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I’d like to ask this question and have you respond here on the blog.  I hope this will bring forth good dialog.  My goal is not to accuse anyone of anything, nor is that my own heart or philosophy.  I have my thoughts – but I’m curious what you think.

True or False:

Younger Generations are more likely to accept and appreciate the music of Older Generations than Older Generations are of Younger Generations.

Look forward to the conversation. Let’s keep it respectful and in the spirit of love. This post is not meant to be divisive. It’s meant to open our eyes to various views so that we can be more effective at leading our generations in worship.

What say you?

Hey Everybody -

A while back I got a great “Q&A” email from Barry Trowbridge.  I’d like to use it as a post today and ask everyone to rally and get some responses for Barry.

Fred – I really am enjoying your blog. Since you are a  worship leader, I’d like to get your opinion/thoughts on something. We have about 25 people who are involved in leading worship at our church – several instrumentalists and vocalists, and we serve on a rotating basis, and don’t always serve with the same people, so there are very few times during the year when we’re all in the same place at the same time. As a result, we’re having trouble figuring out how to build great community in such a setting. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you and your team  builds community.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have on this topic.
(Barry Trowbridge – www.weightuponthelord.com)

My Response:

Barry, this is a great question that shows your pastor’s heart in leading this team.  I believe that the stronger our relationships can be “off” the platform the better.  This intimacy and fellowship that we develop “off stage” will most certainly translate into greater flow, unity, and purpose “on” the platform.

Your question is also a stinging reminder that I’ve not done a good job in this very area.  I’ve got around 70+ according to PlanningCenter in the Main Auditorium rotation alone and it’s a daunting task to keep everyone in community.

A few thoughts:
1.  Food.  Nothing builds community like food and fellowship.  There is something about “breaking bread” together.  Have a BBQ, a big pizza party, etc.

2.  Ministry.  Consider having a time when you bring everyone together, and then have an outsider come in and just minister to your group.  Lead them in worship, or teach and train them.

3.  Experience Other Ministry.  If a worship artist is having a concert nearby, have a road trip.  We took a handful of our musicians to see Hillsong United in Jacksonville and it was a great time of team building.  The drive down was probably the best part of it.  Also, consider purchasing some DVDs of live worship and playing them.  It’s a great way to eat, fellowship, and then explore some purpose.

4.  Reach In.  Beyond just their participation on the worship team, make sure that as many volunteers as possible are “reaching in” on a different level – through a small group of sorts.  In our church, that could be a home group, Men’s Fraternity, Women’s Bible Study, etc.

What I’m learning is that if you don’t proactively plan these and get them on the calendar, they simply won’t happen.  Shoot for at least 3-4 times per year.

How about everyone else that reads this blog?  What would you suggest?

[ATTN: RSS readers, a special word for you at the bottom of this message!!]

Recently I was asked by Bridget Willard to participate in the “5Questions” series they are having over at TheWorshipJournals.Com.

The Worship Journals was started by a guy named Conrad Abraham … we’ve never met in person, but have mutual friends from the Marietta Vineyard. I’m subscribed to their site via RSS and there are some great interviews with other worship leaders as well.

The 5 questions were:

1. What does worship mean to you?
2. What do you think happens when you worship?
3. What causes you to worship?
4. How is worship displayed in your life?
5. What is your favorite song and why

I’m grateful for the opportunity to participate in the interview. My 5 answers are posted at TWJ … so, what are YOUR answers to these questions? If time is rushed, feel free to only answer 1 or 2 … but everyone participate ! (that means YOU, my wonderful RSS-Readers … c’mon … click the link, go to the site … leave a comment … YOU CAN DO IT.)

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll,

I was honored to be interviewed and published for the “Worship Leader Wednesday” edition of ConsumingWorship.Org’s blog.

Check it out.
Fred

Hey Everyone,

Last week I started a series in my “Worship Q&A” series called “Professional Worship Leader”. This series comes from a question posted on Russell’s blog last week regarding a fellow Christian who was aspiring to become what he called a “professional” worship leader.

