“What’s your vision for the ministry?” I heard this question multiple times a week for about a month back in the summer of 2021. After a short interim period, I had been named the new Worship Director at my church. I was ecstatic. However, once the dust began to settle and the “attaboys” had been given, anxiety began to creep in. The honeymoon phase was fading and all that remained was an ever-growing realization that this was all brand-new territory for me, and every question about what my plans were was met with the same uninspiring response: “I’m not sure.”
I’ve been involved in worship ministry for around a total of 20 years but the majority of that was in a volunteer capacity. It’s only been within the last few that it’s been my vocation and it’s come with a definite learning curve. While I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on the subject, I have managed to learn a few things in my short tenure thus far. If you’ve just been handed the keys to a new leadership role in ministry and you’re not sure what to do, allow me to share what I can.
- You’re Not Alone
One of the most incredible things that happens week after week in churches around the world is that untold numbers of volunteers take their places in their respective ministries just to make church happen. Children’s ministry workers, student mentors, Bible study teachers, and hospitality teams, faithfully tending to the needs of their congregations. Unless your entire team left with your predecessor, you should be in a good position to keep things moving more or less the same in the immediate future. If your volunteers have been there for a while, chances are they’ve gone through leadership changes before. Don’t be afraid to lean on their experience when you’re first getting started. As you gain your footing you’ll fall into a new rhythm and you’ll begin to feel more comfortable making changes that you see necessary. After a while you’ll see your confidence grow and it’ll start to feel like you’re getting the hang of it.
- Be a Student First
One of the best things that happened to me when I became a Worship Director was getting a phone call from a Worship Pastor at another church. He called me to tell me that he was going to be leading worship leadership class and asked if I was interested. Talk about divine timing! For the next 6 months I was able to regularly meet with worship leaders and pastors from several churches in the area. We read Bob Kauflin’s Worship Matters (I highly recommend it), we prayed together, and we had opportunities to share frustrations and hear advice from each other. I had to opportunity to hear from people who’d been in ministry for decades. There may or may not be something immediately available to you but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an abundance of other resources. Read books, watch YouTube tutorials, listen to podcasts, do anything and everything to gain insight. Learn from the wisdom of others.
In Acts we meet a new believer named Apollos. He’s described as a “learned man, with thorough knowledge of the scriptures” (Acts 18:24). He was eloquent and was a strong teacher, but he still had some gaps in his knowledge. In verse 26, a couple named Priscilla and Aquila invite Apollos over to explain God more accurately to him. There’s a great lesson for new leaders here. There’s nothing to indicate that Apollos was doing anything wrong in his teaching, just that it could be better. As a leader, and maybe especially if you're a creative, it’s easy to fall in love with our own ideas and to take any kind of correction as an offense. The reality is that you’re likely working under the leadership of a Senior Pastor who also has a vision for the church, and what you want to do may not always line up. I’ve found, however, that there’s a lot of joy in collaboration. Sometimes I bristle at suggestions only to find that they were good ideas, even if they weren’t mine. I’ve also found that being pliable and open to suggestion makes my leaders more receptive when I’m persistent about a particular idea. In the words of Phil Collins, “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” Leadership means being constantly refined. It can be a painful process but it’s worth it.
- You Belong at the Table
You were chosen for a reason and you need to remember that. The devil is going to do everything he can to make you doubt your calling and you need to be ready for it. I work with a really well-educated team. Multiple leaders have a master’s degree or a doctorate. The majority of the remaining staff has at least a bachelor’s degree. I’ve dropped out of community college 3 separate times and I have a cosmetology license. To say that I’ve felt underqualified is a massive understatement. But here’s the thing: all throughout Scripture God surprises us by calling the least of us. God called a stuttering murderer to rescue His people from Egypt. He took a shepherd and made him king. Paul wrote most of the New Testament and had quite the pedigree, but Jesus called lowly fishermen to be disciples. When the Church is functioning as it ought, there are seats at the table for all of us.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 is a great encouragement to me. It reminds us that God doesn’t call those who are wise by human standards or who are influential (v. 26). He intentionally calls the weak, the lowly, and the despised (vv. 27-28) as a way of demonstrating the fullness of His sufficiency. Whenever you find yourself thinking that you’re ill-equipped for your job or not enough, remind yourself that you don’t have to be. Be faithful, teachable, and humble and let God fill the gaps.
Leadership is hard and ministry can be challenging. Behind every great Sunday morning is at least a week of prayer and planning. And after a rough Sunday there’s little time to waste because there’s another one coming soon. (Our Logistics Director Lupe always jokes that we need about 8 days to make a Sunday happen.) And you know what? I wouldn’t trade what I’m doing for anything. Learning how to be a good leader has made me a better believer. If you’re new to your ministry, I really want to encourage you to enjoy the ride. Each day brings new obstacles to face, but it also brings new mercies.
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