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Worship Leader Tips

A worship leader is an important job in the faith community. Worship leaders plan and put together the worship services for the church, as well as lead the performance during the service. The position of worship leader can be rewarding, but it can also be difficult. Here are some tips to smooth the process and make the job less taxing and the spirituality aspect of the position more rewarding.
  1. Know the Pastor's Philosophy of Ministry

    • Have a discussion with the pastor about his philosophy of ministry. That means, discover what doctrine he favors and try to get a full picture of his spiritual beliefs. A worship leader would not want lead a worship service that goes against the pastor's beliefs. If you disagree on an issue, simply do not address it in your worship service.

    Be Punctual

    • Be on time. Being early is even better. Arriving early to the service will help the worship leader prepare for unexpected occurrences, such as technical difficulties. Arriving early will also give the worship leader time to focus on the spiritual aspect of the service and center her heart. Early arrivals will give the worship leader a time to ponder how the service affects her personally. This will help her have more passion, focus and meaning in the service that will touch the congregation's experience of the service as well. Arriving early or being on time also shows that the worship leader is organized, dedicated and ready to perform for the congregation.

    Know Your Target Audience

    • Know the congregation and the target within the congregation that you want to reach. For example, is the service reaching those that are spiritually advanced, questioning their faith or new to the faith? Define what type of message is coming across from the service and whether or not it will be embraced by that specific congregation, or even anyone in the congregation.

    Leading Individually

    • Get to know each member on your team in an individual basis. Lead them individually and not as a group. What works for one member may not work for another, which is why it is crucial to lead them one-on-one and sometimes treat them differently--- but in an equally positive way. Be flexible in your methods and be ready to change your plan.

    Let Everyone Participate

    • Don't be the one making all the decisions. Let others in the worship team give their suggestions and use the ones that are possible to do and fit with the services. Give everyone a role that matches their talents and skills. Know your team members and what they can bring to the worship team and what they need from the worship team. Be open to new ideas and doing things differently from time to time.

    Focus on Your Religion

    • Leading worship requires you to focus on your religion and be true to it. Let God lead the worship services. Pray before and after rehearsals and services. Don't make it about doing it right or pride; instead, make it about the spiritual benefits of the team.

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