Worship Musician September 2018 | Page 39

was fully engaged musically and faithfully - a feat that can only be achieved after great preparation. A team is always most successful when players’ eyes, ears, minds and hearts are wide open. For the Hillsong Worship team, this led to a powerful synergy that strengthened the cohesion of the group - contributing to a sense of “tightness,” enhancing the overall experience of the congregation and increasing, exponentially, our ability to engage in worship and reach out to Jesus! Hillsong Worship is a powerful example of how preparation, leader-watching and synergy contribute to an atmosphere where the musicians disappear and God is able to take center stage. Finally, as a worship team leader, I was able to witness first-hand, how to lead the band, “move” in and around “moments” and songs, and create positive momentum for the word and senior pastor. Hillsong’s songs are, without a doubt, some of the best congregational songs in the world today. The music creates an air where faith can arise and the lyrics reflect a reverence for God; lifting up the name of Jesus. However, the songs will not play, perform and lead themselves. As a leader, it takes a certain level of preparation outside of regular rehearsal in order to take the band and congregation where they believe God wants them to go. This was accomplished a number of ways on the platform over the three days - my favorite being September 2018 WorshipMusician.com 39