There are plenty of things to keep a worship leader’s calendar and to-do list full.
Sundays come around quickly. There are people to be contacted, songs to be selected, schedules to be spruced up and planning to be done.
And though this may be a bit basic, we hope this list of five things you shouldn’t do will be motivating and inspiring:
Don’t Succeed At Church And Fail At Home
Your ministry and your home are friends, not enemies. Balance isn’t always easy, but try to bring harmony to your schedule. You’ve probably learned by now that you’re going to disappoint someone – try not to let it be your spouse and children. Be home when you say you’ll be home. After a long and busy spurt of ministry, take a day off. Spruce up your boundaries – no meals or car rides alone with a member of the opposite sex, doors always ajar during meetings, disciplined start and end times to rehearsals and meetings, and keep your phone away from the dinner table.
Talk the church up with your family. Don’t bring home complaint after complaint. Involve them in ministry with you as much as possible. Add a couple of fun things to your calendar in the next two months you haven’t done before with friends or family.
There’s no such thing as a successful minister whose church is rockin’ and his homelife is in the pits.
Don’t Compare Your Ministry To Others
We’ve heard it before – comparison is a joy stealer. Do your best to stop! Instead of comparing, replace it with these ideas: 1) Celebrate. Celebrate the success of others. 2) Steal ideas. Take what you’ve seen done that might work in your context and give it a try. 3) Create new ways of doing things in your ministry. Think of some new ideas you can implement right now. 4) Dream. Get your team together and dream about your future ministry together – this will always bring about hope and motivation.
If you constantly compare, you’ll never be content – and that is not a good place from which to lead. Be confident that God has you in the right place at the right time and use your gifts to further the work and ministry of your church until you’re called to move on.
Don’t Lose The Connection With Your Pastor
Take time to reconnect with your pastor. Meet together and pray. Plan and talk about worship. And maybe encourage your pastor with a gift or a note. Find ways to keep building the bridge. Never be afraid to ask, “anything you see that I can be doing to make things better?” Stay connected with and support your pastor.
Don’t Stop Praying For Your Team And Your Church
Do you have a prayer plan working for you? You’ll be surprised how God works through prayer in your ministry! Pray for your team members, pray for the church, pray for your pastor and pray for your leadership. Create some kind of system to carve out (and reminders) to pray for power in your ministry.
Stick with the habit of praying before and after rehearsals, before and after services and during your meetings and gatherings. Call on/invite team members to pray for the ministry and during circle prayer times.
Don’t Allow Yourself To Get Bored
There are times when it feels like we might be going through the motions. When that happens, and it happens to the best of us, thanks for keeping things going. Cry out to the Lord in desperate prayer. Share the burden with a couple of trusted friends and leaders. Pray and read scripture. Then, take action and add some spice to the mix. Pull out a couple of brand new songs to challenge yourself and your team. Bring in a guest musician to join your group for a week. Attend a conference. But don’t let yourself enter a long season of boredom in your ministry. It won’t be good for you or your church.
Figure out some steps to take to get refreshed.