Introduction

It is extremely important to realise the purpose of the worship team. What is our raison d'etre?

Obviously, our role is to lead worship, and to bring people to the place where they can encounter God, but there can be other things that creep into the worship team.

Christ has this to say about those who are in a position of leadership.

" You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become greatest among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:25-28, NIV

A leaders job is to serve. We see a perfect example of servanthood in Philippians.

" Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Therefore God exaltd Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven, and on Earth, and under the Earth, and every tongue confess that jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:5-11, NIV

Taking the very nature of a servant....

The greatest of them all became a servant, in exactly the same way that He advocates in Matthew 20.

I'm not saying that we are the greatest, but as people who lead from the front, we are in a position of leadership. Our job is to serve God and the congregation.

It is probably fair to say that the worship team are the "celebrities" of the Church. In a large enough church members of the worship team will find that people know them, who they don't know themselves. It can be all too easy to let this "fame" go to our heads.

Never forget that our primary job is to be servants.

What does it mean to serve in the worship team?

Every Sunday a few hundred people enter the Church for several purposes. To have fellowship with other believers, to learn from God's word and to meet with Him. It is during the worship that people are brought into the presence of God. For this reason a successful time of worship is not one where the music was great. It's not one where the singing is loudest, or people start dancing. It is one where the congregation is lead into God's presence, and engages with Him in a real way.

It is our job to serve the congregation by leading them into God's presence.

How can we accomplish this? By listening to the Holy Spirit as we lead. By responding to the mood and needs. By choosing songs that people can use as a personal expression of their love for their God.

What is service not about?

Not a self serving "look at me with my musical skills" attitude.

Not simply because we enjoy making music.

What service requires.

Service requires humility. I once heard a worship leader exclaiming what a privilege it was to be involved in worship. He added "I could be making the tea." My advice to that leader would be to take time out from leading worship and help with the tea.

Service requires sacrifice. Sometimes means coming out and playing when no one else is available, when you were really looking forward to a night in.

Service requires righteousness - especially since those who lead from the front are looked up to and respected.

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