WORSHIP LEADERS
THE CONVERSATION YOU’ VE BEEN AVOIDING( YES … THAT ONE) | Matt Miller
Photo by 2H Media on Unsplash
There’ s usually a moment when it hits you.
It’ s not during the set. It’ s not even during rehearsal. It’ s later.
Maybe you’ re driving home after a Sunday, replaying the morning in your head. Or you’ re sitting in your office midweek, staring at your Planning Center plan, feeling like something just isn’ t quite lining up.
Not musically. Not technically. But directionally.
You start asking yourself questions you can’ t quite answer: What are we actually aiming for right now? Am I leading the way my pastor wants me to lead? Are we aligned … or am I just guessing?
And somewhere in that tension, you realize: You need to have a conversation.
Not with your team. With your senior leadership. Your lead pastor. Your executive pastor. Your elders. And if you’ re honest, you’ ve probably been putting it off.
WHY WE KEEP KICKING THIS DOWN THE ROAD Let’ s be honest— this isn’ t about not knowing how to have the conversation.
It’ s about not wanting to.
Because once you move past songs and start talking about expectations, direction, and leadership … it feels like the stakes go up.
You start thinking:“ What if I’ m overthinking this?”“ What if this comes out wrong?”“ What if I make this awkward … forever?”
So instead of having the conversation, we do what most worship leaders are surprisingly good at: We adapt. We read the room. We adjust on the fly. We try to guess what’ s wanted without anyone actually saying it.
Which works great … until it doesn’ t.
THE REAL PROBLEM ISN’ T CONFLICT It’ s clarity. Or more accurately— the lack of it.
Because most of the time, your pastor isn’ t trying to be unclear. And you’ re not trying to be difficult. You’ re just operating off different assumptions.
Things like: What does“ excellence” actually mean here? How much freedom do I have to shape the service? What’ s the role of worship in the overall mission of our church? What does a“ win” on Sunday actually look like?
If those things aren’ t clearly defined, you’ re basically leading off of vibes. And vibes are great … until Christmas planning hits or something goes sideways.
A QUICK REALITY CHECK That conversation you’ ve been putting off? It’ s not getting easier. It’ s just getting … heavier.
The longer you wait: The more you overthink it The more examples you mentally stack up The more likely you are to walk into it with emotion instead of clarity
And now what could’ ve been a 15-minute alignment conversation turns into something that feels like a full staff retreat.
All because you waited.
58 May 2026 Subscribe for Free...