Worship Leadership (Part 2)

For an introduction to this series of posts CLICK HERE.


Here is the second guideline for worship leadership: Worship leading is leading others to worship.

This is the leadership aspect of worship leadership. If you are not leading people somewhere then you are not leading. Leadership has everything to do with movement from one place to another. As a worship leader I am entrusted to lead people from the place they are spiritually when they come into the worship experience to a place of renewal and refreshment, a place of safety in the presence of God where He can write His word on the tablets of our heart. We cannot perform our way to this leadership. Leadership is a reaction of trust. When people trust their leader they are willing to follow.

Too often we can lose site of our leadership of others. We can become so connected in our worship, that we ignore the leadership of others in their worship. As a worship leader I'm responsible not just for demonstration but for instruction. The members of your worship team both band members and singers are demonstrators and instructors, and at times (regularly) they'll need to be reminded. That as people sing along, they should be able to watch us to lead them to worship. For instance, if we want people to raise their hands in worship we take the first step by raising our hands. If we want people to clap then we clap. (*Note: for worship leaders that lead from an instrument -- you have to rehearse these demonstrations with your singers.)

One more note here: Building trust with the congregation doesn't just happen through your competence on the platform. It also is built on your character (previously addressed) and your relationship with the congregation off stage. If you are not connecting in the halls of the church, or the homes of congregation, then you stand a slim chance of connecting on the platform. And without that trust, you won't be leading. You'll just be singing.

--Ben