I was encouraged this week by what it really means to love somebody. To really share life with them beyond the task in front of us. I shared with our worship team leaders that we should all take the time to let people know we care. When we show somebody that we love them for who they are, not what they provide, we communicate at least three things.

1. We tell them they are on our heart.
2. We tell them they are a person, not an asset.
3. We build relational capital which builds our influence in their world.

How do you show people on your team you care about them?

Over the last few weeks I’ve been forced to have some really transparent conversations with several people. You could say I’ve killed a few elephants. It’s not been my favorite thing to do. When it comes to stuff about me, I’m really an open book. In many ways I’m way too transparent of a guy. But when it comes to “speaking the truth in love” with others (especially when that truth involves difficult topics) I would rather love and cover than reveal and confront.
*Disclaimer: I always love and cover people in front of others. I’m speaking about revealing and confronting directly with the person(s) involved.*

One of the challenges of being a leader in the church environment is our mandate to help others see real life change and create an environment of family. It is easy (and some people prefer) to just let things shake out however they shake out. Allowing things to just go under the radar and never addressing hindrances to true and honest relationships. What’s been amazing is that I’m finding that the more willing I’ve been to just get things out in the open the easier it is to move on and see improvement.

The Bible says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) This verse speaks a few things to me.

• God puts us in relationships with others so we can sharpen each other.
• If you’re going to get sharper, sometimes sparks have to fly.
• There’s two ways to stay dull. Avoid relationships altogether or never let relationships get past the place of clashing.

God allows us to be family so we can help each other grow. I believe that requires us to create an environment of transparency and acceptance that enables true relationships that reach beneath the surface. Most relationships aren’t big enough for elephants to live in. I’ve been encouraged to go to others and confess my frustrations and/or mistakes, confirm my love for them and, in some cases, just agree to drop the past and choose to move forward.

What conversation have you been avoiding that is stopping your relationships from going deep? Who’s the person you need to “reset” your relationship with and green light them to speak into your world?

“How I rejoice in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed.” (Mary speaking in Luke 1:47-48)

The iWorship Devotional Bible had this to say about this passage. ”All along, God has had a way of using ordinary people in extraordinary ways to further His plans. Paul commented to one early congregation “Few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.” (1 Corinthians 1:26) And ever since, the church has advanced largely through the work of humble folk.”

I’ve always thought that one of the reasons that God uses “humble folk” to do His work is the simple truth that He says “ I am the Lord. That is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another…” (Isaiah 42:8) I remember asking the Lord once why He used me for a certain thing instead of other more prominent, talented people and He spoke to me; “You know you don’t deserve it.” God is looking for people of humility who desperately want to be used by Him, for Him and to His ultimate glory. It is our goal as worship leaders to see Him glorified in every way and facet of life.

I know that God certainly chose someone who was not “wise, powerful or wealthy” when choosing me to be a worship pastor and to write songs for His church. He looked beyond the surface of who I was and saw His destiny and calling in me. He still does today. The realization of this truth has challenged me, and I want to challenge you, to look beyond the surface of the people we serve with and see the greatness that God sees. I would encourage us all to take a look at our teams (worship or otherwise) this week in a new light. Who is the next servant leader God is raising up. How can we invest in them the way He invested in us? How can we be agents of change in their lives and help them see themselves as a part of God’s greater plan? How do we see them “through His eyes”?

I was talking with a friend who was just starting their worship team and they were asking what advice I would give to them for their new team. I think my number one advice, after prayer and getting a basic understanding of worship, would be to “be where you are”.

I’ve been privileged to be a part of many worship teams and can honestly say that most worship teams can sound good right where they are even with minimal skill level. Where most teams get into trouble is by trying to be something they aren’t or trying to play something way ahead of their capabilities.

When directing a band musically I try and rate the team in my head on a scale of 1-10 and then choose/create musical arrangements that will suit where we are. If I’m in a long term situation, i.e. my local church, then I start with songs right in the meat of our abilities or a touch behind. Then I gradually introduce more musical/difficult arrangements and pretty soon we’re a level above where we are.

Here’s a scale that I used in explaining this concept to this particular friend.

A band who is a 5 in skill should be playing songs in the 1-6 range.
A band who is a 7 in skill should be playing songs in the 5-8 range.
A band who is a 10 can play whatever they want.

Where the trouble usually starts is when the worship leader hears a song that is an 8 on the musical arrangement scale and brings it to the team who is just starting out in a 3-5 range. To me, it plays out this way:

If Band A is a 5 and play a 7 they sound like a 3.
If Band A is a 5 and play a 3 they sound like a 7.
If Band A is a 5 and play a 5 they sound like a 5.

Every worship team can look a little better when they are able to be where they are. Part of what we do as worship leaders is help nurture the musical gifts of those on our team and there is great service to them in choosing arrangements that help them shine. Don’t let frustration creep in, but rather work diligently to help your team be the best they can be while gently pushing them further in excellence.