intimidated by the idea of it? Let me know.

The Balancing Act

2011-03-09T08:52:00.002-05:00

This is a discussion I've had with other worship leaders more times than I can count, but what, if there is one, the correct view? The issue is this. Should worship (we're talking music) be simple? Over the years my opinion has changed a number of times depending on things such as who I was listening to at that time, what persons around me thought, and even my own talent level as a singer and musician. My views on the issue are anything but simple, but let me try to explain the way I have learned to see it over time - It all depends on the situation you find yourself in. There's no formula for worship that works in all, or even most situations. Are you leading worship for 10 people? 100 people? 10,000 people? Are they all youth? There are so many factors that you have to consider. For most of us, besides the chance to play music once in a while at a venue or lead worship at a special event, you'll find yourself leading worship at your home church, and there's nothing wrong with that for this reason: you have the opportunity to REALLY know the needs of your church's body. Whether you're writing your own music, or just assembling a worship set for Sunday morning, make the songs about where your church is at that moment, the needs of your body. Don't pick songs based on a set list you heard Chris Tomlin play, or because you always do "those" songs on certain days (By His Wounds on Communion Sunday). Don't let this intimidate you, especially if you haven't been leading for a long time or haven't had the chance to get to know the people of your church as well as you'd like to yet, because here's the greatest knowledge/advice I can pass along, we all serve the same God. If you honestly seek God's will during your preparation time, and aim your ambitions and plans to bring God the most glory and honor, then things are going to fall into place in time. Post any questions or comments you might have, I'll be sure to get back to you.

-Tyson

What God is showing me about authentic worship

2010-06-29T20:21:00.002-04:00

Over the last eight years of leading worship on a weekly basis in a church setting, God has taught me numerous things about what it means to be authentic in worshipping Him, and I wanted to share the most recent with you other worship leaders. This may sound basic, and is something most leaders (myself included) have heard since the beginning, but I don't feel we take it to heart like God would want us to. It is this - The most important part of leading worship is to just enter into His throne room, and the church will follow. I don't care what talent level you are at when it comes to your instrument or singing and it honestly doesn't matter if you focus on this thought. If you go in front of your church and play a perfectly arranged set with the best musicians to be found and never enter into the throne room, then the church won't follow. Make your whole purpose during worship to not lead the worship, but just to be the lead worshipper. Now, I understand that we can't completely lose ourselves or things can go downhill fast and turn into a train wreck, at least become awkward when you realize the church has just been staring at you for a few minutes. So, there needs to be a balance between purposeful leading and just unhindered worship. Just let the Holy Spirit lead this aspect of your worship leading. Imagine with me a worship team, leader and members both, who just allow themselves to worship in front of the church instead of worrying about whether or not the church is enjoying the new song or the words on the screen are matching up. If we could just worship God as He so justly deserves and trust that the congregation will follow suit because of our faithfulness. So plan your set, keys of the songs, key changes, order of songs, dynamics and the whole shebang, but ALWAYS allow for the Holy Spirit to change and lead the service at every moment, and just worship. Don't worry about the perfect performance, just worship, with all your heart, as if Christ actually deserves it, and He does! If you do this, the church, seeing your passion, will be moved to do the same and enter His throne room, one of the most amazing priviledges God allows us, sinners, to experience.

Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at tysongreza@gmail.com if you have questions or comments.