LEADERSHIP
REDUCE, RESOLVE AND MOVE FORWARD THROUGH CONFLICT | Brian Fuller
Every time I hear the song “Easy” by The deal with conflict in Matthew 18. The first step 4. OUTSIDE INFLUENCES
Commodores, and Lionel Richie sings ‘Easy is to go to the person. Let us not skip this step. Folks in your congregation are having a hard
like a Sunday morning…’, I can’t help but think It is easy to go to others first and complain… time with your worship style, the volume of the
to myself, man that guy must have never been this is called ‘gossip’. music or the songs that you choose. Usually,
in ministry! Over the last 15 years of serving as a
they will let you know. Wink, wink.
worship pastor, I can think of a lot of adjectives Fair warning: If you are reading this and you feel to describe Sunday morning, but one that like your ministry has not experienced many 5. TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
would certainly not appear on that list is easy. conflicts, you are either extremely fortunate, While this is not necessarily a conflict between
No doubt, Sunday mornings are some of the a phenomenal leader that has mastered this human interaction, it is certainly situational and
most enjoyable rewarding and amazing times I art, you’ve just begun ministry, or you are on has birthed many conflicts and frustrations on
have ever experienced, but they haven’t come a team all by yourself and there are no other teams that I have seen. For example, the vocals
without their fair share of challenges. human beings involved. But for the rest of us, always having in-ear problems or the drummer
read on… never being able to hear the click.
guess that your Saturday nights are usually There are a few basic categories of conflict that While these conflicts may manifest themselves
pretty stressful. It’s not that Sunday is a day you I’ve seen or experienced in my career. differently, they all have one thing in common…
If you’ve been a worship leader very long, I can
dread, it’s just that it becomes a day that can
as the leader, you need to fix them! Or, at the
be full of the unknown and much uncertainty. 1. PERSONNEL BEHAVIORAL CONFLICT very least, help create an environment where
Many of those challenges often arise because Team members not showing up on time, not they are reduced and nurtured properly.
of human relationship and life experiences. coming prepared, not being competent or trained properly etc. While this may not seem While we could spend our entire lives learning
Where you find human beings, you will indeed like conflict, it absolutely will create bigger how to properly deal with conflict, that would
find conflict! In this article, I want to focus on problems if left to itself. be very overwhelming. So, here are my Top
somethings we can do, as worship leaders, to
Three best tips for reducing, addressing and
reduce, resolve and move forward through the 2. INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL STRUGGLES conflicts that we will inevitably face. At its core, Folks that serve on your team going through conflict resolution is really about unity. The Bible tough life situations. Family members or loved TIP NUMBER ONE. Define Your Values.
speaks on it many times. Here are a few of my ones passing away, losing a job, getting into Establish strong values on your team that
favorite scriptures about this topic. financial trouble, having health problems etc. everyone can strive towards. At our church
These are often hidden under the surface but we have what’s called a ‘core covenant’. This
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the can lead to conflict if this person doesn’t feel is basically a document that highlights our four
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you loved, supported or cared for. main values; community, ownership, reverence
resolving these conflicts.
and excellence. These values are the pillars
agree with one another in what you say and
that there be no divisions among you, but that 3. THEOLOGICAL CONFLICTS in which we judge our ministry, critique our
you be perfectly united in mind and thought. -1 Someone on your team is having theological success and encourage one another with
Corinthians 1:10 struggles or difference in beliefs or ministry style. accountability. They have nothing to do with
One example would be that perhaps someone music or worship and everything to do our
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people on your worship team is struggling with cover human behaviors and honoring God and each
live together in unity! -Psalm 133:1 songs that you are doing or even the worship other. We talk about them often, we celebrate
songs that have lyrics that they struggle with. them frequently, and we hold each other
For he himself is our peace, who has made the Another example may be someone on your accountable when someone on the team is not
two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, team who feels like they need to be able to living up to them.
the dividing wall of hostility... -Ephesians 2:14 speak in tongues to experience true worship
yet you may not be that kind of church.
The Bible also clearly lays out the best way to
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When someone joins our team, we go over this
document and we explain in detail why these
September 2019
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