this Sunday is finished, next Sunday is already staring at you. Because the work is so visible, it becomes really easy to measure our ministry by what happened on the platform. Did the band sound good? Did the congregation sing? Did the transitions work? Did we end on time? Those things matter. Excellence matters. Preparation matters. But people matter more.
One of the most important roles of a worship leader is the role of shepherd. That means caring for and nurturing the people God has entrusted to us, and that might be the part of your job that nobody ever puts in the job description.
Think about your team for a minute. You probably know whose marriage has been struggling. You know whose kid just left for college. You know who lost their job. You know which volunteer has been unusually quiet lately. You know the drummer who needs encouragement and the vocalist who needs someone to believe in her. You probably also know the team member who needs a difficult conversation because something happening in their life is starting to affect everyone around them. are wired creatively: We can fall in love with the work of ministry more than the people we’ re ministering to. We love making something excellent. We love building the set and creating moments. We love hearing the band lock into that perfect arrangement. We love when the lighting, audio, video, musicians, and congregation all come together and Sunday just works.
But it’ s possible to love producing Sunday and completely miss the people standing right beside us. Jesus didn’ t call us to build great worship services at the expense of people. He called us to love people.
Your worship ministry isn’ t primarily a collection of musicians and technicians who help you execute your vision. They’ re people God has entrusted to your leadership. They have families, struggles, spiritual questions, insecurities, and gifts that need to be developed. They have good weeks and bad weeks. And occasionally, they have absolutely terrible timing when texting you that they can’ t serve this Sunday. They’ re sheep, and whether your business card says it or not, part of your responsibility is to shepherd them. congregation. We’ re shepherding their songs.
So during Pastor Appreciation Month, absolutely encourage your senior pastor. Write the card. Send the text. Buy the lunch. Thank the people who faithfully preach the Word and shepherd your church. But I also want to encourage you: if your title doesn’ t include the word“ Pastor,” don’ t underestimate the pastoral responsibility God has given you.
And maybe take some time this month to appreciate the other“ pastors” around you who don’ t carry the title either. Think about the volunteer who disciples younger musicians, the production leader who patiently develops teenagers, the vocalist who always seems to notice when someone is hurting, or the band leader who prays with the team before rehearsal. Celebrate them, because the Church needs more than talented musicians. It needs shepherds.
So keep choosing great songs. Keep improving your craft. Keep building healthy systems and pursuing excellence. But don’ t get so focused on preparing Sunday that you miss the people God has placed right in front of you.
Somewhere between rehearsal and soundcheck, people tell you things. Real things. They let you into parts of their lives that have absolutely nothing to do with the chord chart sitting in front of them. They do it because you’ ve earned their trust. That’ s ministry. Actually, I’ d argue that’ s some of the most important ministry you’ ll ever do.
Pastoring doesn’ t always happen behind a pulpit. Sometimes it happens in the green room. Sometimes it happens over coffee or in a text conversation on Tuesday afternoon. Sometimes it happens while wrapping cables after everyone else has gone home. And sometimes it’ s simply noticing that somebody isn’ t themselves and asking,“ Hey, are you doing okay?”
There’ s another danger for those of us who
That responsibility doesn’ t stop with your team, either. Every weekend, you stand in front of a room full of people carrying things you know nothing about. Somebody walked in after receiving terrible news. Someone else is questioning their faith. Someone is celebrating an answered prayer. Another person may be singing the same song they sang at their spouse’ s funeral.
Knowing that changes how we lead. We’ re not performing songs at people. We’ re helping people sing truth. We’ re putting words in the mouths of the Church and reminding people who God is when they may be struggling to remember it themselves. Even something as simple as choosing a singable key or singing the melody instead of showing everyone that impressive note you discovered you can hit can be an act of pastoral care. We’ re serving the
Your title might say Worship Leader, Music Director, Production Director, or something else entirely. But somebody on your team— and somebody in your congregation— may simply know you as the person who noticed them, prayed for them, encouraged them, challenged them, and cared for them when they needed a pastor.
And that’ s a ministry worth appreciating.
Matt Miller Matt Miller is a worship leader and ministry coach based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He serves alongside his wife, Kara, and their daughter, Melody, helping worship teams build healthy cultures, develop volunteer leaders, and lead people to worship Jesus with authenticity and excellence. WorshipTeamCoach. com WorshipWorkshop. com
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