I don’t know if you’ve ever asked this question of “what makes a great worship leader” but you probably know the difference that a great worship leader brings to your engagement and passion for your Heavenly Father. It’s a transcendent experience. It’s a sure sign that God is in the room.
What makes a great worship leader may to, some degree be subjective, and you may find a leader who oozes Jesus and simply leads you well, whilst someone else may discover another person. There may be other factors that play into it for your personal experience such as
- A personal relationship with the leader
- A similar in taste in music style
- A personality that engages you more than others
- An above average competency in singing or playing
- … or it just might come down to the type of week you’ve had
Many of these may be important – I mean, take away competency and gifting, and you have reason for distraction. Choose songs that you don’t relate to, or use prayer language that is different to your culture, and it’s difficult to engage through these distractions.
But perhaps theres more to it than just the practical aspects.
What has helped me in the process of understanding worship leading, is to realise that there is basically no such thing as a worship leader. If you’ve read my blogs, you may have heard me say that before. It’s not playing down the role at all, it’s just clarifying the role of the person who stands before a group of God’s people and ushers them on a journey… like a tour guide who knows where to go, and takes people with them.
Now it’s fine to call yourself a worship leader because everyone understands that language, but what helped me to further define my role, was to see myself as a leader of people in the context of worship. That just might be our starting point.
There’s really no such thing as a worship leader. We are leaders of people in the context of worship. That changes everything!
So what (potentially) makes a great worship leader? A great worship leader…
- Gets worship – or at least growing in understanding. They know it’s about declaring the presence of God, and lifting the faith and hope of the people.
- Loves God and loves people. This should be obvious – indeed it’s the essence of worship and the great commandment (Matthew 22:37). Yet leaders of worship can sometimes drift into being more enamoured with the song, how it’s being sung, who’s singing in tune at the expense of being in tune with God and with His people. A great worship leader stands as it were “in the gap” acting as a tourist guide who cares for the people they are leading, and is excited about the prospects of where they are going and the experiences they may have.
- Leads themselves first – in personal worship. If the worship leader does not have an intimate worshipping relationship with God – whatever that looks like for them – then they cannot lead others. You will always minister out of the overflow.
- Comes before God before they stand before people. Great worship leaders ask God what songs will minister to the people and use them.
- Speaks to God on behalf of people, and speaks to people on behalf of God. Worship leaders stand in the gap for people, praying on their behalf, and encouraging them as they take a prophetic role in declaring God’s love for them.
- Knows what God desires, and where people are at. As it’s a pastoral role, great worship leaders know what’s happening in the lives of people and the community and speak into those circumstances where appropriate. It maybe why people often say that they felt God speaking directly to them.
As always – it’s never an exhaustive list! But what you may have noticed, is that there is nothing there about gifting and abilities. That’s not to say that they are not important – they are – but great worship leadership requires people of great character and passion for God and people, rather than just a passion for great worship services.
Great worship leadership requires people of great character and passion for God and people, rather than just a passion for great worship services.
Someone reading this might say that nothing has been said about ‘anointing’… great worship leaders are just anointed. There is truth to that idea as there is a lifting up of a person for leadership by God’s Spirit. However, that may be due to the character of a leader that then God anoints.
I believe if the heart of the leader of worship is fixed on Jesus, as all followers of Jesus should desire and attain to, that opens the door to be a great worship leader no matter what the context, what the audience, or what the opportunities might be.
Share below what you have experienced as great worship leading, and what can be added into the mix.