There’s a fine line for a worship leader to walk between
being a ‘worship boss’ on one extreme or a ‘worship organizer’ on the other. Are you a worship leader, worship organizer or
a worship boss?
Worship Leader
Leaders lead the willing. They can sometimes convince the
unwilling to submit, grow or learn but when they can’t they learn to repel such
mindsets. Leaders learn how to meet
people where they are as opposed to meeting people where THEY are. As a result,
leaders learn to ‘feed the hungry’ by teaching the teachable, equipping the
child-like to mature, and leading those who are willing to submit. God resists
the proud but gives grace to the humble. Leaders learn to do the same. Proud
people never grow because pride never admits to weakness or any sort of lack.
“Whoever loves discipline loves
knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs 12:1 (NIV)
Leaders always try to speak the truth in love.
“Instead, speaking the truth in
love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the
head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15
Worship Organizer
The Worship organizer is someone who merely plans the music,
makes sure the appropriate worship team members are scheduled and organizes
rehearsals. The worship organizer does the ‘backbone’ work of a worship leader
but stops short of anything that risks making anyone uncomfortable.
Hospices make people comfortable because they’ve generally
lost hope for their patients. Hospitals, while valuing comfort, will sacrifice
it for long-term healing. Worship Organizers would make great Hospice workers
but lousy doctors.
Sometimes worship team members don’t want their leader to be
anything more than a worship organizer. This is because they want to serve on
the worship team only on their own terms. They don’t want to admit that they
might have room for growth. They are closed to learning, unteachable and
therefore unreachable.
The same things that hold these people back musically, hold
these people back spiritually. The worship leader who gently and lovingly
challenges these folks, is not simply teaching musical concepts, they are
teaching spiritual truths.
When it comes to musical skill, IF a team is full of members
who have professional-level, ‘top shelf’ skills, the worship leader can THEN
sit back and lead more like a worship organizer. But IF your church is like
most, and has untrained volunteers, it will need a worship leader to bridge the
gaps between mediocrity and excellence IF it values the worship music as an
essential element for growing kingdom communities.
Sometimes a worship leader is instead a worship organizer
because they lack the musical skills to correct or even discern the musical
gaps. If you are in that boat, find a mentor, a teacher, workshop, conferences
and training. The growth has to begin with you before it can flow outward to
your team in your ministry.
Worship Boss
The worship boss, goes to the other extreme of the worship
organizer. This person lacks the sensitivity and soft people skills necessary
to direct people without being crass. A savvy worship leader is always guarding
themselves against the danger of being a worship boss.
A worship boss corrects people publicly instead of privately
(when possible). A worship boss calls individuals out instead of attempting to
preserve anonymity. An example might be if the bass player is dropping the ball
on the bridge of a song, the worship boss will specifically correct that bass
player in front of everyone, while the worship leader will say something like,
“we’re a little lost on that bridge, let’s rehearse it again.” The worship boss
will directly address the rushing drummer in front of everyone, while the
worship leader will say something like, “WE are rushing, let’s try it again….”
The worship boss will say, “Sally, you’re flat on that verse”, while the
worship leader will say, “we’re a little pitchy, let’s try it again….”
WHO are you offending?
Even worship leaders will offend people.
“Woe to you when everyone speaks
good of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.“ (NIV)
Luke 6:26
It is better to suffer for good than to suffer for doing
evil
“For it
is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
(NIV) I Peter 3:17
It is impossible to please everyone. So the question is not
whether you will offend someone but WHO will you offend and WHY are you
offending them. IF offending people is inevitable, make sure you offend people
for being a worship leader, not a worship organizer or especially a worship
boss.
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