The Top 3 Things Worship Leaders Need from their Pastor
Last week we started a quick 2-week series on the Pastor / Worship Leader Relationship by talking about what every Pastor needs from their Worship Leader.
This week we turn the tables and I want to talk to Pastors about what your Worship Leader needs from you. And if you’re a worship leader, feel free to print this out and “accidentally” leave a copy on your Pastor’s desk :-).
As I have always said, the most important relationship inside the church is the relationship between the Pastor and Worship Leader. But it’s also a relationship that can hold a lot of tension. That tension MOST LIKELY comes from one specific thing:
Lack of clarity about the expectations of the other person.
The worship leader says, “If my pastor would only do _____, then I would be able to get ahead,” while the pastor says, “If my worship pastor were only planned further in advance, we would be able to do _______ with our Sunday service.”
The remedy – clear expectations on the role of both the Pastor and Worship Pastor.
So now that we have opened the conversation on expectations, let’s talk about what the Worship Pastor needs from the Pastor.
#1 – Clear direction. The #1 frustration I hear from worship leaders in my live events and coaching networks is that they feel the Pastor is just not clear on what he wants. Now, this is not fully the pastors fault… after all we always listen through our own filters (right or wrong).
But Pastor, your worship pastor wants to serve you and give you exactly what you want. If you want to see the productivity, engagement, and overall effectiveness of your worship leader go to record levels, the best way to do that is to give clear direction, expectations and deadlines for what you want. Remember, if it is unclear in your mind, it is a dense fog in your Worship Leader’s mind.
#2 – Help. Worship Leaders don’t always ask for it (they should), but one of the most beneficial things that your worship pastor receives from you is your help. They need to know that they can bounce an idea off of you, be honest with you when something isn’t going well, or ask for advice on how to deal with a problem they’re facing. Too many times Worship Leaders don’t ask. But many times Pastors don’t listen or engage this area either.
Don’t be afraid to pry into your Worship Leader’s work and ask questions that will help reveal areas where they need some coaching.
And when your Worship Leader comes to you for help, do your best to fully engage the question. As the pastor you have the amazing ability either to add or remove pressure from the Worship Pastor’s ministry. Remember to do both!
Pastor – Do you know an area where your Worship Leader needs help right now? If not, you don’t know your Worship Leader well enough.
Worship Leader – Are you asking your Pastor for help when you need it? If not, you’re missing out on one of the best resources available to you.
#3 – Ongoing Training. Too many Worship Leaders are exactly the same today as they were a year ago. They are struggling with the same challenges and frustrations that have plagued them for months. The team is the same size. The quality of the worship service is the same. The weekly frustrations are the same. That’s a terrible place to be in ministry.
As the Pastor you can help ensure that your Worship Leader is constantly growing to meet the new challenges that come with each season of ministry.
But I learned to capture what worked and build systems around it so that I wouldn’t fail at it again.
That’s how our team grew from 2 to 200 people. How I developed my personal leadership abilities. How our worship services are planned months in advance. How we’ve built a healthy and thriving team. We’ve done it, but it was much harder than it had to be – if I had only had a coach!
Now, I’m a coach. I give those systems back to other worship leaders through the Worship Leader Tele-Coaching Network. In these networks, the average worship team doubles. The worship leader develops a one-year personal growth plan and doubles his/her effectiveness. The pastor emails me and says what a difference the network is making in their worship leader.
The Worship Leader Tele-Coaching Network is a way for you to invest in your worship leader’s growth through a 12-month training experience. Over 250 pastors have already have already experienced the benefits of having their worship pastor learn and develop these systems, and you can, too.
My next network begins in less than 3 weeks… Learn more and apply online at www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching. Or see the PPS below for complete details.
Whether I am the coach to your worship pastor, or you find a mentor elsewhere, your worship pastor will accelerate their leadership by learning from another Worship Pastor.
Your partner in ministry,
- What Every Worship Leader Wants from Their PastorAND
- What Every Pastor Wants from Their Worship Leader
In these 2 powerful resources, Worship Pastor Jason Hatley and Lead Pastor Nelson Searcy tackle with brutal honesty what both Pastors and Worship Leaders need from one another to succeed in their calling in the church.
I have found in my own life that personal coaching is THE BEST way to experience personal and pastoral growth. And after coaching well over 200 worship leaders in the last 7 years, I have a personal track record of helping Worship Leaders grow themselves — and their ministries.
In the Coaching Network, you will:
* Join me for a monthly 90-minute coaching session where I will teach you practical, “will work tomorrow” strategies for leading a thriving worship ministry
* Be able to have your specific questions answered about your team and the challenges you’re facing. This isn’t a network about information, it’s about implementation. I’m committed to help you implement the ideas and processes I’ll teach you.
* Learn how to get more done in ministry, to get further planned in advance, and to maximize your leadership skills to lead a growing worship ministry.
* Receive over $1,400.00 in free resources from Worship Leader Insights, PLUS free membership in the Renegade Pastors Coaching Network (with a monthly value of $2,667.00 — keep reading for details). You get two networks for the price of one!
* Plus a lot more!
Here is what other worship leaders have said about how they’ve grown in my coaching network:
“We have been implementing many changes in our Sunday Service System. The result has been less stress on Sunday mornings and throughout the week, an increase in attendance and retention of new attendees, better communication between myself and the other staff and volunteers, and an easier rehearsal time.”
– Josiah Herried, CenterPoint Christian Fellowship, Tacoma, WA
“I would not be exaggerating to say that in my case this network has been life/ministry transforming. In this past year the Worship arts Department has grown more than in the last 7 years combined. This network really helped to de-stress my life and increase my effectiveness as the Worship Pastor.”
– Bode Abodunde, World Harvest Christian Center, Pennsauken, NJ
“Don’t miss this opportunity to steward the next year of your life, purposing to learn how to grow yourself, your team and your church into the healthy, growing and thriving ministry God wants for you. Pastor Jason is a comforting, thorough, trustworthy and practical teacher of Biblical truths that will propel your worship and leadership to the next level – and you’ll have fun through the process.”
– Jeff Little, Ridgecrest Church of the Nazarene, Ridgecrest, CA
“This network blew my mind! I wish I could have attended this network before our church exploded in growth. I would have implemented everything I learned right from the beginning. There is such much I have learned from this network. I never knew how much potential my worship ministry could have before attending this network.”
– Jeff Craig, CrossPointe Church, Yorba Linda, CA
Visit www.worshipleaderinsights.com/ coaching for additional video testimonies from worship leaders just like you!