The Offices of Worship (Part 2 of 3)

In part one of this series, we defined the role of a worship musician. In this article we will look at the office worship leader. Remember, the purpose of this series is to explore these roles, as well as how those who oversee the people in these roles are affected. Again, while people will occasionally operate outside the giftings of their office, the department will function more smoothly when roles and expectations are clearly defined and the right fit is in place.

The Worship Leader

The definition of a worship leader is a worship musician who is skilled in and practices leading others in worship. Worship leaders exist both locally, in the local church body, as well as globally, in the church world at large. Worship leaders play a vital role in the church worship department both in leading the congregation in worship and in addition to contributing the flow of the worship service as a whole.

The Purpose

Worship leaders exist to lead people into worship. In a local church setting, the worship leader is usually the one responsible for heading up the music department, running rehearsals, choosing songs and leading the music portion of the worship service. These responsibilities coupled with either a job outside the church, or other duties in the church, can be overwhelming at times. Only when prepared and equipped can a worship leader hope to accomplish everything that is so often expected of them.

Outside the local church, worship leaders exist to bring diversity and fresh vision to the world of worship. Similar to the artists we spoke of in the last article, these global worship leaders are often recording artists. The difference here, however, is that global worship leaders not only incorporate worship music into their recording careers, but actually incorporate their recording careers into their worship leading. Such leaders contribute richly to the church by writing songs, leading worship at large events, and even mentoring local worship leaders. These leaders, when functioning in their role, serve the body of Christ in a special way.

Potential Pitfalls

According to a 2003 Barna research survey, the average church attracts less than 90 people each week. With that statistic in mind, the same average church of less than 90 people probably does not have the resources or the money to hire worship leaders that have been fully trained, or have experience. Quite often, out of understandable necessity, worship musicians (see previous article) are forced to fill the role of worship leader. While this is a necessary part of church life, it can lead to frustration on the part of the worship musician, the pastor, and even the congregation. Knowing and understanding this is the key to building a healthy worship department. Just because someone is a skilled musician, doesn’t mean they are a skilled worship leader. Just as learning to preach in way that builds the congregation takes training and practice, worship leading is a skill that must be honed. Learning one’s strengths, weaknesses, and giftings is the most effective way to become a complete worship leader.

Wrapping It Up

Having examined two offices of worship and studied the similarities and differences, we will next turn our attention to the office of worship pastor.