Chapter 22: Enter the Encore
Leading Worship After the Music Stops
I think singer/songwriter Shawn Groves said it best when he said, “Worship in not a
song. Worship is our response to God with all that we are. It’s all that He is. All that He
has done, is doing, and will do in, through us, around us, and in spite of us, but it’s not
just a song. Worship is our response with all of our lives and everything that we’ve given
to all that God is. So if we come to a place and raise our hands and we raise our voices
but we don’t stretch our hands out when we leave this place to feed the hungry, clothe
the poor, and care for the sick; then all we’ve done is worshiped a singer or a song - not a
God.”
You are more than a song leader. Your role and influence should extend beyond Sunday
morning. How do you inspire an otherwise self-indulged people to relentlessly give
themselves away? How do you cultivate a culture of daily God-honoring worship within
your church body?
Honestly, I don’t know. These questions most likely surpass your individual ministry
role - but I think they are important questions to ask as a staff and church leadership
team. Here are a few ideas that may be worth consideration:
Envision.
Without vision the people perish. Know the vision of God for your ministry and context.
And then sell it, sell it, sell it as a mandate from heaven. You will have doubts about
what God has given you to do - but establish a minimum baseline of assurance (70%?
51%) that if you feel that sure about a decision/direction - then you will pursue it whole-
heartedly. Vision will change. When it does, discern it and sell it. Give people something
to belong to that is bigger than themselves. Communicate the current state of the
church, your vision for the future, why the church cannot stay where it is, and invite
them to join you in God’s movement.
Prepare.
Prepare your people for acts of service. You have shown them the big picture - now give
them a place in it. Being a part of a movement of God is more important than the part
that is played, but still - everyone needs a part. Define it if necessary. Train for it if
necessary. Lead the way by example. Financial sacrifice? You first. Fasting? You first.
Share your experiences in humility and invite your people to join you.
Empower.
Give your blessing. Pray for them regularly. What if your members mastered the
preemptive meet and greet? What if they sought out new people/families to sit next to,
engage, take out to lunch and plug into the church?
Resource.
Put your money where your mouth is. Do they have the tools they need to be successful?
What if your church reimbursed dinner bills for members that couldn’t afford to take
new families out to lunch after church? How do you best use your resources to put the
hope of the gospel in the hands of the people?
Account.
Be accountable. Relentlessly pursue the highest financial standards possible. Pay for
voluntary annual audits. Make your church’s financial records transparently available to
members. Integrity in stewardship is priceless and will protect you and serve you well
for years to come.
Celebrate.
Make big deals out of big deals. Celebrate all kinds of victories. They mark progress -
and progress is essential to building and maintaining momentum. Thank God for His
continued faithfulness.