Today’s post comes from Andrea Olson of Overflow Worship:
If you want to be excellent with whatever you have, we must first ask why we pursue excellence?
This is a common question as I travel leading worship and training teams. We want to honor God as we are leading while doing our best. But the reason we pursue excellence isn’t so that people look at us. We do it so people aren’t distracted by us. This is key. Leaders, lay a healthy foundation for your teams. We all need to align in this vision from the beginning.
Now, that is our filter. We can ask, is this distracting people from or helping people to encounter God’s presence? Because this is about pointing people to Jesus, not ourselves. All of this takes an attitude of complete surrender to whatever God wants to do.
I have led worship in many churches. On big stages where I have seen hundreds of lives changed as they encounter the Presence of God. I have also seen countless people touched in small churches with one solo leader. It isn’t a question of right or wrong. It’s about what God is calling your church to.
How can you pursue excellence with the resources in front of you, focusing on gratitude for what you do have?
The first step: refining your craft. It’s hard to lead or support well if we are distracted due to lack of preparation. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about being prepared so you are fully present in worship. Whether this means more practice, or taking lessons, it’s all for the goal of pointing people to Jesus.
Next, define musical roles. Leaders, it’s key to define roles for your teams. In a small team of one guitar player and a keys player…if the guitar is lead rhythm, the keys is support. Filling the sound with pads, strings or sustaining chord patterns. For larger teams, if everyone plays all the time, the sound could overwhelm. Remember this: less is more. And sometimes that means not playing or singing at all for a portion of the song.
Remember, it’s about doing all we can to point people to Jesus. Colossians 3:17 sums it up so well: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Andrea would like to offer Leading Worship Well readers a 10% discount off a full weekend conference ticket to the Overflow Worship Conference - October 11-12 in Willmar, Minnesota . Tickets go on sale in May.
Enter “leadingworshipwell” at checkout to apply the discount.
ABOUT ANDREA OLSON
Andrea has always loved worship, writing songs for the Church and leading people into and encounter with God’s Presence. She has been a worship leader in Minnesota for the past 14 years. In 2010, Andrea started a unique 1:1 mentorship program for young local worship leaders. As more leaders and churches began reaching out for help and training, God grew Andrea’s passion for worship in the Church and in 2014, Overflow Worship was born. This ministry for Worship Leaders and teams began with the annual Overflow Worship Conference. Now, in addition, Andrea (with family in tow) travels the Midwest going into churches leading worship, training teams and equipping leaders with practical tools to thrive in their ministry.
Links: overflowworship.com | Instagram - @overflow.worship | Facebook - Overflow Worship
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
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