WORSHIP TEAM COACH
[ HOW TO DEVELOP MORE WORSHIP LEADERS | Jon Nicol ]
I recently committed career suicide—at least
the worship pastor equivalent of it. On Easter
Sunday, the biggest Sunday of the year, I let
my volunteers lead. In fact, I wasn’t even on the
platform. Why? I outlined several reasons why
on my blog, but one big reason was this: I want
to get serious about developing leaders.
Let’s face it, we worship and music types just
aren’t known for developing leaders. Instead,
we produce substitutes: “I’m on vacation next
month. Can you cover me?”
So, what’s the alternative to just stringing along
second-class, substitute song leaders? Real
leadership development - the kind of thing that
not only challenges potential leaders to step
up but also requires us “professionals” to step
down.
Let’s get practical about how to do this. Here’s
the process…
Phase 1: Identify/Invite
Phase 2: Develop/Deploy
Phase 3: Review/Repeat
Phase 4: Release/Replace
Let’s dig into each one.
IDENTIFY
While we don’t have time to go into it here, the
two big factors you want to look for at first are
character and competency. Character is about
the heart. Competency is about their talent and
gifting.
Ask God to give you a fresh lens through which
to see your team members. You might realize
one or two potential leaders have been there
the whole time. Let’s say one of those is Kayla,
a BGV who’s served on your team for about a
year. How do you invite Kayla into a leadership
process?
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INVITE DEVELOP/DEPLOY & REVIEW/REPEAT
Take it from someone who’s invited people into Develop refers to anything you (and/or other
leadership too quickly: Don’t! The leadership leaders) do to teach, encourage, correct,
development process is messy enough - coach, mentor, etc. But don’t let a potential
inviting someone in too soon guarantees leader like Kayla remain in download-mode.
bedlam. I recommend using a two-stage She needs to work out what she's been taking
invitation process. (1 Timothy 2:2) in. With leadership, most of the real learning
happens OTJ (on the job).
Stage 1:
A Series of Informal Invitations And that’s Deploy. Again, just like the Invite
Invite Kayla to take small steps towards phase, deployment is incremental. Essentially
leadership formation. That might include asking what you did in the Invite stage was low-level
her to take the lead on a small section of the development and deployment:
song. Over time, increase the amount you offer
her to lead, up to a full song. Kayla will think "Kayla, I’d like you to take the lead on this
you’re just sharing the lead vocals. But these bridge. When you do, take your mic off the
small series of informal invitations let you gauge stand, move the stand to the side, and take
her willingness and ability. two steps up toward the front of the stage as
Stage 2: you begin that bridge. Here’s why...” That was
A Formal Invitation to Leadership Development development. You taught Kayla how to take
Before long, you’ll have a sense for if Kayla is a visual ownership of the song. Her next step
good fit for more formal leadership development is deployment—that is, she does it. After that
process. If she is, what are you inviting her comes the next phase of the process, Review
to? You’ll need to fill in the smaller steps and and Repeat.
expectations, but Develop/Deploy and Review/
Repeat Phases essentially are the leadership Whenever you give someone a chance to
equipping process. They’re the broad strokes lead but don’t follow up, you undermine her
strategy to build leaders. development. Kayla’s left wondering, “Did I do
May 2018
WorshipMusician.com