Day 4 - Earning the Privilege to Lead

[Maggievt]

Okay, I am starting this thread because I look so forward to the discussions! PLEASE jump in, I would not even think to try to set the tone for this - I am only a huge sponge, soaking this up so much; a learner, anxious to know Him more.

Maggie in Vt

[twc_admin]

Maggie,
Thanks for starting the thread for me - I've been in the studio all day long.

Today discussed four main points that qualify us to lead:
1 - calling
2 - passion
3 - discipline
4 - integrity

I think I'll be using these four qualifications in the future when auditioning new team members.

Passion is one of those (along with integrity) that's very important for us. I've started re-thinking who I schedule for what based on who is demonstrating more passion. It's contagious. Unfortunately, some of us "show" our passion more clearly than others. I have singers ... some look very passionate while they worship, others have a blank stare, and a faint smile. Truly, because I know them ... I know the one with the "blank stare" does have a passionate love for Jesus - maybe it's just their temperament or personality coming through.

At any case, I think that the passion is critical, as well as the other points.

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Sometimes we hear professional athletes say that they have the best job in the world. They get paid for doing what they love to do the most. I kind of feel like that when it comes to leading worship. I love doing it.

I am confident of my calling from God to minister through music. My passion is visible sometimes. I'm not a lightning rod personality, but my passion is more of a controlled excitement. If I were an extrovert, I would not be a good match for my church. My discipline needs some improvement, but I do take my responsibilities seriously. As for integrity...

Prior to going through this study, I was a stranger to integrity. But the changes God is doing in me are real, and I am becoming much more nearly who people think I am. I have not arrived, but I'm firmly on the journey. Praise God!

God, I give you the glory , for it belongs only to you. I take comfort in your promise that "He who began a good work in [me] will be faithful to complete it." Give me the discipline to keep on keeping on. I love You. Amen

[Mike S]

The section on being stetched resonated with me tonight. Fear makes the stretching painful. When you learn to trust the hands stretching it is not so bad after all. Being complacent is not "good enough" for leading.

[MimsiGal]

Well, I must say that these are great tools to have when looking at adding new members! Yes, they must love God, but to have a passion for Him is taking it to a whole new level! I pray that we all have that passion for God that we need to lead His people into battle each week.

My biggest obstacle lately has been discipline... although I have been working at changing that. I have been a "show up and sing the part given to me" member for many years, and have had to change that as I became the "plan what everyone else will show up and sing or play" person! I have to discipline myself to work on the new songs so that I know them well so I can teach them. I have to discipline myself to practice with instruments (which I do not currently play well at all!) so that I can help those playing theirs if necessary.

Lord, please continue to keep me disciplined to better myself and prepare myself to do that to which You have called me.

[hisfirewithin]

CALLING:
Maybe it's just being a mobile church worship pastor that is coming out here, but I think that assimilation is the most important part of "doing" church. I think everyone who God brings into the Body of Christ has a calling. And I think that it's important to be tenacious in praying with people and building relationships with them that help bring out the God-ordained calling in their lives. I know I'm always looking for people that have some kind of unction to participate in worship ministry. Whether they're musicians or not.

PASSION
I think this is infectious, and starts with leadership. If I'm passive and not engaging, everyone else will be as well. If I let my passion for the Kingdom of God show, that ignites a fire in others.

DISCIPLINE
My wife has taught me a lot about this. I was raised with very few rules and was frankly very lazy. After getting married, I'm not embarassed to say that most of that has gone out the window. And it has made a big difference.

INTEGRITY
You only bring what you have to the platform. I want to be the real thing every day. And it's hard, because there's always a pull for me to do what I want, be lazy, not pray, watch hours of TV, not practice, and not read my Bible. So, every day, I need to fight for my integrity.

[yod1948]

I see these same qualities as necessary but have a slightly different way of defining it.




CALLING: The FIRST thing I look for in any WL or Pastor is humility. ALL of us are called to be servants, not to be served. I want someone who doesn't consider themselves of any higher position than the person who mows the lawn or cleans the toilets.

