A worship team is not a gig.
A worship team is more than music.
There is more at stake than tight music, killer harmonies, and great songs.
The reason I’ve dedicated myself to leading worship, writing worship songs, and raising up worship leaders is because I love the presence of God.
There’s no higher aim in life than to be in His presence.
When we gather, God wants to:
- Draw the lost to saving faith in Christ
- Heal the sick
- Perform the miraculous
- Reveal the beauty of Jesus
- Call the church to deeper faith
- Send us out in obedience
- Glorify His name
- Awaken dead hearts
- Shine light into the darkness
We don’t do those things. But God accomplishes it through people. Through a unified worship team.
That’s why being on a worship team is an invitation to the miraculous. It’s being used by God beyond what mere music, songs, and raw emotion can do.
When God is in the room, anything is possible.
So rise up. Show up ready. Play with expectation.
We need you.
Question: Why else is being on a worship team more than music? What is at stake? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Couldn’t agree more!
Great stuff. I totally agree bro. This is the reason why I do this.
Love this post David! Add this:
Destroy the works of the devil.
Solid. I love seeing this happen in the midst of worship!
That’s awesome David…So many times i’ve been in AWE of the Presence of God during Worship, it is an honor to witness the tears of excitement within the body of Christ as His love and grace change hearts and build faith….I expect to hear from God and I AM listening to HIS voice..being on a worship team is such an incredible ministry and outreach due to the opportunities made aware right before you eye’s as God deals with the hurting …being able to pray for those individuals and approach them after service and encourage them by phone and pour yourself into them with the love of Christ 🙂
I agree, James. It’s awesome to look out and see people responding to God. No better form of music, in my opinion.
Excellent post! I deeply long for all of those things to be manifest in our worship gatherings, and am always humbled and amazed when they do occur! But at the same time, I’ve realized that I can put FAR too much weight on the “gathering” side of ministry, also. And this has led to disappointment, frustration, and even disillusionment at times:
“Ugh, people are just ‘dead’ this morning.”
“Don’t they get it?? We’re in the presence of the God of the universe!”
“We’ve worked so hard to prepare…for this?”
The solution? The presence of God…Monday through Saturday. We must teach it, live it, encourage it, model it, and believe in the power of it. And not just “personal worship” while listening to Tomlin in our car on the way to work. I mean Romans 12:1 worship. I mean the Great Commission.
IMO, the danger for all of us in worship ministry is to believe that the gathering is the ONLY place where you “do” ministry. I’m guilty. I’ve believed the lie that my ministry is complete by organizing and leading great worship gatherings. And all the while, God is patiently waiting for me to just cross the street and invite my non-believing neighbor over for dinner.
So much more than music. 🙂
Jamie, thanks for this comment. You’re so right. While the lifestyle is of utmost importance, the gathering is crucial as well. How do we balance both aspects better? I agree, we can easily get off balance.
With respect to worship teams, I think one way to move toward balance is building trust in community. Before I started in full time ministry, I made the decision that I wanted to develop a *community* of artists, not just a group of musicians that show up on Sunday, and disappear until the next time.
Through consistent worship team events and devotionals/sharing at rehearsal, we get to really know each other, and can encourage and challenge each other in our spiritual journeys outside of our musical worship.
Awesome. Love this. I’ve been planning to do a post on “worship team event” ideas. What have you tried that has worked really well?
Well, of course a Rock Band night on the big screens! 🙂
We’ve done game nights with dessert contest, went downtown to a “theater sports” comedy club (my favorite), and going away parties for team members, summer picnic, annual Christmas party.
I’ve also done an “Artist Reception” which allows the team to mingle with other artists in the church, and attract people who may be gifted in music or the arts but may be on the “shy” side. Also great for vision casting.
This year I’m going to try a “Listening Party” and have people bring new worship songs to listen to, and order up some pizza and just hang out.
Brilliant.
Jamie, Very powerful, very true thnx
This is so good! I just got asked to join a worship team. I haven’t been on a worship team or really sang in front of people in almost 2 years. So I’m kinda flipping out/very nervous about it. But everyday I’m reminded that being in God’s presence is so much greater than my fear. Thanks for the reminder!
Good stuff, Sara! Why the 2 year delay?
Had a bad experience on a worship team my senior year of high school. Anytime the team sounded off, any person sang a note wrong, or chapel didn’t “go well”, the blame was placed on me even though there were 4 of us. If it had only happened once or twice I probably could have just brushed it off but we lead chapel all year so it was an ongoing thing. I couldn’t handle the pressure. I didn’t really understand how God could use me in a situation like that. I just figured that worship leading was NOT what God wanted me to do. But He has placed the desire back on my heart and has been confirming it over and over again so I’m ready to try again if its what He wants me to do.
Still struggling with feeling not good enough to lead but I know the Lord had someone ask me to join their team for a reason.
You can do it, Sara!
Agree with you. Can I just clarify something? Aren’t we IN God’s presence 24/7. Isn’t that the beauty of the cross and Jesus’ act of redemption for believers?
Maybe this is just semantics. In your opening paragraph, do you mean you like to ‘feel’ or ‘experience’ His presence?
Welcome the clarification David.
Cheers,
We are in God’s presence 24/7, but there’s a unique outpouring of His presence in worship.
I entered into music backward. When I was a kid I wasn’t exposed to The Beatles or other typical influences. My earliest experiences with music was in church. So for me, music never has been about the gig, but about the presence of God. I feel so blessed to have that as my testimony. As a worship leader though, I have a tough time conveying the importance of this paradigm to others especially in a time where there is so much focus on nailing signature guitar parts and finding the right kick/snare pattern, etc. But as long as this is part of the conversation, it is a healthy thing.
Dude, welcome back! You should comment more often. You have good things to contribute.
My background is very similar to yours but I still get off track trying to “pull off” Sunday rather than expecting to encounter God.
I also believe to allow people to go back home with a not a glow in their faces but go home with the glory of God all over their lives.
i love the fact of believing in miracles to be covered with cloth coz the glory would be too much for the world to understand but fall in love with Jesus
I am part of the worship team, and have also lead. But yesterday at a practice, our worship leader, told us that we are a young church and those older people(I am 46) on the team should be praying whether to step up or step down, we were then referenced to the live streaming and told that it was quite eye opening. My spirit was crushed. Instead of focusing us on true spirit lead worship, where we are the doormat to the Lord’s Throne-room, we were evaluated by how we “looked and sounded” on our live streaming..Today during worship service all I could think about was how fat, and old I looked and was I a clanging symbol? Has technology suddenly moved us in to judging our heart of worship on how we look and whether we were studio quality? A worship team is definitely more than just music.. We are simply His tools to use, while I agree that with a vocal gift comes the responsibility to hone it and treasure it, but when we are in service, we should simply be used of Him and let HIM move through the congregation. I would much rather be humble and invisible, so that the Lord alone can get the glory… My heart is heavy, please pray that I am lead to Step Up, or Step Down.. Cause the flesh is wanting to just give up.. But that isn’t my choice, as I am called by the Lord..
Thanks