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If you’re alive, you probably want a mentor.
We long for someone to come alongside us, believe in us, and help us achieve our dreams. The problem is, we are waiting for them to come to us and don’t realize what we already have.
You need a mentor. Matter of fact, if you lead worship you already have the best worship leading mentor.
Your senior pastor.
Sure, he may not be a great singer or know all the trendiest worship music, but he knows more than you realize.
And you need him in order to take your worship leading to the next level.
When I took my first staff position at my church, I didn’t realize how much help I needed. I was oblivious to how little I knew about leading a congregation. My pastor has been an indispensable guide and voice to me. He encourages, he challenges, he envisions.
Quite frankly, without his leadership, I don’t know if I would have stayed in the local church.
7 Reasons Why Your Pastor Is A Worship Leading Mentor
You need your pastor’s leadership (and here’s why):
1. Your pastor knows his congregation
Worship leading is less about knowing tons of songs and more about knowing the people you serve. What demographic are they? What is their history? What style of music will serve them best? These are the things your pastor knows. Learn from him.
2. Your pastor has a heart for people
Someone who has the calling of a pastor desires for people to grow. More than anything, he wants people to experience God. Dear worship leader, learn this from him. There are too many worship leaders who don’t care. They love music, innovation, and artistic excellence but don’t know what it means to pastor people in worship.
3. Your pastor has a vision from God
Struggling to decide on how to cast vision to your team? No better place to go than your pastor. He most likely has a specific vision from God for your specific church. Start there. For a guide on how to do this, check out my FREE ebook, Beyond Sunday.
4. Your pastor has more experience than you
I understand that this may not be the case if you serve a young pastor. But either way, he’s been appointed for a reason. Trust His experience and calling from God.
5. Your pastor can coach you
This has been indispensable for me. Oftentimes when I feel overwhelmed, a simple conversation with my pastor sets my feet on the right track. Allow him to coach you as a worship leader.
6. Your pastor has a deeper grasp of theology
Even if you think you know more than your pastor, he has a theological perspective that you need to own if you’re going to serve there. And worship leader, theology is of uber importance to you. Learn it. Study it. Breathe it.
7. He provides a unique perspective
Let’s face it. Your pastor is probably not as good a musician as you. I tend to view songs and service orders through what I like in an artistic sense. Artistic is not always the best decision for local church worship. Learn from his perspective (as a “non artsy” person) on how to lead worship, craft your setlist, and create worship experiences.
So rather than waiting for Paul Baloche to show up at your church, allow your pastor to mentor you. The more pastoral you become the better worship leader you’ll be.
Why Serving Your Pastor’s Vision Is So Important
I’ve mentioned before how owning your senior pastor’s vision is important. Not only is it important, it is essential. There is a tendency among us worship leader/creative types to walk to the beat of our own drum. The truth is, you won’t reach your full potential as a leader until you learn to serve someone else’s vision.
Serving someone else’s vision is like trusting who you skydive with. You’ll be glad you did.
When I finished college and was hired as a worship pastor, I wasn’t prepared to serve someone else’s vision. Bible college doesn’t necessarily prepare you for that. I had dreams and ideals. It wasn’t until I really submitted myself to a great, visionary leader that I began to grow like I never had before.
If you are on staff at a local church, you need to own your senior pastor’s vision with all your might. And if you can’t, it might be time for you to leave. I know that’s a bold statement. I know it may seem a little harsh.
But I think it’s important and here’s why:
1. God has anointed your pastor as the leader of your church
Think about it. God calls pastors and leaders to specific communities for a specific purpose. They have a vision from God to carry out. It is not only your job to serve his vision but your spiritual responsibility.
There’s a reason God didn’t appoint 7 leaders of equal influence over a church. Nothing would get done. It would be a battle of personalities. A lot of harm is done when a staff won’t carry out the senior pastor’s vision.
As a worship leader make it your goal to serve it with all your might and only speak well of your pastor. God is honored by that.
2. Submitting to and serving someone else’s vision builds humility and maturity
When you’re young, you think you know it all. Submission is the furthest thing from your mind. You have dreams and you want to pursue them. I think God strategically places young leaders in positions where they learn to submit. It really does prepare you for what he wants you to do.
When you submit and serve someone else’s vision you gain a more realistic view of yourself and your faults. You learn respect. You learn to make others look good rather than just stroking your own ego. Serving your pastor’s vision will prepare you for a future time where you may be that guy. But before that, serve humbly, and serve well.
3. Ministry is hindered without it
When you try and sidestep your pastor’s vision by doing your own thing, the ministry of the church is hindered through a lack of concentration.
A good pastor will ask for your input on things but once the vision of the church is established, don’t supplant it by doing your own thing. A better option is to pour yourself wholeheartedly into the vision and lead your ministry to do the same.
God wants to use you in ways you can’t begin to see just yet. Serving well right now, wherever you are, is a good place to start.
Your Assignment This Week
Initiate a conversation with your senior pastor. Maybe you need to apologize for your lack of attention to his values.
Maybe you just need to express that you’re on his side and want to learn from him.
You’ll see a shift happen in the ministry of your church when the two of you are working together.
P.S.
Got here from Twitter, Facebook, or a link from a friend? This is a course for worship leaders called “Next Level Worship Leading.” You can sign up for yourself here and not miss a post!