As worship team leaders, we need to be aware of our responsibility to lead and develop our team; not only musically, but spiritually. In this article, Kade Young from Collaborateworship.com is going to give us some insights on how we can go about doing this.
It is very important for a worship leader to not overlook their team’s spiritual growth and well being. It is easy to get caught up in improving musicianship and forget about the other aspects of making a healthy worship team environment. The truth is, if the members on your team do not have a healthy relationship with God, they will not be able to effectively lead others in worship – even if they are the best musician on the planet.
Although the majority of spiritual growth comes through a personal, one-on-one journey with God, there is a responsibility on worship leaders to help their team in growing spiritually. To accomplish this, you want to intentionally do something on a consistent basis that will help your team grow. Here are four things that you can do to help your team grow spiritually:
Point the songs you are playing back to scripture
Hopefully all of the worship songs that you lead at your church are rooted in God’s Word. Help your team grow by pointing them back to those scriptures in the songs that they are lead week in and week out. This is one of the best ways you can help them grow spiritually.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
The Bible is the source of all spiritual growth. Every worship song you do should be inspired by the Word of God. Finding the scripture that relates to the song gives it a deeper meaning and connection.
Pray together and for each other
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
There is no doubt that prayer draws us closer to God. But, did you realize that praying together brings a whole new dimension of power and connection? When we pray together, Jesus is in our midst making His power and strength available.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
There is an amazing amount of power that is released when we come together as a team, confess our struggles, and lift each other up through prayer. This is when our emotional and physical pain is healed. Not only do we grow closer to God in these times, but we also grow closer together as a team.
Share the songwriter’s or your story
Some of the best worship songs ever written came out of the songwriter’s very deep and personal struggle. Songs like ‘How He Loves’ by John Mark McMullin, ‘Heart of Worship’ by Matt Redman, or ‘It is Well’ by Philip Bliss, all have touching stories behind why they were written. Sharing these types of stories with your worship team will help keep things in perspective. You can also share how a certain worship song has personally impacted you in your own life. Being vulnerable as a leader will help those around you feel more comfortable in being open and honest with each other.
Lead by example
The best thing you can do in aiding your team’s growth is to lead by example. You as the leader should dedicate yourself to spending time with God and in His Word on a daily basis. If you are encouraging those around you to pursue God, you should be doing the same. Through living this out, those around you will be inspired by your overwhelming amount of peace and joy. Then, they will ask where this comes from – and this is your chance to share the importance of spending time with God on a daily basis. It is not about rules and schedules, but about a heart that is continually seeking after God’s heart.
Discussion Questions:
- Invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this article? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Recall someone in your life that has helped you grow in your relationship with God. How exactly did they help you?
- Read 2 Timothy 3:16. Why is it so important that we spend time in God’s Word?
- What is your favorite worship song? Search what scripture(s) is it based off of?
- Read Matthew 18:20. Why is it important that we pray together? On a scale of 1-10, rate how open and honest your team is with each other. Explain.
- Why is it so important that we lead by example?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
Ministry Tools:
