Does your church have non-leaders leading, non-singers singing, non-musicians playing, non-communicators communicating, etc.? Many churches live in this uncomfortable reality.

I’ve been looking at lots of worship leader job descriptions lately as we help several churches look for staff. Almost all of them have some kitchen-junk-drawer statement at the end of the responsibilities

I was reading 1 Peter 4 and was struck by verse eleven.

As a leader, uncertainty is your life. It’s your sweet spot.

We often misunderstand equality, authority, and equity in the conversation about women in church leadership.

I’ve been getting up at 4:30 AM the last couple of weeks to spend quiet, uninterrupted time writing and editing my past Fertilizers.

What am I taking to heart?

I took stock. I noticed. I paid attention. I realized that I’ve been leading three to four Sundays a month over the past twelve months. That was okay then.

But it was time to change.

Do the worship leaders at your church meet together regularly? Oh, they see each other at church. They may occasionally play on each other’s teams. They might even be a part of the same small group.

But do they actually journey together as worship leaders?Do the worship leaders at your church meet together regularly? Oh, they see each other at church. They may occasionally play on each other’s teams. They might even be a part of the same small group.

But do they actually journey together as worship leaders?

I received this question from a pastor:

"How do you describe the minimum level of vocal ability that a person needs to possess before they will perform on a Sunday morning? As you might guess, this is prompted by a church member who very much wants to sing with the team, but frankly probably falls below the standard of what we would like to have on stage...."

Have you ever tried to actually measure how loud the congregation sings?

Maybe you’re a worship leader who is caught in the unrelenting cycle of leading weekly worship gatherings while managing songs, arrangements, schedules, teams, relationships, and life.

You feel the need for... 

• A deep walk with God (Intimate, Consecrated, Scripture-soaked)

• A deep love for people (Shepherd, Launcher, Encourager, Leader)

• A deep understanding of music (Listener, Craftsman, Fluent)

I was leading Sunday morning worship at this church. I greeted the assembled worshipers and… got back a very wimpy response. I felt like I was looking at a room of corpses.

The other night, I was tucking my son into bed and noticed some trash on his bunk bed shelf. It was the remains of an old, burned-up plastic Coke bottle.

Doesn’t this just have a great ring to it? Campfire. Eating together. Relaxed worship. Late-night talks. Teaching tailored to your team. Friendships deepened. A break from your routine. God speaking...

As we approach the end of the year, I encourage you to take a moment between sips of 'nog (stay tuned for a killer recipe) to reflect on the state of your team's relationships.

My pastor was a college professor who had just finished the semester.

What’s your worship team like? And by “worship team,” I mean the musicians and techs together.

Are you like a Worship Family? A Worship Indie Band? A Worship Elevator? Let me describe each one.

Did you ever wish you could teach your worship team to have better musical instincts? You can!

How can you know if it’s time to form a leadership team for your worship ministry?