system , system , and system !
Intentional systems will help you transform your team culture , bring your God-given vision to reality , and empower you to thrive as a creative . ( That last point is critical for most worship leaders to hear . Maybe read it again .)
Systems are the secret sauce of ministrytransforming leadership . Here at WorshipTeamCoach . com , we ' ve identified The Eight Essential Systems that every worship ministry needs . At the end , I ' ve got a resource that will teach you what each system is and help you assess where yours are at .
When you implement intentional systems in every area of your ministry , you get more done in less time and create higher standards for your worship team - without burning out .
These two truths are critical to healthy leadership . But when you combine them with the third truth , you will lead at a whole new level . That final ministry-transforming truth is ...
3 . Sunday is not the primary objective . What ?! Yeah , this truth sounds a little bonkers when you first hear it . But stay with me on this one . It ' s huge .
Most worship leaders are ' Sunday-driven managers .' That is , 95 % of their time and energy are focused on making this Sunday and next Sunday " great ." The problem is , there ' s always a ' this Sunday ' and ' next Sunday .' The pursuit of consistent , high-quality Sundays ... never ... ends .
Being driven by Sunday standards will slowly kill your heart . If you ' ve been leading this way , you may not feel the ' burnout ' yet , but it ' s likely you feel the strain of " Sunday after Sunday after Sunday ." Here ' s the counterintuitive leadership lesson I learned - and experienced firsthand at my last church - after embracing this truth :
If you focus on creating exceptional Sundays every week , eventually , you might build an
OK team . But , if you focus on building an exceptional team , eventually , you can ' t help but have exceptional Sundays every week . ( I call this the ‘ Exceptional Sunday Paradox .’)
For years I focused almost solely on the look and sound of Sunday . In the midst of that , I did manage to build an OK team . ( Good musically . Relationally and spiritually ? Not so good .) Despite the work to make Sundays remarkable , the quality of services was still inconsistent from week to week . I call this Sunday-Driven Management .
With Sunday-Driven Management , the leader ' s energy and focus are almost entirely consumed on upcoming services , and the long-term growth of the ministry slows or is stifled completely . But things changed when I shifted from making Sunday the priority to intentionally growing my team musically , spiritually , and relationally :
• I had more time and freedom to focus on my passions .
• The ministry ran efficiently without constant attention from me .
• I had a team culture that valued preparation , respect , high musical standards , and showing up on time . ( Yes ... I even eliminated lateness .)
• Sundays were consistently high quality . ( The church even sang and participated more .)
• I had multiple worship leaders so I could take a week off each month ( or more ).
Leading my worship ministry was fun again ! It resulted from embracing the leadership wisdom found in Ephesians 4:11-12 , implementing intentional systems , and not making Sunday the sole focus . It ' s what I now sum up with the term E4 Leadership .
TWO PRACTICAL STEPS In an article format like this , we only have time to diagnose the problem - Sunday-Driven Management . Space doesn ' t allow for a full , step-by-step remedy . While I can ' t walk you through the entire process of becoming an
E4 Leader , let me give you two steps to start moving in a healthier direction and at a healthier pace .
First , identify where you ' re at on the continuum between Sunday-Driven Management and E4 Leadership :
Getting honest about how you ' re leading will help you make the next step .
Second , take an inventory of the Eight Essential Systems . As I mentioned earlier , I have a free tool that you can use to learn what those Eight Essential Systems are and how transforming them can help you lead a healthier ministry at a healthier pace .
Go to this page to get your free Eight Essentials Systems Checklist .
WRAPPING IT ALL TOGETHER Let ' s sum up these three truths to overcome the lies that lead to burnout . First , embrace Biblical E4 leadership to start the journey towards running your ministry differently .
How ? Through intentional systems . Good systems will help you do more in less time and move your team ' s culture towards your vision .
Then , focus on building your team spiritually , musically , and relationally . When you shift your primary attention off Sunday , you will eventually deliver high-quality services consistently - without burning out your team or yourself .
Have courage ! This is a leadership journey that will take time . But it ' s a long-term shift of mindset and practice that will pay mammoth returns to you , your family , your team , your church , and most of all , the Kingdom . May the Spirit of Christ bless you on this path .
Jon Nicol Jon ’ s the founder of WorshipWorkshop . com and WorshipTeamCoach . com , two sites that help worship leaders build strong teams and lead engaging worship . He lives and serves in Lexington , Ohio with his wife Shannon and their four kids - and now a brand new Westie puppy named Angus . WorshipWorkshop . com WorshipTeamCoach . com