Your worship team experience is a wonderful opportunity for discipleship.
God wants to do more through your team than you probably realize, but it starts with what He wants to do within your team.
Maybe it’s just the worship pastor in me coming out, but I believe discipleship should be your highest priority as a worship leader. God has entrusted musicians and singers to your leadership.
- Are you leading them well?
- Are you stewarding this responsibility with excellence?
- Are you raising up passionate worshipers of Jesus Christ?
If you’re wondering how to do that practically, I’ve listed a few ideas.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. As a matter of fact, I think you probably have some better ideas that I hope you share in the comments. I’m still learning with you.
29 Discipleship Ideas For Your Worship Team
1. Apply a worship song together
2. Talk about what a worship song means
3. Read a passage of Scripture and apply what it’s saying
4. Do a mini-series on worship, meeting for 10-15 minutes each Sunday
5. Talk about what your pastor is preaching on
6. Schedule a rotation of worship team members to lead a discussion
7. Just worship together
8. Read through Worship Matters
9. Watch a sermon together and discuss
10. Read systematically through a book of the Bible
11. Read through The Knowledge of the Holy
12. Write a song together
13. Read through Dealing with the Rejection and Praise of Man
14. Pray for each other, individually
15. Break up into instrument groups and pray for each other
16. Invite your senior pastor to connect and share with the team
17. Invite a higher profile worship guest to address your team
18. Watch a Paul Baloche DVD together & discuss
19. Attend a local conference together
20. Do an outreach together
21. Discuss your worship team vision & values
22. Pray for your congregation
23. Use Operation World to pray for other nations
24. Adopt a people group and commit to pray/raise money to serve them
25. Visit a local nursing home and do a “hymn sing” and share the Gospel
26. Volunteer in another church ministry together
27. Pray for other local churches in your city
28. Memorize scripture and quote it every time you’re together
29. Talk about the vision of your church and how your team can apply it
Your turn. What discipleship ideas would you add to the list? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Sammy A says
I gotta ask bro… why 29? Come on bro. Round it up. 30! or 25. But 29? 🙂
But I’d maybe add go on an overseas missions trip together.
David Santistevan says
29 just to add some tension in your life, Sammy 🙂 Overseas trip is something I’ve been thinking about. Great idea!
Arny says
I like all these david! Sooo good…
Don’t think I can really add anything…
Definitly using some of these!
Thanks!
David Santistevan says
Enjoy 🙂
Phil Slocum says
Great list David – that could keep us going for years. When we invest in our team spiritually, I think they begin responding to our leadership more enthusiastically in other areas – even musically.
David Santistevan says
Wow, very well said, Phil. I agree. Your team members want to know that you care about them and are investing in them. I’ve found what you said to be so true!
Phil Slocum says
Have you found that the musical side is always urgent and tends to crowd out the 29 things?
David Santistevan says
ohmigosh, yes. that’s why I’m a big fan of mapping out a vision for your team. If you don’t plan it, it just won’t happen. The tyranny of urgent musical perfection is too strong!
Richard Williams says
Well said! 29 works for me ’cause it’s a great list. Passing it on.
David Santistevan says
Thanks Richard!
Liz Dugger says
Great stuff, David. I really like the clarity and profound simplicity to the way you write and content you share. I’ll pass this on b/c worship pastors are so under pressure week by week, this list (as Phil said) could be useful for a long time. Blessings to you and your team.
David Santistevan says
Thank you, Liz! Glad it could be a blessing to you and other leaders.
Ryan Gordon says
Throughout the year I take each of my team members out for lunch or coffee. While connecting with the entire team weekly is great, it’s nice to get some personal 1-on-1 time with everyone (I meet with guys alone, and the gals in pairs).
I’ve found that giving my team members some undivided attention has been very rewarding, and they have each expressed their appreciation. It allows me to talk with them in more detail about what’s going on in their lives and creates an opportunity to pray with them about the things they may not want to announce to the rest of the team. I also ask them provide feedback on how I can more effectively lead and challenge them.
It makes for great relationships off the platform which directly translates to greater cohesiveness and effectiveness on the platform.
David Santistevan says
I love this idea. Haven’t tried this but it seems like it would be worth it.
Jonathan McCormick says
Hi, My wife and I are Youth Pastor in North Vernon, IN where we also help in building a youth based worship team. Time is of short supply as we both work full-time(+) jobs(our tent making). We attempt to not only work full time as youth pastors but also to teach these same youth to learn worship. For no prior musical experience, they do a fine job. With such limited time for 1-on-1’s and group session it is imperative that I plan and strategize for effectiveness. I appreciate the time spent here to create some simplified ideas and list them. Thank you
To those who have more time to work with, cherish it and appreciate it like a treasure that it is!
stsimms@live.com says
Here’s a book, full of discipleship ideas, that can help any worship team come together in heart-felt community: ONE: Unfolding God’s Eternal Purpose From House To House by Henry Hon. Give it a google.