Leadership

Perhaps the most neglected skill among worship leaders is leadership. We think, “I'm not a pastor, so I don't really have the responsibility for leading.” But we do. And by God's grace we can be better leaders than we currently are. We can define our goals more clearly and pursue them more faithfully.

Do you have a plan and a purpose on Sunday morning, or do you walk in unprepared and unconcerned?

Skilled leaders have a clear vision of what we've gathered to do. They enable us to see things we wouldn't see on our own. That may involve explaining why we're singing a certain song or making connections between a song and the sermon. It could also mean letting a song speak for itself.

Good leaders draw our attention to what's most important. They makechoices that help us focus. That means I take responsibility for what peopleare getting out of a song and don't assume everyone is equally engaged oraware of what they should be thinking about. I try to minimize distractions andclear up confusion.

Skilled leadership always involves saying yes to some things and no toothers. In my experience, saying no is more difficult. It often requires forgoing something good to choose something better. I might have to cut a song or what I'd planned to say because we've run over. I may have to say no to someone's joining the team. Maybe I'll have to explain why we can't sing a song someone really likes because the lyrics are weak or unclear. And of course, in saying yes to one soloist, I'm automatically saying no to everyone else.

Being a leader inevitably involves disappointing people. Someone will eventually misunderstand or criticize our decisions. But our goal is pleasing God, not trying to make everyone happy. Our goal is to serve the church withour gift of leadership.