Chase the Setting Sun...

What is leading worship about? What makes a good worship leader? As our church begins to search for a worship leader/vocalist I have been thinking about what it takes to be a good worship leader.

- First off, a worship leader needs to be a talented vocalist. Singing should come naturally to this person. If a worship leader has to spend too much energy and thought thinking about how they are singing, they are not focusing on worshiping.

- A worship leader should have an overwhelming passion for worshiping God. Worship should overflow out of a worship leader's heart. When a congregation sees the leader actively and passionately worshiping Christ they can't help but worship God themselves.

- A Worship leader should be able to connect and lead musicians and vocalists of all ages and levels of talent. You wont always have the best musicians in your group. The job of the worship leader is to be able to work with the lesser musicians and help them raise their game. A musician doesn't have to be the most technically talented player in the world to be solid and sound good. The worship leader needs to be able to take what skills the musician possesses and make the most of them to help that person blend with the rest of the band.

- A worship leader is NOT an entertainer. He/She is not there to entertain the congregation and keep them happy. It is not always about playing the catchiest songs, or getting the congregation to sway and clap. It is about inviting the congregation into authentic worship. It is about rising above ourselves and connecting with God and each other through the act of worship.

A lot of times we see worship leaders that are crowd pleasers. They are there only to entertain and please those listening to them. A true worship leader is there with an audience of one. He/She can forget about themselves and the desire to be noticed and focus on Christ and connecting with Him. If the connection between worship leader and Christ is made and is real, the congregation will feel more comfortable about making that authentic connection with the One they are worshiping and come out of their shell and worship as well.

This is an ongoing thought process. These are just some thoughts I have had lately on what I expect from whomever we hire down the road.