Jump directly to the Content

A Little Less Conversation

How much should a worship leader talk?

Q: Some worship leaders speak very little; others talk almost as much as the preacher. How much should a worship leader talk?

A: Like a family, every church has a distinct personality. Your church's personality will depend on its size, leadership, culture, and strategy. But the most important variable is the senior pastor's philosophy of ministry.

I believe my role as a worship leader is to serve my senior pastor's philosophy of ministry. I trust that the Spirit of God is leading him, and through the Spirit he leads me. That means what I do on the platform should be shaped more by his philosophy of ministry than by my personality or worship style preference.

If this is clear in the mind of a worship leader, it helps establish trust between the senior pastor and the worship leader. As a result, when I lead weekend services at Saddleback, I am free to speak whenever I want for as long as I want. If I feel led to speak, I speak. But it also means my pastor has the freedom to ask me to speak ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Tornado Makes Church Decision
Tornado Makes Church Decision
From the Magazine
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
While reporting in Israel, photographer Michael Winters captures an unusually vacant experience at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close