Click here to view the first post in the series listing the Worship Leader criteria.
A healthy worship leader is always making decisions. Always using discernment.
What songs will we practice this week?
What do I need to update the team about?
What should I say when I meet with X tomorrow?
What will we do without a pianist this Sunday?
How can I explain to this sweet lady why we can't sing the song she loves?
What resources can I give to X to help them learn?
Who can give me advice about this?
As you can imagine, the list goes on...
It doesn't matter if you're a 20-something newbie or a 50-something veteran. Wisdom comes from the Lord. A healthy worship leader knows that there is always more to learn, always more wisdom to glean. A worship leader who is struggling to keep things together does not usually need help remembering this, but a "successful" leader often does. As with any leader, success with the things that belong to them can get to their head. As James K. A. Smith said, "Nothing stifles reform in an organization like self-congratulatory myths of how 'exceptional' we are."
The truth is the same for all - there is always more to learn. A mark of a healthy worship leader will be that they love to learn. You will never grow if all you do is defend what you already know. The worship leader who ignores it will suffer the more for it. The worship leader who is lazy tempts the devil.
What things, in particular, should a worship leader be learning about? Too many to list here, but the best start is the scriptures. The main point is to keep learning. Continued learning causes us to distrust ourselves and see how easily we become deceived, consequently reducing our boasting. Or as someone else said, "Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem."
Leaders are learners. If your worship leader is someone whom you see loving to learn and grow, give thanks to God for a worship leader that fears the Lord.
