When you’re in ministry, you spend a lot of time working with people.
And people aren’t always easy to figure out.
Worship leaders, along with pastors, have the unique situation of encountering weekly interactions with the whole church in one way or another. It’s a servant role to create opportunities for worship and engagement. And if this isn’t surrounded by a love for people in your congregation, it just isn’t going to work.
In the modern worship age, we see high profile worship teams with global connection making an impact in churches everywhere. Praise the Lord for the music, energy, spirit-filled worship and new song resource to the church. But even these ministries are focused on their home congregations. Worship ministry, even as much people like to elevate things including worship music and worship bands, will always be about lifting up the name of Jesus.
But when we get real with one another as leaders, it’s in our genes to want to grow the ministry! If we’re leading a congregation of 400, we look at our friend who is leading a church of a 700. And in case you wonder, your friend leading in a church of 700 is watching closely the church leader of 1000. Everyone one can learn and grow, but the truth is your church has you. And at least in this current season, you’re called to serve there.
Even large church venues and sanctuaries are being built smaller and smaller. The days of the mega church auditoriums is changing. Churches grow by adding more smaller congregations, satellites or plants.
All this sets the stage for the need for more and more worship leaders.
And we need leaders who love their church and the people they have the privilege of serving. If you don’t love your people, you’ll never be able to lead them.
Choosing songs, setting the pace, developing the culture has to begin first and foremost with a love for God and a call to serve, and second a love for the congregation.
And this isn’t neatly scalable. It’s personal. It’s not easy. It requires some give and take.
You can’t sing over people you don’t love.