Worship Leadership

WORSHIP...
 * Not about music
 * Not about instrumentation
 * Not about style!
 * Must be lived

Thoughts on Worship


 * Gathers; focuses people
 * Can bring unity
 * The power of confession of Truth
 * Singing difficult prayers
 * Allows a platform for greater freedom/expression
 * Room for the manifest presence of God

Why do we have a hard time?


 * We rely on the worship leader/expectation
 * Misconceptions of who God is
 * The good/bad music can affect the time.
 * Lack of leadership: lack of clear direction/lack of skill/poor leadership
 * Fear of Man
 * People are not sure what is expected of them.
 * No clear flow

Defining our terms The overlapping areas:Prayer- Praise -Thanksgiving - Worship -Spiritual warfare Intercession

Spirit and truth...
 * Hebrews 11:6...Without faith it is impossible to please God for anyone who comes to Him must believe that He is and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
 * Confession of faith
 * Postmodernism: feelings/being "fake"
 * The unchanging word of God.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?


 * Where do we start?
 * Look at our audience...a long work week/ riddled with doubt/ does God care? Does He see me? Does He love me? Will I make it through?
 * Songs we may not want to start with: I Surrender, Refiner's Fire; Consuming Fire...
 * WHY??

BEGIN WITH GOD/NOT WITH WHAT I NEED TO CHANGE


 * We don't change by focusing on problems but on the character of God; it takes GOD to love God.
 * Help get our eyes off of ourselves/on to God/exhortation examples
 * Step by Step
 * Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
 * Men of Faith
 * Lord Reign In Me
 * God of Wonders
 * Come Now Is The Time To Worship...

WE MINISTER WHO WE ARE
 * Where have you been with God?
 * Leaders take people where they have already been with God.
 * Authority...?

TRUE WORSHIPERS, John 4:23


 * But an hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worsipers
 * God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.

WORSHIP
 * Genesis 22: Abraham and Isaac: sacrifice.
 * To lie on our face before God; to kneel or bow; to show public respect and obedience; submission.
 * Public displays of the reality that we belong to the Kingdom of God; our lives are not our own
 * Honesty; surrender; no longer living for ourselves 2 Cor 5:15

ARE YOU CONVINCED?
 * True Worshiper?
 * Walking in the light?
 * Is it about the form?
 * What is the testimony of God's love and goodness in our own lives?
 * Not about feelings; but where have we seen and experienced Him?
 * Is there evidence of Him in my own life?
 * What do you want? To make good music or to touch the heart of God?

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP


 * Influence
 * Serving
 * Vision (seeing the big picture)
 * Giving direction
 * Having a goal
 * Watchful of what God is doing
 * Listening and obeying
 * Praying

WHERE TO BEGIN WITH LEADING OUT


 * Leaders lead so we are not allowed to "lose ourselves"
 * Come prepared, practice hearing God's voice
 * Be ready to lead the congregation as well as your team.

LEADING YOUR TEAM


 * Define expectations
 * Know the musical level
 * Have integrity
 * Keep it simple
 * Two ways to lead a team; but make sure you listen/include/release

PICKING SONGS: FIRST THINGS FIRST


 * Start with God: fix our eyes first on GOD: character or exhortation
 * Musical limits: what are they for me or my team?
 * What's going on? Who is my audience?
 * New songs: Never (or rarely!) begin or end with a worship set with a new song; your first goal is to bring people together

WAYS TO PICK SONGS


 * Theme: God's love, God as a father, the Cross; thanksgiving/gratefulness (at the end of something), expectation/rising up
 * Event: Easter, Christmas, baptism; conference or new year, etc.
 * Scripture: Psalm or epistle; the whole worship set will be around this scripture...leading up to it.
 * Mixed with prayer/intercession: How awesome are your works; let your glory fall in this room; knocking on the door of heaven; consuming fire
 * Support the preaching;
 * Ministry Times

WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THE SERVICE


 * RELATING TO YOUR AUDIENCE: cross cultural; age? Generational? What's happening in the place...who are your people?
 * IMPACT: What kind of prayers are you praying for that worship time?
 * THINK LIKE A LEADER: Listen & see the big What is going on at the base? what are the values at the base;
 * RELAXED: BE COMFORTABLE with waiting/SILENCE/PAUSE, don't be in a hurry
 * BE UNAPOLOGETIC

COMMUNICATION


 * LANGUAGE: tone/speed/ use 'we' language when you communicate direction
 * VOCABULARY: the words you use; develop a praise/thanksgiving and scriptural vocabulary that is not just "Hallelujah" or "Praise you"; is it 'churchy' or come from revelation
 * NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION: body language/gesture; eye contact; facial expression; dress; posture; freedom
 * SHARING/EXHORTATIONS/EXPLANATIONS: keep it short and to the point....
 * SCRIPTURE: pick out a main point; don't read whole chapters
 * NEVER BE NEGATIVE: it's easy to see the problem; it's hard to prophesy a solution (ie. Graham Cooke;
 * COMMUNICATION: what are we doing and why are we doing it (listening; waiting; communicate what we are doing...thanking; praising; repentance; receiving his love; meditating).

WORSHIP FLOW


 * Same key, pick two or three songs
 * Connecting themes/picking up from the pastor
 * Preparing people for "surrender" or preparing people to sing "refiner's fire" or "Lord I give you my heart"
 * Transitions and modulations
 * Prayers/scripture/direction... short exhortations and/or teaching.
 * Keep communicating/explaining (why/what/who/how/where/when?)
 * Land the plane!

FREEDOM


 * Skill releases freedom
 * Build your own/and your team repertoire
 * Build your team worship times
 * Seek God on your own/see how songs fit and what they mean to you personally
 * Don't do a song just because it's "cool"
 * Don't be afraid to do old songs...known songs
 * Overusing songs...