Seven Ways to Help Your Worship Leader
by Devin Dabney
I have attended church for my entire life. As a child I sang in the children’s choir and as a teenager I started leading worship. Now, 22 years after I started leading services, I have had the opportunity to serve as worship leader at Crossings Katy for 2 months. It has been a wonderful experience so far and it’s one that is made better by the people I get to worship with.
While exploring topics for a blog post, I was encouraged by my wife to consider worship and then I decided to share seven ways to help your worship leader:
1. Prepare
The team at Crossings does a great job of sending out communications to the church body. In most of the weekly Facebook messages, there is a list of songs we’ll be singing on the upcoming Sunday. If you have a chance, listen to a few of the songs to prepare your heart for singing them during the weekend service. Perhaps the words will resonate more.
2. Sing
There's no requirement that a worship leader sound like a recording artist or professional singer. I am certain that I don’t. Of course the sound is important, but of most importance is the heart to lead others into God’s presence. Just as the worship leader doesn’t have to have a professional singing voice, you don’t either, so join in. It is so refreshing to look out and see people joining their voices together to honor our God.
3. Smile
Whether intentional or not, the expressions of the congregation can have an effect on the worship leader’s experience from the stage. It’s hard to focus when it looks like everyone would rather be somewhere else. Who wouldn’t want to see a room full of smiling faces who are delighted to sing about Jesus?
4. Come on Time
Even if he/she is nervous, I guarantee you that your worship leader would rather sing to a room filled with the church members than a mostly empty one. If you can be ready to sing, shout, and dance as soon as the first drum beat starts, that’s great. We can lift our voices together from the beginning of the service and it doesn’t feel like the first song or two don’t matter.
5. Show Interest
Worship leaders are real people who have jobs, families, hobbies, projects, etc. Strike up a conversation and let it be known that you care. I’m very encouraged when someone asks about a song, my job, or about how they can best pray for me or my family. It is also just as important when people ask my wife or kids about themselves, too. The sacrifices that they make to allow for successful worship leading should be acknowledged as well.
6. Offer Positive Feedback
When worship leaders make a mistake, it’s usually painfully obvious to them. They know they didn’t quite hit the note or they played a wrong key. You probably don’t need to bring these to their attention again. When they do something right, it’s good to be encouraged by your positive feedback. I appreciate it very much.
7. Share Testimonies
There is often a lot of time devoted to preparing for leading a worship service. Prayer, choosing songs, practicing music, meetings, rehearsals, etc. It’s so rewarding when someone shares testimony of how a song or worship set provided encouragement in a time when it was needed.
Whether you participate in one or all seven of the ways to help your worship leader, your efforts are welcomed. We are better together!
Devin Dabney and his wife, Shayla, have been married for 14 years and have seven children. They have been members at Crossings for 5 years. You can connect with Devin on social media and via his irregularly updated blog.
I have attended church for my entire life. As a child I sang in the children’s choir and as a teenager I started leading worship. Now, 22 years after I started leading services, I have had the opportunity to serve as worship leader at Crossings Katy for 2 months. It has been a wonderful experience so far and it’s one that is made better by the people I get to worship with.
While exploring topics for a blog post, I was encouraged by my wife to consider worship and then I decided to share seven ways to help your worship leader:
1. Prepare
The team at Crossings does a great job of sending out communications to the church body. In most of the weekly Facebook messages, there is a list of songs we’ll be singing on the upcoming Sunday. If you have a chance, listen to a few of the songs to prepare your heart for singing them during the weekend service. Perhaps the words will resonate more.
2. Sing
There's no requirement that a worship leader sound like a recording artist or professional singer. I am certain that I don’t. Of course the sound is important, but of most importance is the heart to lead others into God’s presence. Just as the worship leader doesn’t have to have a professional singing voice, you don’t either, so join in. It is so refreshing to look out and see people joining their voices together to honor our God.
3. Smile
Whether intentional or not, the expressions of the congregation can have an effect on the worship leader’s experience from the stage. It’s hard to focus when it looks like everyone would rather be somewhere else. Who wouldn’t want to see a room full of smiling faces who are delighted to sing about Jesus?
4. Come on Time
Even if he/she is nervous, I guarantee you that your worship leader would rather sing to a room filled with the church members than a mostly empty one. If you can be ready to sing, shout, and dance as soon as the first drum beat starts, that’s great. We can lift our voices together from the beginning of the service and it doesn’t feel like the first song or two don’t matter.
5. Show Interest
Worship leaders are real people who have jobs, families, hobbies, projects, etc. Strike up a conversation and let it be known that you care. I’m very encouraged when someone asks about a song, my job, or about how they can best pray for me or my family. It is also just as important when people ask my wife or kids about themselves, too. The sacrifices that they make to allow for successful worship leading should be acknowledged as well.
6. Offer Positive Feedback
When worship leaders make a mistake, it’s usually painfully obvious to them. They know they didn’t quite hit the note or they played a wrong key. You probably don’t need to bring these to their attention again. When they do something right, it’s good to be encouraged by your positive feedback. I appreciate it very much.
7. Share Testimonies
There is often a lot of time devoted to preparing for leading a worship service. Prayer, choosing songs, practicing music, meetings, rehearsals, etc. It’s so rewarding when someone shares testimony of how a song or worship set provided encouragement in a time when it was needed.
Whether you participate in one or all seven of the ways to help your worship leader, your efforts are welcomed. We are better together!
Devin Dabney and his wife, Shayla, have been married for 14 years and have seven children. They have been members at Crossings for 5 years. You can connect with Devin on social media and via his irregularly updated blog.
Posted in Body of Christ
Tagged with #acts29, #biblechurchkatytx, #ccckaty, #churchinkaty, #crossingscommunitychurch, #crossingskaty, #fm1463, #katytxchurch, #devindabney
Tagged with #acts29, #biblechurchkatytx, #ccckaty, #churchinkaty, #crossingscommunitychurch, #crossingskaty, #fm1463, #katytxchurch, #devindabney
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2 Comments
I love these points, Devin. I appreciate your heart in writing it, too. So thankful for you and Shayla!
Devin Dabney
We understand your point. But singing is more efficient for this things. We are try to do that. We have a
youtubechennal for kids.