You are not a Rock Star: 4 Guidelines for Worship Leaders

[bonnie]

You are not a Rock Star: 4 Guidelines for Worship Leaders

by Clint Archer

I use “worship leader” in the vernacular sense of the guy who leads the music. Of course, musical worship is only a smidgen of the worship that happens on Sunday. It’s one candle in the worship array of preaching, fellowship, serving, giving, and parking far away so that the elderly can park closer.

But when people talk about liking/hating “the worship” they generally mean “the band.” One congregant who should avoid this is the worship leader.

Here are four guidelines for the leader of a worship band...

 

1. You are not a rock star

Like a ball-boy at Wimbledon, the task of the worship leader in church is to get out the way. He is there to lift our attention to God. He cannot do this effectively if he is deliberately showing off his dextrous command of his instrument. Worship leaders need to be humble. They should dress modestly. Sometimes musos have a particular look they are going for in their midweek paid gig; that’s fine. But when they ascend the platform at church their personal brand is expendable. When a drummer complains about being caged in perspex you know he’s more interested in showcasing himself than the Lord. When the bass player requests a solo stint you may have sniffed out another prima donna in cognito. The pastor needs to take primary responsibility for the musical worship. If the band leader demands creative freedom, balks at stylistic input from the elders, or becomes impatient with the limits put on his song selection, then he is not the man for the job.

He needs to take his cue from Ethan the Ezrahite (see Psalm 89), not the pop band Better than Ezra.

2. Content is king

The leader needs to understand that the content of the songs is the primary concern. Solid doctrine should be the hallmark of every lyric. He may even need to alter the original lyrics (gasp!) to align them with the church’s beliefs.

We’ve altered words before at our church. The sentimental, “He thought of me above all,” became the marginally more astute, “He showed His love above all.” When selecting songs and hymns for the church service the priority of one’s personal preference needs to shuffle off stage and slink into the back pew. If the gray-hairs in your congregation enjoy “Mighty Fortress” and the elders agree that it is edifying to accommodate them, then play it. If the musos don’t like it…so what? This isn’t their garage band, this is the service of God and His people.

3. Less is more

The music is there to support the lyric. Worship fundi, Stuart Townend, at a music workshop seminar in Johannesburg reminded worship leaders that there are times to skip over the question:”How should I play to make this better?” and ask rather: “Should I play at all right now?” He meant there are moments when it may be best to mute the instruments and allow the congregation’s voices fill the air.

It serves as a good reminder that frills, whistles, and bells can be distracting if they trip up the congregation. Case in point: when a lead guitarist is performing a gratuitous solo lead break think of what the rest of us are doing. We’re standing there watching him. I guess we could be using that time to admire the glory of God in His creature’s ability to jam. But in reality most of us are just waiting for our turn to praise God.

4. Worship!

The band members are not performing, they are worshipping. God must remain their central focus. He is why they come early to rehearse and stay late to disassemble the drum kit. He is the reason they practice mastering their instrument on their own during the week. Sunday is their offering to the Lord. They need to take a page out the Little Drummer Boy’s songsheet and play their best for Him (pa-rumpa-pum-pum).

This mindset also helps the band to develop necessary thick skin when people complain to them.

In this iPodian era we have become accustomed to getting all the music we prefer on demand and at the volume we like. We can skip songs and change CD’s mid performance. Naturally the preference for style of musical worship has developed into quite a sticky wicket in churches.

Some would prefer more bass and less reverb, others wish the drummer would take a break from banging the kit for a stanza or two, or perhaps even take a six month sabbatical. Some like volume pumped up loud, others want to hear the voices of those around them (or at the very least their own voices!) The plethora of preferences clamoring for attention can be paralyzing for the worship leader. But when one remembers Who the audience really is it takes off the pressure to cater to congregational preferences.

 

http://thecripplegate.com/you-are-not-a-rock-star-4-guidelines-for-worship-leaders/

[JoeMo]

I'm an old (65) worship leader.  IMO, after 40 years as a worship leader, that passion and virtuosity are part of the act of worship towards God.  We do not perform for the congregation; we perform for God.  We want to give our best to Him; so we perform!  That being said, no one band member should ever stand out.  The most talented musician should be a mentor and support of the other members.

 

As an old guy, I am starting to feel irrelevant to younger congregations.  It's time to turn leadership of worship (indeed, of the church) over to the next generation.  Do we want young people to stay in the church? What better way than to let those young people who are still in the church lead us into a strategy to bring young people into the church?  Who knows better than they do concerning the needs of their own generation?

[bonnie]

I'm an old (65) worship leader.  IMO, after 40 years as a worship leader, that passion and virtuosity are part of the act of worship towards God.  We do not perform for the congregation; we perform for God.  We want to give our best to Him; so we perform!  That being said, no one band member should ever stand out.  The most talented musician should be a mentor and support of the other members.

 

As an old guy, I am starting to feel irrelevant to younger congregations.  It's time to turn leadership of worship (indeed, of the church) over to the next generation.  Do we want young people to stay in the church? What better way than to let those young people who are still in the church lead us into a strategy to bring young people into the church?  Who knows better than they do concerning the needs of their own generation?

So are you saying the young people  need  something like rock music to have an interest in church?

[JoeMo]

I said nothing about young people "needing" rock music.  My intent was to recognize that it's time for people younger than me to lead out, especially in a younger congregation.

 

You have a gift for throwing straw men out there.

[bonnie]

I said nothing about young people "needing" rock music.  My intent was to recognize that it's time for people younger than me to lead out, especially in a younger congregation.

 

You have a gift for throwing straw men out there.

I asked a question as I was unsure of what you meant.  There has been discussion on the younger people not finding church relevant and the type of music now played in many of the churches.

A question only,no intent for throwing straw men

[Sojourner]

How do young people that have no association whatsoever with a church find their way into one? In Australia less than 10% of the population attend any church even as little as once a year, and the number of people attending is dropping as people fall out of mainstream churches via census statistics. The three groups recording growth are the SDA, the AOG and Pentecostal churches in general. (There has been a small split in the Anglican (Episcopal) church and a group of Conservatives have formed an Evangelical Anglican group and that too is growing, but not over a long enough time to track). 

One interesting thing to note is that all the growing churches from the above use Australian Hillsong music along with other contemporary material such as the Parachute Band from New Zealand and so forth. They are vibrant and culturally relevant places to worship at. I know that if I had to choose between a fellowship that focused solely on worship from my grandparents generation and one that had a focus towards all ages, then my choice would be an easy one!