Origin Story: The Five Faders

Have you ever wondered where the Five Faders came from? This is its origin story!

The Question That Sparked…everything

It was April 16, 2018. I asked the four worship leaders I was coaching at DOVE Westgate, a church in Ephrata, Pennsylvania: “On the spectrum of Rock Star to Gardener, what kind of a worship leader are you?”

Rock Star vs. Gardener: Two Worship Leader Archetypes

It was a question designed to help them think about their role beyond just getting through the songs at rehearsal. I wanted to know how they respond when team members arrive unprepared or lack musical skills. Do they see it as part of their role to develop their team (Gardener), or are they annoyed that others aren’t pulling their weight (Rock Star)?

In other words, when you lead your team at a rehearsal, do you think more like a Rock Star or a Gardener? The Rock Star will have a clear vision of what things should sound and feel like. If a team member doesn’t prepare well, they might feel frustrated and wonder why the team member isn’t ready. The Gardener also has an idea of where they want to go, but they expect that one of their primary roles in leading the team is to help the team grow and develop. So if a team member arrives unprepared or cannot play or sing a part, they expect it and come up with a few ideas of how to help. And it does not feel like an interruption – it’s why they are leading.

The Problem with the Spectrum Approach

The problem with my two-ended spectrum like that is that it could feel punitive, and more importantly, the team’s needs will fluctuate between the two.

Here’s where things got interesting.

Emergence of a Third Type: The Spiritual Gardener

Matt signed up as the Rock Star, and Theresa was clearly the Gardener. But as we went around the room, Jen said she didn’t really see herself as either. Instead, she felt like a “spiritual Gardener” who was more focused on the worship dynamic and the spiritual health of the team. She cared about the music and the team, but most of her energy was aimed at simply “are we connecting with God?”

Interesting, I thought. Perhaps it’s a triangle rather than just a spectrum with two points.

And Then There Were Four: Meet the Shepherd

We continued processing, and Linden expressed that he really didn’t see himself in any of those three descriptions. He talked about his focus on his team, how they were doing, how they were feeling, and how they were connecting. In fact, he shared that when his team comes into rehearsal, he reads their body language to gauge how they’re doing and will actually change how or what he does at that rehearsal based on it!

I began to see something interesting and valuable in what he brings to the table that I hadn’t noticed. See, he isn’t concerned about making things sound a certain way, nor training people because he isn’t skilled in those instruments and doesn’t feel able to. But when people have an issue with something, guess who they talk to? Yep. This guy.

Four Quadrants of Worship Leadership

So there are four quadrants! Rock Star, Gardener, Spiritual Gardener, and Shepherd. This is amazing!

Learning From Each Other’s Strengths

Since they each were one of the four, I asked each leader what they thought the worship ministry needed that they themselves lacked. Then I had another leader who is naturally strong where they are weak, give them practical help. “What’s one thing he/she could do to think more like a Rock Star?”

This proved to be a helpful exercise since when you naturally tend toward something, it’s insightful for others to hear how you think. For example, the one who’s naturally a shepherd said:

“When I walk into a rehearsal, I listen. People may not talk, so I also observe body language and other non-verbal cues. It shapes my whole rehearsal.”

I don’t think I’ve ever thought that when starting a rehearsal. But wouldn’t it be helpful?!

When choosing the songs, Gardener thinks, “What are these songs teaching the congregation about God?” not “I like this song musically.”

The more my coaches and I refined it, the more excited I became. I felt like an archeologist discovering an ancient city.

“Could this be a book?” we excitedly asked each other.

We could look at each part of your role through these identities. As in, how does a Rock Star plan a worship set differently than a Gardener? There could be chapters on each task: planning, rehearsal, service, recruiting, etc.

As I began sharing the concept with other worship leaders (read: forcing it on them, I was so excited!), it became clear there was one more quadrant.

At one of our coaches’ meetings, Coach Jimmy suggested there may be a “producer type” that thinks primarily about the big-picture plan for Sunday mornings. An organizer, yes! Dan Sigmond agreed, “‘Builder’ is an idea for a new type (people, programs, etc) or various roles can be related to a “Planner.”

Coach Jeremy added, “After a recent Coaching Moment, I was aware of how adding a fifth one like ‘architect/executive’ might be a benefit. It seems a fitting title for what Jimmy articulated. The idea being that an architect likes to cast vision and plan and is more driven to create systems and long-range plans.”

I thought we were bumping into something here, too. I met with more leaders that day and shared this framework with them. There may indeed be a fifth one.

Worship Team Excellence—Redefined

We also realized we had to articulate how each identity does “excellence” since several churches have said they need an identity other than Rock Star, but followed it up with “but we still want to maintain the excellence,” as if a Shepherd can’t create excellent music. But Shepherds make everyone feel more connected, cared for, and comfortable - and those people invariably make better music. Organizers provide excellence by helping everyone to relax, making sure everyone has all they need to prepare well. Gardeners provide excellence by allowing the team to recognize its growing edges and providing them the tools to get to the next level in a way that makes the team feel empowered and inspired rather than judged and stressed. Spiritual Gardeners provide excellence by demonstrating and sharing their delight in God’s presence and being part of growing the congregation’s devotional life.

Discover Your Worship Leader Identity Through Questions

To help leaders figure out where they fall, we can devise questions like:

“If you have a great time worshiping together and laugh a lot, but the music was a little rough, was that a win?” (Rock Star)

“If you get through a rehearsal and everything sounds good, but you didn’t connect relationally, was that a win?” (Shepherd)

“If you ate a meal together and talked about the latest movie you each saw, but there wasn’t a spirit of worship in the way you performed the music, was it a win?” (Spiritual Gardener)

“If you get through a rehearsal and everything sounds good, but nobody grew as a musician, was it a win?” (Gardener)

The Revelation: Worship Leadership Types as Faders

And then a thought BLEW MY MIND!

You know how when you take the DISC personality test, you come out with a certain shape – high I, low D, high S, middle line C, etc.? Well, we have a natural shape, BUT we can turn things up or down if the need presents itself. I think of the D, I, S, and C as Faders. Sometimes, my C needs to be pushed all the way to “11” or my D needs to get pulled waaay down.

What if! What if these quadrants are also on moveable Faders? Ah…Faders! Certain moments call for the Rock Star to be pushed up or down.

It makes the self-knowledge USEFUL. I can figure out what I am naturally and can begin to learn how to boost other parts that are needed.

So there it was: Rock Star, Shepherd, Spiritual Gardener, Gardener, and Organizer - five quadrants, types, or faders. (Thankfully, we didn’t keep most of those names!)

There was quite a buzz during those first few weeks after discovering the concept. From there, we’ve taught it at retreats, in webinars, on podcasts, and at conferences, and have woven it into the fabric of all the coaching we do. It has been refined over the last seven years and will soon be available in book form to hold in your very own hands. You can pre-order here. The Five Faders: Artist, Shepherd, Priest, Educator, Producer - A roadmap to wind up at a healthy, thriving worship team.

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

Origin Story: The Five Faders (Nº 442)