Worship Leading
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Hey all,
During the course of the last year or so, I’ve become more and more convinced on a few core principals of leading congregational worship. Whatever our title, our responsibility is humbling and incredible – more than leaders of the parade, we are called to lead people to God himself, to help and encourage people to lift up their eyes to look to the “rock from which they were cut” (Isaiah 51v1) and to inspire and challenge people to worship Him with all their heart soul mind and strength!
Here are a few core values that I have at the forefront of my mind when I lead worship.
1. WE MUST CONNECT – As worship Leaders were are called to connect people to God and to connect people to each other – When I lead congregational worship, I’m constantly looking for ways throughout the service to establish and strengthen a connection between heaven and earth – by an encouragement, humour, exhortation, piece of media, volume or dynamic change, solo voice or by encouraging the congregation to sing out and express their heart to God on their own song. To me, this takes precedence over many other (mainly musical) elements that I used to think were important. Most people wouldn’t consider themselves musical but all of us are made to worship our God. Lets make that journey as easy as possible for our churches!
2. WE MUST LEAD IN FREEDOM - We’ve got to lead people into the freedom and liberty that Jesus paid for and we must be the most liberated people on the platform. We must be fresh and alive to what God wants to do in that service and obedient to His leading under the vision of our Senior Pastors or leaders. Its important for us to be prayed up and full of faith with a clear sense of direction and with an expectation that God wants to do something awesome in the service – He ALWAYS wants to heal, bless, convict, encourage and save people and whenever we meet together, we can be the catalysts for that.
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE – help people enter to worship in with a good prayerful plan.
With songs that people can sing and worship with
With language that people understand
With clear and appropriate leadership.
Most great congregational songs are simple in message and clear in their concept and are therefore easy for people to engage with. These are the songs that have a long shelf life and bless congregations the most – I encourage you to pick and sing songs you believe in and not to settle for “ok” and average!
Stay in touch, let us know whats going on in your world and keep building the local church, you heroes!!
Bless ya,
Matt
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