On Selecting and Relating to Your Worship Leader By Laura Cooke

On Selecting and Relating to Your Worship Leader
By Laura Cooke

Laura Cooke’s travels have taken her to 26 countries and to many states leading worship, teaching on worship, and helping churches. During her years as the Worship and Creative Arts Director at ORU, she not only led campus worship and coordinated bands, but she also trained and sent over 250 students on worship mission trips to 25 countries. Currently, Laura is obtaining a Masters’ Degree in Business and travels independently as a worship consultant, leading worship and helping to train worship teams across the country.

This will be quite the practical article. It is not meant to define worship for your church or your team. Let’s agree that the purpose of worship – in any form – be it song, strength, giving, or lifestyle is to lift up the name of the Lord and in so doing, He will draw all men to Himself. Not bypassing this extremely important thought, I digress to the point of this article: to give you – the pastor – some insights into working with your worship leader.

There are few topics in the church that are more highly debated than worship.

Okay. While that might be a bit of an overstatement, considering the crusades and wars that have been fought over doctrinal disputes, it remains a statement of truth: Worship (and people’s preferences) can ruffle feathers.

Be it positive or negative – whether it’s a worship team that splits a church or evolves into near-idol-worship of your band – the worship in church is a huge defining factor of the church itself.

Regardless of your music style or your affiliation with a particular “worship movement” as a church – selecting the person in the role of leading the worship, and then working with that person, is a decision and relationship that will hugely affect your church and its spiritual direction.

And it can get tricky. The goal?

Finding Balance

Pastors desire a worship leader who is able to not only whole-heartedly commit to the vision of the house, the pastor, and the congregation, but also bring life-giving encouragement and exhortation, being well-versed in multiple styles of music and able to bridge the generational gap through song while playing three instruments, and directing a choir, band, front vocals and congregation – all the while being perfectly in tune to what the Spirit is saying to you, the pastor, as well as themselves… Able to be equally gifted in leadership, creativity and administration…Teachable as well as able to teach, able to take and give direction simultaneously… Able to handle the spotlight and responsibility of the stage without becoming a rock star with an ego the size of Texas… able to single-handedly quiet any dispute that may arise on the worship team (and their egos)… the ability to prophesy and flow seamlessly with the spirit… able to fly faster than a speeding bullet… you get the point.

Whew. That’s a lot to live up to.

As I’ve traveled and worked with many pastors and leaders – these are a few things I’ve observed in worship leaders that have been great strengths to churches and worship teams.

1. Faithfulness.

This should be the the number one quality you are looking for in a potential
worship leader. Faithfulness to the house (the church), to their relationship with
God, and their commitment to serving the local church. If a leader is firmly
planted in your church, and loves the church, and believes in the church, they
will serve the church gladly. While sometimes it can be the best thing to bring in
an outside person, often times someone who is grounded and faithful to your
organization will create the smoothest transition. Also, someone who is faithful to
the First Commandment – Loving the Lord FIRST- will walk well in submission to
authority.

Let’s discuss the opposite scenario. You bring in a young, new worship leader – creative, hip, on the “cutting edge of worship” (whatever that is…) who is looking to be the next famous celebrity worship leader, who has no commitment to your church, and is very excited to get on the stage. They give a great and energetic interview and can really get a crowd going. This type of hire will usually leave at the first “seemingly” better opportunity that comes along with little or no regard what happens to your worship ministry. For example’s sake, we can just call them the young excited flakes. (Now, if you can find a young excited non-flake…go for it! They have great things to bring to the table!)

A caution, however, in using someone who is already on your team, or has been a part of your worship ministry: Unless your team is incredibly spiritually mature and able to control their own pride and personal identity flawlessly in accordance with Scripture, this will cause contention among your team. Any time a leader is selected from a group of perceived “equals” and elevated (especially in performance-oriented occupations) it creates an incredible opportunity for team drama. Proceed with caution!

2. Flexibiity

If you can find a faithful and flexible worship leader – you’ve got yourself a winner! I’m going to address flexibility in three areas: Leadership, Musically, and Personality.

A. Leadership

A flexible leader in the worship team will not only inspire people to be a part of the team, they will magnify the effect that your team has on the entire congregation as people are not stupid, and they know when a team is not healthy. A Flexible leader understands that they are working with (in most churches) VOLUNTEERS – those giving their time and their talent, to serve (when done with proper motivation). The worship leader cannot have a temper that flares when there is not perfection – nor can they dismiss standard amongst the team – both personally and musically – both will lead to chaos on the team. A flexible leader does not make the team a stage for themselves – but they seek to encourage and empower their team. They are flexible in finding the strengths of the team, maximizing them, and making room for them. The flexible leader is not distraught when there is disagreement within the team, but uses conflict to engage deeper spiritually leading the team to a greater knowledge of the body of Christ and worship.

B. Musically

A worship leader who is flexible musically is not defined by their art – or their music. They are not married to their ideas, but are open to suggestions of song by the pastor and willing to engage in style and genres outside their comfort level or frame of reference. A flexible music leader understands that the greatest achievement in corporate worship is to lift up the name of the Lord in unity, and supports that premise through music. A flexible worship leader will not become dissatisfied when the flow or order of the songs are changed or dropped last minute, but can “hang with the punches,” and does not associate personal worth or value with musical performance.

C. Personality

This can be a big one for worship leaders. As there are many different “types” of
leaders – the same applies to a worship leader, with an added “ creative” or “artistic” flare… this can get dangerous! OR, it can be their biggest strength, and a
strength to you, as the pastor. The strength of creativity or artistic giftings can
enhance a person’s personality and be a real gift to the church – to support the
goal and direction it is going. The key is this: submission to the Lord. When
a worship leader can submit their gifts to the Lord – and see them as only that –
gifts. Gifts that they did not design or accomplish on their own, but instead were
given with intent that they would in turn be used to point to Jesus – that is
when a person can delineate between himself and his gift, and it will not
define them. A worship leader with a flexible personality will hold his role with an
open hand, and not be crushed or elated at the sign of criticism or praise.

A few final notes:

• Test runs with worship leaders is a GREAT idea! 1-3 month trial period allows
  you ( and them) to assess, understand what it really is like to work together and then make an educated decision moving forward!
• Do not let your worship leader use the “I’m just creative and I cannot be boxed in” excuse for long lunches, and hours upon hours in front of the “computer.” Structure is great for them. They need it. While creative people do need room to create- that is most often a cop-out for responsibility. Also, you can be flexible with them without sacrificing efficiency and production.
• Don’t scar on the first cut. (translation: don’t fire on the first frustration..) Hiring a new worship leader will always take a considerable amount of time to transition into a place of being comfortable ( for you and them). There will be many mistakes and they will not know how to flow with you – but if you give them time and they are willing, they will learn!
• Age does not automatically equate to maturity, nor is youth automatically synonymous with passion and zeal.

For the sake of not writing my first book at this moment, I will end this article. However, If you’ve any questions or points for further discussion, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to email me at LetHereBeHope@gmail.com

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To book Laura Cooke (and her band, if desired) for your worship service, special event, or worship training, please visit http://www.lettherebehope.net and fill out the reservation form on the "Contact" page.

To listen to the songs on Laura’s worship album, Zion, please visit http://www.lettherebehope.net/ and click on “Music.”

To purchase Laura’s worship album, ZION, please visit iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/zion/id368085437

To purchase physical copies of the album for your church or bookstore: email LetHereBeHope@gmail.com