Great Worship Leaders

April 22, 2009 Online FREE Webinar A FREE Webinar for all worship leaders; for the new and the experienced. This webinar will focus on the attitudes, skillset, and values of highly effective worship leaders. Invite your entire worship leading community, youth worship leaders, small group leaders and others to this free webinar. SIGN UP BY CLICKING HERE.

The Attitudes, Skills and Values Of

With Dan Wilt, M.Min. Dan Wilt, M.Min. is an internationally respected author, songwriter and communicator. He is the Director of the Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies at St. Stephen’s University in New Brunswick, Canada.

great worship leaders

An Institute Webinar With Dan Wilt, M.Min. www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Attitudes, Values and Skills

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What Is ‘Greatness’? Greatness is the attaining of a level of quality in a person that is marked by invisible authority with visible evidence. Greatness means that attitudes, values and skills have been acquired over time and with intention – and are being used to serve others.

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The greatest among us, according to Jesus, is the one who has has become like a child – willing to learn, expectant and hopeful, infused with humility and empowered by trust.

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Greatness in worship leadership is the attainable pursuit of quality in attitudes, values and skills of worship leadership, in heart and in practice.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Consistent Equippers Pastoral Proficient Servants Passionate

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Consistent •

Great worship leaders consistently lead worship, in small groups, large groups, conferences and homes in an effective and meaningful way.

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Great worship leaders have learned how to build a worship set in a consistent and systematic way, without feeling like they’re quenching the Spirit of God if they prepare well.

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Great worship leaders know how to let the songs/liturgy lead, and eagerly give the worshipper language for worship.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Equippers •

Great worship leaders have a streak of trainer and mentor running through them.

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Great worship leaders know how to mentor over time, without feeling any need to release people to lead worship before they are developed spiritually, emotionally or in skill.

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Great worship leaders age well, and know how to avoid insecurity while becoming an older brother or sister, father or mother to others.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Pastoral •

Great worship leaders have a wider skillset than simply playing an instrument, leading worship, or arranging a band.

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Great worship leaders care for their teams, and effectively ‘pastor’ their communities into places of living self-offering before God – in gathered worship settings and in life.

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Great worship leaders know when to ask someone to join a team, because their hearts are ‘right,’ and how to ask someone to take a break because they’ve lost sight of serving.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Proficient •

Great worship leaders have acquired an ability on their instrument, and/or as a worship leader that invites fluidity, engagement and musicality into a worship experience.

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Great worship leaders can handle the diverse musical/ worship leadership needs of their community, by practice and experience.

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Great worship leaders can lead a band with confidence. They have learned the art of intuiting a group’s musical capabilities quickly – and then making adjustments with grace.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Servants •

Great worship leaders understand what mutual submission is all about. They recognize the mantle of leadership on others, and defer as needed in events or community life.

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Great worship leaders know how to honor time limits, ask teachable questions, and share the primary leaders’ vision for the community being led in worship.

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Great worship leaders do not push their way into worship leading or other roles – they offer their gifts and then allow God to make a place for them.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... Passionate •

Great worship leaders recognize that passion always leads, and seek their own spiritual formation as they encourage the spiritual formation of those around them.

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Great worship leaders understand this secret – that cultivating an interior worship life with God completely alters and enhances their public life of worship leadership.

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Great worship leaders know the balance between passion and restraint; cutting loose in one moment and pulling back in another to serve a greater purpose. They see emotion as a servant.

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Are... •

Marked by an ability to lead worship consistently and effectively in any setting. (tool)

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Marked by a capacity to equip and mentor others into worship leading roles. (tool)

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Marked by a pastoral sensibility to others, their team(s), and their congregation. (tool)

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Marked by a proficiency on their instruments, and in the skills needed to lead other musicians in effective worship facilitation. (tool)

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Marked by an interior passion expressed in public. (tool)

(c) 2009 DanWilt.com www.essentialscourse.com

An Institute Webinar With Dan Wilt, M.Min. www.essentialscourse.com

Great Worship Leaders Attitudes, Values and Skills

INSIDE WORSHIP

14

Mentoring A Worship Leader B Y D A N W I LT

Songwriting:

From The For

Raising up worship leaders is both a relational and functional task. The following are a few tips on how to facilitate the growth of a new worship leader:

BY M A R C P U S C H

Co-Lead With Them. This gives them credibility before the congregation and enables you to prepare, lead and de-brief together. Give them familiar songs to lead for six months to a year, so the congregation learns to trust them.

We recently recorded an album at Vineyard Music Canada titled All I Need. One song has had an immediate and lasting impact on me from the first time I heard it. It is titled “Into Your Presence,” and was written by Kim McMechan. Here is how Kim describes the history of this song: Our church was in a very dry time spiritually. There seemed to be a united cry going up in our intercession meetings that corporately said, “We cannot be satisfied saying the same prayers, and singing the same songs, without touching something deeper of God.” We felt united in a frustrated, desperate way, and yet there seemed to be a lack of words to express our hearts. I began to write a new song for our church in an attempt to give this aching a melody that we could all sing together, lifting it up to Heaven. While this song was very much the cry of Kim’s own heart, it came out of a shared experience with others in her local church. Local church communities need worship songs that release their corporate cry to God. Here are three thoughts to consider as you write worship songs from the Church, for the Church:

Spend Time With Them. If the leader is of the same sex, spend time with them doing spiritually important activities like watching a movie, eating food, laughing hard and listening well. If they are of the opposite sex, involve others. Take Your Time With Them. There is no rush. Give them a little bit of leading room over a long period of time. The issues of pride and identity are dealt with as you take the slow and steady route with a new worship leader. Share Input With Them. When you lead together, help them choose songs and show them how you organize the set. Assume that you actually know something about worship leading and give confident guidance to their unique style. Share Friends With Them. Expose them to your mentors via seminars, CDs or other media. Set up times for others, like the pastor, to comment on their heart, style and skill growth. Give Gifts to Them. Take a year, and put generosity into your budget. When you have it in your power, buy them gear or music items that remind them of their personal importance to you and the investment you’re willing to make. Give Hope to Them. Celebrate the hard process of growth and maturation with the new worship leader. Honestly, but lovingly, point them toward faithfulness above “success.”

D A N W I LT is the worship development team leader for the Association of Vineyard Churches Canada. He lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife Anita and their three children Anna, Abigail and Benjamin.