Music Leaders Tips for Working with Your Pastor

I have been blessed to have great working relationships with all of my pastors in the churches I’ve worked in over the past 25 years. Below are some nuggets of proven wisdom that I’ve picked up along the way. These are excerpted from Week 5 of my worship study, Praise More Powerful. They are based from 1 Peter 5:5 that reads, “Young men, be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'”

May God build a powerful team between your worship leaders and your pastor! Our Lord certainly does want to! – Dwayne

*Practical Tips for Music Leaders

1. Trust God to lead through your lead pastor. God has placed him there and will ultimately hold him accountable for what takes place.
2. Proactively seek your leader’s input and direction. Don’t wait for him (or her) to come to you. Let him know you value and need his help.
3. Support your pastor’s message topic whenever possible. If the music proceeds the message, then determine to give him a good “springboard” with the music part of the worship gathering. Never have heartburn with being the “set-up guy” or gal or group. Remember, it’s not about you or your music or drama. It’s about the message through both the music and the speaking.
4. Learn, as John Maxwell says so well, to be “second and satisfied.” Esteem and pray for your pastor and leaders. Besides bringing glory to God, let your primary goal be to help their ministries be successful – even before your own…
5. Be a minister and friend to your lead pastor and your other leaders. For example, when you meet with them, don’t just talk church stuff, ask them how their family is doing. Be genuinely concerned with their personal well-being and feelings. (Of course, ladies and men should maintain healthy and careful boundaries in their friendships.)
6. Pray daily for your lead pastor and other leaders.
7. If you have a disagreement with your pastor or church leaders, in some settings it is healthy to voice your concerns in private to that or those leader or leaders. However, in public always stand WITH your pastor and leaders in support of them as a team.
8. If you have a conflict, practice Matthew 18:15-17. However, DO NOT come up against your senior pastor in public (“Touch not my anointed.” – Psalm 105:15) – unless, of course, he is in clear violation of God’s Word. Even then, only proceed with much caution and prayer and counsel. It is often better for you to simply step aside.
9. Clothe yourself in humility and in love at all times.

*Excepted from Praise More Powerful: Insights to Transform Our Worship by Dwayne Moore (c)2006-2007, p. 136. To order this study go to http://praisemorepowerful.com/blog/worship-discipleship-resources.