Rethinking Worship

I tend to think differently about most things. If something has been done one way for 100 years, i think to myself "how boring doing this over and over and over the same way". My first instinct is to want to make changes. In a traditional environment this kind of thinking can get me into trouble. But in this setting I think I’m safe... All that being said...

I've been thinking about the typical role of a "creative" or "worship" ministry in a church. What is that role really encompass? Why does a team do what they do? Why does a leader do what he or she does? What inevitably is the goal? Is it really worship anymore?

I find myself questioning it. There are lot of flashy lights, some very creatively crafted transitions, great guitar solos, a very colorful bulletin, emotions running high, but did anyone actually sing? or pray? or truly worship God? did God even show up?

It seems like we are missing something. It seems like we are putting more of an emphasis on the production of worship instead of the person and object of our worship... Jesus!

What do others think about this?

The attributes of God are true

The attributes of God are true
This world is full of things that are stylish…we are daily bombarded with the latest and greatest things…things that quickly become popular and then become forgotten, but we have a God who doesn’t change him mind. He doesn’t lose interest in us. His word says he loves us… it says we are saved by His grace…and that He is forever faithful.

Psalms 57:7-11
My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises! Wake up, my soul! Wake up…! I will waken the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, in front of all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.

Psalms 89:1-4
…I will sing of the tender mercies of the LORD forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

Psalms 100:1-5
Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

What a great reminder of God’s great faithfulness to us, the amazing grace that he so freely gives, and the open invitation we have to come and worship him.

The teambuilding worship team

I often hear about individual church ministries like small groups desiring to start their own worship gatherings. I think this is a great idea. We typically associate a worship team or gathering with the team that stands on stage Sunday morning. The reality is that the "main worship service" is only a part of a church family's worship experience. Children have their own services. Youth groups meet during the week. Small groups meet at all different times. These groups might miss out on worship time Sunday morning and leaders often are at a loss as to how to put a worship band together for these types of gatherings. What if the main worship team became a teambuilding worship team? What if the priority of the main worship team became more that just what happened Sunday morning? What if the role of the main worship team became a role of training others to lead ministries? The possibility of starting small group, youth group, and children's ministry worship gatherings becomes more possible. Here are some steps that would allow an existing worship ministry to transition into a teambuilding worship team:

1. Make a commitment as a worship team that helping build and grow ministry is a priority. This is important to do at the beginning. If people are not behind this philosophy you will have difficulties demonstrating effective teamwork to the new people. If any existing team members are unwilling to commit you may need to consider asking them to find another ministry to serve in.

2. Make training and mentoring a regular part of your ministry. Make sure that you are continually mentoring your team members. Spend time with your time. Ask them to help you lead.

3. Open the door to mentor "unqualified" team members. This is a scary thing for leaders, but this is a priority if growing ministry is the goal. Look for the right attitude and motivation over talent level.

4. Give leadership opportunities to your existing team members to lead and mentor those who desire to start worship gatherings. Ask your current sound man to take a couple of people under his wing. Ask your program director to teach 2 people to do what he does. This grows both the trainer and the trainee. It also prepares the trainee to take the lead in a new worship gathering.

5. Test the waters by trying putting together some of the trainees and allowing them to put together a service for a youth group meeting. Have a few of the main worship team members help out. See how it goes.

6. Evaluate. How did it go? What did not work? Retool and retry!

7. Evaluate your team. Over the course of trying these types of things you will be able to feel out when individuals are ready to starting working in other ministries.

8. Discuss things with your team. Once you feel people are ready to launch a new worship gathering, discuss it with your entire team. Allow them to hear about the vision for the new worship gathering. Allow then to give you feedback. Allow them to volunteer to help start the new worship gathering.

9. Be willing to let go of some of your existing team. During the process of mentoring and growing together, people in your existing team may discover that they would like to help in a different area of worship or in a new worship gathering. This is part of the process of growing people and letting go.

10. Be supportive of one another as new worship gatherings are started. Everyone is still on the same team, but it can feel very different moving forward with people now serving in different areas.

Making an impact?

What does it mean to make an impact? Does it mean 'making a difference'? A change? Does it mean having a reputation or a legacy? It can be so many different things to people. What if it meant something like this:

When you throw a stone into a still pond what happens? The stone strikes the water and creates a perpetual effect that eventually impacts the whole pond? What starts as a small splash becomes a massive disturbance in an otherwise quiet setting. The rings of the splash start very small, but they grow. With each ring the effect becomes greater. The strange part is that the greater it grows the less it matters where it originated from. It is affected by the momentum generated by the splash. Each ring grows a new ring and so on. The coolest part is that you usually do not see the rock after it makes its splash. You see its impact.

The analogy of the splash creating the growing impact seems like something leaders could learn from to grow powerful momentum into their teams and ministries, but often times it seems like the opposite happens. The leader wants to remain the most visible part of his or her creation. The front man... the one in charge.. But what happens when that leader leaves the position? What happens if no one has been taught to continue the pattern of ministry the leader started? The impact is finished before effects can even happen.

I have been really challenged by this concept. Perhaps it makes more sense to me than it does to others, but it seems right. Making a difference, by being the catalyst for growth and allowing others to use their gifts to take the lead seems like a healthy way to build and lead a team. The leader becomes more of a "leader among equals" who enables and equips people to continue to make a difference. The team member becomes a leader over time who then teaches someone else to be a leader and so on. This seems like basic leadership development to me, but I don't see this very often in ministry.

I have an idea though...
It's called the Impact Model.
Look for it next week!

Launching new blog

There are thousands of worship resources and websites available to churches these days. So, why start another blog about worship? Good question… well the answer is simple.

I wanted to share my dream. I wanted to know if others are ready to see worship a little differently.

I believe that people are uniquely wired to worship God through their gifts. God has created and equipped each individual to do great things for His Kingdom. This uniqueness is what the body of Christ is all about. As Christians realize the creative distinctiveness that makes up the body of Christ, they can understand true unity and community. They begin to recognize that the local body of Christ is actually a dream team put together by God, to reach this world for Him, embrace people into the body, create opportunities for people to use their spiritual gifts, mentor people into a greater understanding of Christ in their lives, corporately lift the Name of the Lord through praise and worship. My dream is to help inspire and build that kind of team spirit in churches around the world.

This blog is dedicated to this dream.