“… brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Php 4:8
Churches are looking for worship leaders that have the ability to connect a congregation to God through worship. More than music, pastors are looking for connection. Pastors may or may not know/care anything about music, but they do know and care about their flock! The worship leader that knows how to connect a crowd to God and stays away from the temptations of this world will have no problem finding ministry opportunities.
When you lead worship, do you feel like the crowd is connecting to God? More importantly, does your pastor feel like the crowd is connecting?
In this article I will describe 13 things that are essential for connecting a congregation to God in worship.
The most important thing for a worship leader to be is to be a worshipper. Building methodology on biblical theology is key to the success of every servant leader of God and especially to the worship leader.
“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.“ Matt 22:37
Effective worship leading is rooted in knowing and loving God with all one’s heart, soul and mind. Who we are, children in relationship with our heavenly Father, is far more important than what we do for a living or any “act of worship.”
Further it is vitally important that worship leaders understand what the Bible teaches about worship. Rather than learning biblical worship theory, it is common for God’s children to “worship by ear.”
As musicians, we understand the importance of having a foundation in (music) theory. Personally, I enjoy playing music by ear but have benefited greatly by understanding the principles of theory.
Before we move on let’s look at four foundational principles of biblical worship. Understanding these principles gives us a correct perspective for leading worship.
1. Worship must be done in love. “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Co.r 13:1-3
2. Worship is always accompanied by humility and reverent fear. Isaiah 66:2 describes it this way: “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.? But this is the one to whom I will look: He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