For the sake of discussion, we’re calling this a full-time worship leader, music minister, etc … someone who is employed on a full-time basis, as their “profession”.

I’d encourage you to read the first post and the incredible (and still ongoing) discussion for Part 1.

Part 1: Training
Part 2: Calling & Giftings

In the comments area of Pt. 1, Joel Lindsey and several others commented about mere “talent” not being enough – there is the idea of one being “called” by God, and “gifted” in more ways that just music.

The original purpose of this series was to help provide some insights on how a “qualified” person could get that job … that “break” to get involved on a full-time staff. I’ll still discuss this later in the series, but this issue of “Callings and Giftings” really needs to be addressed.

As important as musical and/or vocal ability would be, it’s vitally important that the aspiring Worship Leader be equipped with the giftings necessary to operate in the role of a high-profile leader. As mentioned in my previous post, one shouldn’t just “decide” to become a Worship Leader – they should be called by God. The good news is this … God would not CALL SOMEONE TO THE TASK without EQUIPPING THEM with the NECESSARY GIFTS.

But what are some of these gifts? The answer to this question can vary but there are several that I feel should be woven throughout. Keep in mind, you don’t have to be a master of these gifts – but having them in place is helpful, and one should always have a humble attitude and a willingness to learn and grow.

• Leadership: as evident in the “title” of the position alone, a Worship Leader needs to have the gift of leadership operating in their life. Again, God seldom calls someone to a position that He’s not already equipped them for … or at least, placed a “seed” of this gifting in their hearts. Someone who is “afraid” of leading in front of people or who is “afraid” of leading a band and arranging musicians or vocalists probably would not be the person who feels compelled to the “Worship Leadership” position. To qualify for this position, strong leadership qualities are a must. I think it’s important to stress two things about “Leadership”. First, we shouldn’t confuse a “leader” with a “task master” or “dictator”. Some of the most powerful leaders I know are meek and very humble. Second, leadership qualities CAN BE LEARNED. Leadership is NOT a “you’ve got it, or you don’t” gifting. I have personally benefited from reading books on Leadership and applying those principles in my own life as a Worship Leader. Never be satisfied with your leadership skills, and always seek to excel and learn more in this area.
• Administration: this gift is NOT required. In many larger venues and churches there may be an entirely different staff person or “professional” who handles the administrative tasks involved with effectively leading a worship service. But if that’s not the case, there is a definite need for administrative skills. From scheduling to filing, there is always a good bit of tasks involved in planning, executing, and post-planning for a worship service. A Worship Leader who has some administrative gifting can be much more effective in this area. At the same time, if this is not your strong suit, find someone who can serve beside you to complement that weakness.
• Spiritual Maturity: being the Worship Leader is a high profile job. In most churches, the WL spends as much time (if not more) on the platform in front of the congregation as the main Pastor would. Having spiritual maturity is a must. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t measure this maturity in physical years. I’ve known people who were much more spiritually mature than people who had been a “Christian” for decades longer. A Worship Leader should be a steward of God’s Word and should study the Bible often. This helps in song evaluation, song selection , and helps assure that any vocal “exhortations” given during, before, or after songs are doctrinally sound.
• Teaching/Exhortation: these gifts can often look the same, and I’ve confused them many times. But an effective Worship Leader should have a natural tendency to teach and exhort. Again, this is one of those things that should be done from a humble spirit and should always be done in love. This goes beyond mere teaching of musical licks, rhythms, and melodies. It should extend into the pastoral care of your team – teaching, exhorting, and encouraging them in their walks with Christ. Where liberty and trust is given, it can also extend to your ability to teach and train your local congregation in various aspects of worship.

There are just a few of the gifts that surround the “calling” for someone in music ministry and worship leadership. Coming up, we’ll discuss some heart conditions, attitudes, postures, and of course … some practical ways to serve and make yourself available to potentially receive the honor of serving full-time as a “professional” …. again, a word I hate using, but only use for the sake of the original question asked and the context in which we’re talking.

What do you think?

For the Kingdom,
Fred