WORSHIP LEADERS
LEADING WORSHIP WELL | Kristian Ponsford
" Maybe you ' re not ready for that yet , but your kids are gonna love it ."
There have been a few times in my worship leading journey when I felt like borrowing those iconic words from Marty McFly . Even though I haven ’ t been rocking out to " Johnny B . Goode ", sometimes I feel worship times are really connecting and a special moment is brewing , only to open my eyes and see a load of blank , expressionless faces looking back at me .
Have you ever been there ?
I believe we can help our congregations to engage more in sung worship times , to be more expressive and passionate in their praise . As worship leaders , we are entrusted to lead a group of people on a journey towards an encounter with Jesus . One that involves loving " God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind .”
Here are a few things we can think about to help shape the worship culture in our churches .
THERMOMETER OR THERMOSTAT ? One time after a particularly tricky set , the kind that feels like you are wading through molasses , I was asked this question , " Did you set out to be a thermometer or a thermostat ?" Behind this strange question was the realization that my leading was too often influenced by the room . If the energy and vibe were high , I led better , and when the people were sluggish or the number few , I operated with less authority and enthusiasm . I believe that leadership , including worship leading , requires the skill of both reading the temperature and being prepared to set the temperature .
Setting the temperature takes practice , and most of all , requires you to be authentic . Trying to inject passion while merely going through the motions is just acting ! Our worship is a response to God ' s revelation in our lives . Everything begins and ends with God . If you read through the scriptures , you will see countless acts of worship that started through healing , miracle , or revelation of the Father , Son , or Holy Spirit .
There ' s no shortcut to this , it ' s all about spending time with Jesus . My friend and hero Tim Hughes commented that " worship leading is taking your private cry and making it public ." Or as John Wesley once wrote , " Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn ."
Again , I ' ve discovered this isn ' t reserved just for the extroverts amongst it . Honestly , it ' s beyond personality types . It ' s about being the biggest version of yourself . Worship is caught more than it ' s taught !
Let me counterbalance this for a moment , too . We sometimes feel that we have to create an atmosphere or set the stage for worship to take place . In the planning , sound design , setlist crafting and musical direction , we can sometimes forget that the only way real worship will happen is if the congregation catches a glimpse of God revealing Himself .
Evoking emotion using music is not always a bad thing . Recognize that music can unlock hearts , but it ' s only a vehicle . Ultimately , it ' s all about what it is carrying !
THAT ' S NOT MY ARMOUR ! There are obviously countless lessons we can learn from the story of David and Goliath , especially in his refusal to wear King Saul ' s armour . Growing up , I learned that David found the armour too big and bulky , but actually the Bible tells us he said it was because he wasn ' t accustomed to it and that moving in it didn ' t feel like him .
At MultiTracks . com , we firmly believe you and your entire team will be at your best when you are entirely comfortable and confident on the platform . It means you and your team need to be accustomed to the weapons or songs you are leading with , trusting in the stability of the technology you use , and on the same page as a team . That ' s why we design our resources with the mission of enabling you , the worship leader , to focus on what really matters . That ' s why we encourage you to invest in your team to provide them with the tools they need to be all that they can . Tools like RehearsalMix and Chartbuilder are fantastic ways to develop your musicians and to empower them to lead with the confidence that can affect a room ' s temperature . Pair these tools with a Connected Stage powered through Playback , and your transitions can be smoother and your lyrics always on time .
Check out MultiTracks . com for more information and to start your free trial today .
Kristian Ponsford Director of Products & Market Development at MultiTracks . com , and he is passionate about helping worship leaders lead worship well .
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