has always been an issue: you need to be
connected to something bigger than yourself.
All our worship leaders have options. These are
people that can do something without us. They
can go get their own record deal, they can go
travel, they’ve made a name for themselves.
My challenge to them is this: you need to be
connected to something that you are sacrificing
for. Something that you are sacrificing, like
finances, and it’s a hassle to stay connected
in community. Part of the problem for worship
leaders, when they’re not connected, is that
they get so isolated that they’re not having
to make decisions based on relationships or
people or community. They’re not having to
make decisions based on what’s best for the big
picture, they’re only having to make decisions
based on what’s best for them. I think it’s a
dangerous place to be. I think the other thing is
that there is a thing that happens in community,
or in people with pastoral covering. We were
in Brazil. Brazil is amazing! They love God and
love worship. So we go there for the first time,
it’s outdoors and it’s rainy and there are twelve
thousand people there, and they would get a
glimpse of Kim or Chris back stage and just
be screaming for them. I’m the guy that says,
“Hey, remember, they’re not screaming for you,
they’re screaming for Jesus”. At the end of the
day if they walk away talking about how great
the song was, how cool the lights were, how
happy they were to see Kim or Chris, we have
failed at what we were trying to do. If they do
anything but walk away talking about Jesus
and more in love with Jesus and with a greater
passion for Jesus, then we have failed.
I remember asking Matt Redman about this.
Matt is super humble even though he’s a beast
of a songwriter and a Grammy winner. I asked
him how he stays humble, and he said, “It’s
not hard when you’re in community”. When
you’re in community you’re not “the famous
Matt Redman”. People call you on your stuff,
and they challenge you, and you stack chairs
at your church. On the road you don’t. This is
what happened to us. We were doing youth
group and then for about six years there was a
span where I wasn’t you
on staff but I wasn’t the
on the road, doing tours
on the road there is a g
And I’m doing the same
the worship team would
to the green room, eat d
finished up my sermon
out and do a set of wor
I began to find that our
would come, lead wor
the green room… it was
just got rid of the green
that. I made a green ro
was serving on Sund
Worship
a critical
any move
It is what
awakens
what dra
people in
unifying
workers, anybody that’s
set aside the green roo
and different things so
and we serve them. So
want some food you c
green room! (laughs) O
not to get to know pe
You’re there to lead wo
different. I think that elem
a worship leader. Are yo
you sitting in the servic
lobby connecting with p
same volunteer green ro
is? And maybe I’m just s
June 2020