I would test an applicant by giving them a job they don't want first...and see how gracefully they handle it.


"You know that those who are regarded as 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 great among you must be your servant,


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PASSION; I read "enthusiasm". If they aren't genuinely excited about serving the Lord by humbly serving people as He did, then are they even qualified to be on the worship team no matter how well they might perform? This doesn't always have an outward physical manifestation which can be measured (as the person you mentioned, Fred) but it will show in how responsible they are in being prepared.


Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

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DISCIPLINE; Assuming we are talking about someone who already has self-control kind of discipline, I stress that, like David at the threshingfloor of Arunah the Jebusite, our offering to the Lord can't be something that cost us nothing. If we truly love the Lord and want to see His Kingdom expanded then we will be committed to excellence in all our ways. We will be accountable to the Body in learning our parts and finding time in our busy schedules for rehearsal BEFORE we get to group rehearsal.


But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."
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INTEGRITY; This goes back to point #1 (Calling) in my opinion. We are all called to integrity. Faith is a lifetime of walking ever closer to the Lord.


You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

[Rogenia]

1. Every child of God has a specific work which involves calling and it is clearly indicated in Scripture. We are all ministers by the reconciliation of Jesus Christ. We need only remind ourselves of the man in Matthew 25:14-15, "to every man according to his individual ability." Mark has a similar account (13:34) in which a certain man "left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work." I ran like Jonah for many years; today I am grateful to the calling. Yes, it scared me sometimes, because I do not want to fall short of the calling; but I know that God kept me here to help someone in the His kingdom that is lost. I remember when I was lost and need the Lord in a bad desperate way. And at that time, there was to me no one that would accept me. I should say the churches that I visited did not. I promise God, that I would never be like that if He would just save me and accept me with all my faults. He called, I accept and now all I want to do is what He wanted - “to seek and to save the lost.” God calls people to Him saying to us one and all, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him, follow him.” I want to say the same thing.

2. Passion is being humble and that is what Christ is. Love - It is not enough to get right with God we must, by His grace, stay right with Him. We can make sure this happens by staying in the Word and by actively serving God with our lives and having passion for His children, no matter what. He has no respect of person and we shouldn’t either. For me to remain this way, I must stay focus on “It’s about Jesus and not about me.”

3. Discipline is not hard for me. I was raised with it, so it has came pretty easy to fit in where you can and make no smoke about it.

4. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 - Integrity is revealed as Jesus Christ lives out his life through us. A good name is better than silver and gold. It is very important to me to demonstrate love, endurance, good character and not how I react to anything, but how my actions are shown. I remember when I was little, my father told me that you start everyone out with 100% and they can take away from it; but never add to it. So whatever percent they are; it is their worth to them; but you just do your best to remain that 100%. As a child, that was hard for me sometimes; because to me the worth was not call integrity; but what you had; today (thank God) it is not what you have; but what you can give.

[MandoRon]

Still getting caught up on some week 6 lessons that I skipped while I was sick...

This was a great lesson. Ditto on MimsiGal's comment about using this to evaluate new people. And the old people too!

Calling - I definitely feel like I have a calling to serve on the Worship team. As well as a calling to lead. Although the staff doesn't seem to want to take advantage of the "lead" part. I may bring it up again... For the last 6+ months, I've split my time between playing in the band and running sound. I started running sound because they needed the help, and I needed some time to cool off after being asked to step back from my semi-leadership role in the worship team. I enjoy the sound part. You might even say that I have a passion and skills for it. But I don't think that I have a calling there...

Passion - We got passion yes we do; we go passion how about you? I love serving in the worship. It's one of the most rewarding things that I've ever done.

Discipline - This is where I struggle a little. Everything else seems to take away from time spent becoming a better musician. I learn new songs and practice ahead of rehearsals, but I'm not working on musical chops like I should be. I'd also like to work on my vocals. Maybe take voice lessons.

Integrity - My walk with Christ has grown tremendously in the last 6-9 months. My attitude (negativity/pride/hurt) still interferes. I pray that God will fix it regularly.