Teen Worship Leader

[nelsam95]

So i've been a worship leader for about 3 years now playing and singing with my youth groups worship band. I've got a lot of questions that could really help me with this responsibility.

How do you/I deal with the performance aspect of worship? I'm a pretty good rhythm guitarist, but my singing could be better. Satan really uses this as my achilles heal to shoot my confidence from time to time. I always over think while I'm leading or playing with the band. And I know this is bad, very bad, because I'm not focusing on God. My weak singing leads me to believe that the rest of the band doesnt respect me in that manner. That they dont take me seriously. I just feel like we're not coming along as a body, atleast in my mind.

[Mike on Bass]

How do you/I deal with the performance aspect of worship? I'm a pretty good rhythm guitarist, but my singing could be better

We all start somewhere, we all grow from there. Recognizing where you need more development is a good sign of maturity. Do you have a seasoned leader that is mentoring you? It would be a good move if you could build a mentor relationship with a seasoned leader. Your ministry will develop quicker and stronger.

So you feel you need vocal development- ok, if we need help, seek it out. You can find someone who does vocal coaching/ lessons, etc.

Leading always involves some level of 'thinking', even when focusing on God. That is necessary because you are leading a live band- there are almost always tweaks and cues going on that involve on-the-fly decision making. It is a balance. As a leader, you do not want to be out in your own little world so focused on God that the band and congregation you are leading has no idea what's going on. A possible solution is to have someone record your songs and you can review them later to see what worked and what didn't.

Satan will bombard you with that kind of negativity to discourage you. It happens to all of us. Prayer is a strong antidote, especially praying the Word.

Any group, be it a praise team, secular band, work group/ team, takes awhile to develop. It takes time and effort. If you watch too much Disney, we always see the talented singers who meet and 10 minutes later they are performing this perfectly choreographed masterpiece. That is not even close to realistic. So don't sweat it too much that there is room to grow and gel.

If you are worried about respect, one of the best attributes a leader has is recognizing the areas they are not as strong as someone else and utilizing the team member that is strong in that area. So if you have a few songs that are a struggle for you, can someone else on your team sing them?

Hang in there- don't beat yourself up over this stuff. It takes years to grow into a solid worship leader. Growth is always necessary. If you get to the point where you think you've learned and grown all you will, it's time to get out of it.

Mike

[Steffie]

Hi there,

I agree with everything Mike on Bass said! That's my job done. . .

Insecurity is common amongst creative people, and amongst leaders, so worship leaders get quite a hard time with it. Us artistic people also tend to be perfectionistic, I don't know if that resonates with you, but perfectionism usually speaks to us about how we're falling short or should be doing better, despite how well we may be doing.

I use helpful reminders when I doubt myself after a flat service. Instead of curling up in the foetal position I remind myself that I still have something to offer, that my best is good enough, that God understands etc. etc. Our success is not found in the slickness of songs nor in compliments, but in serving and obedience to God. As long as you are convinced of what God wants you to do, keep doing it! Nothing else actually matters!

As for focus, seriously don't stress too much. Music ministry is a juggling act, between playing/singing, leading, working as a team, monitoring the response of the congregation, planning ahead, and sometimes worshipping God :-) God blesses obedience, so sometimes you just have to trust that by serving God and His people, he'll use what you do to bless the congregation and draw them closer to Himself.

Relax and trust, and continue to be consistent in your serving.

Hope this helps
Steffie.