Friday, October 26, 2018

What is the Role of the Worship Leader


INTRODUCTION
            Worship is at the heart of God, and it is the heart of the church. The church will only be as dynamic as their worship, so having an authentic worship leader is very important. We serve a God who is worthy of all our praise and worship. The worship leader should be able to draw the congregation into the throne room to worship the living God. The Word says that God inhabits the praises of His people, and if we draw nigh to Him, He will draw nigh to us. We are told that if we lift Him up He will draw all men to Him. It is through worship that we lift Him up.
            The worship leader should understand the nature of worship, because worship must be God-centered and recognize God’s worthiness “to receive glory, and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11b). Standing in His presence refreshes the Spirit. The worship leader should have these sixteen attributes: Worshipper, Disciple, Theologian, Evangelist, Professional, Artist, Musician, Servant Leader, Pastor, Staff, Administrator, Producer, Teacher, Mentor, Counselor, and Family Person.
Worshipper
                Pray! The Word tells us how to worship God. We must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. A worship leader must have a personal experience with Christ. He needs to have come to Him and received Him as his Savior. There is no way to lead people in worship of someone you do not know or trust. “Try as they might, the Hebrews could never escape the haunting rebuke of Elijah, “How long will you waver between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). Of course, Jesus later instructed his disciples on the folly of attempting to give allegiance to two masters (Matt. 6: 24; cf., 4:1o).” [1]Giving mouth service to God is unacceptable to Him. We can only truly praise and worship when we have experienced our Savior, and know firsthand what an amazing God He is. The Worship leader should be devoted to Christ, so genuine worship flows out from his heart. “Music is a meaningful component of worship, but other elements, such as corporate prayer, ministry of the Word, and communion, have always been important components of worship, and it is a mistake to reduce the whole to one of its parts.”[2] The worship leader should be well versed in all these areas of worship.
            The worship leader must have love for the people. They depend on him to lead them into the very presence of God where they can lift their hands and heart in worship to the Almighty God. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who loved them so much that He died on a cross taking their sins away, so that they can enter the presence of God.
            The worship leader should have come to the point of being a living sacrifice to God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1 NIV). A worship leader should be totally surrendered to Christ. He needs to be in love with his Savior, because it is at this point that he can stand in His presence redeemed and sanctified by the blood of the Lamb. 
            God uses humble people. A humble person realizes that without Christ there is no hope. Without Christ he can do nothing, but through Christ anything is possible. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). God will strengthen the Worship Leader to live a holy life given to Christ work. He will live the lifestyle of one devoted to God’s service which will bless the people of God as he leads them in praise and worship. “We have seen the New Testament vision of the body of Christ involves corporate love, compassion, identity, purpose, nurture, service, discernment, forgiveness, reconciliation, authority, submission, worship, and prayer.”[3] The Worship Leader must be a true worshipper of God as he walks the walk and talks the talk.
Disciple
            Pray! When we think of the word disciple our mind automatically leaps to the twelve disciples of Christ. Each one of us can be a disciple of Christ as we grow in our knowledge and love for Him. No one ever knows so much that they stop being a disciple or a student sitting at the feet of Christ learning more and more about Him. The Worship Leader needs to be a disciple always in the Word learning more about Christ, so that when he stands before the people to lead them in worship he is teaching them how to worship in Spirit and truth. The Great Commission is always before our eyes and in our hearts. “The Great Commandment relates to the vertical dimension of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to the horizontal dimension of loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).”[4] We are to bring souls to Christ. Christ sent out His disciples to preach the Gospel, but He never missed an opportunity to help them grow and become.
The Worship leader has the responsibility to stay in the Word, but to also make disciples. Paul was very active this way. When someone received Christ that was just the beginning. He would train them to work for God in whatever their calling was. “The spiritual life may not be purely emotional, but surely it is a combination of mind and heart.”[5] Emotion is part of who we are, and we feel overpowering love for our Savior, but when leading a person to Christ they need to grow and mature in the Word.
           The goal of the church should be exponential growth. You win someone to Christ and then they do likewise, and before you know it the church is full. The Worship Leader should be engaged in both sides of it. He should be a disciple who is also a disciple maker. Jesus is both the receiver of worship as a member of the trinity, and the offerer (or leader) of worship as humanity’s representative before God.”[6]  Christ was our example, and He always had time to Talk to people about His Father, but He also took time to help people who were in need. It is impossible to imagine Christ telling a needy person to go away He was too tired to be bothered.  Christ was always had time for the people, and he was compassionate and moved by their issues. The shortest Scripture in the Bible is “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). He saw the sorrow of   Mary and Martha and the people gathered to mourn the death of Lazarus, and he felt compassion and He wept. A Worship Leader must always be a learner, growing in His relationship with Christ, and letting Christ be his example as he works with the people. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
THELOGIAN
Pray! It was under the Mosaic Covenant that the tribe of Levi provided for the spiritual welfare of the people. Musicians were responsible for the worship that took place. The High priest was the primary leader of worship, but musicians would lead the congregation. “When our worship is the best of which we are capable, we’ll know the joy and satisfaction of helping ourselves and others worship God-a joy unmatched by satisfaction of any other human undertaking.” [7]
Today the pastor is the primary worship leader, and the Worship leader leads the congregation. The Worship leader may be called different names like cantor, choir master, pastor of worship, etc., but he or she leads in corporate worship.
It is not possible to separate worship from the Word of God for this reason it is important that the Worship Leader be a theologian. Worship is lead, designed and fashioned by the Word of God to do this in a way that is pleasing to God would demand knowledge of the Word. The worship of God is closely associated with the character and truth of Christ as well as the richness
of God’s Word. The Worship Leader needs an intimate knowledge of the Word to be able appropriately use it for corporate worship. Theology is the study of God’s nature and actions, and this is needed as Worship Leaders prepare for corporate worship. It is also necessary as they perform other duties as Worship Leader. Worship begins with God, and God revealing Himself to man which brings forth praise from the heart of man. The goal is to bring forth meaningful praise which creates a connection between God and man. “Worship requires a contextual quality that will invite and encourage the active participation of the congregants.”[8] Theological training is important if the Worship Leader is to accomplish this.


EVANGELIST
            Pray! The very nature of the worship leader creates opportunities to be an evangelist. An evangelist is someone who desires to reach others for Christ through public avenues as well as day to day meetings. Art, liturgy, hymnody are each deep wells of possibility, for encouraging, and when they are woven together in a service of worship, an individual can be invited to participate emotionally, intellectually, and aesthetically as well as spiritually.” [9]The worship that we have on Sunday brings us into the presence of God which should give each Christian a passion for the lost. Never let us be so comfortable that we lose sight of the lost souls without hope. Christ gave the Great Commission, and it was to every believer. Praise and worship services uplift us, but praise and worship should be a lifestyle. We go out into the world each day. The places are numerous, and the people our lives touch are also numerous. We were once in their condition lost without Christ, but now we belong to him.  Can we go blindly through life leaving the lost souls to die without hope? Can we leave them to face separation from God for eternity?
            It is the mission of the church to take the Gospel to every creature. Just look at one normal day of your life, and try to count all the people that you had even a minute of contact with multiply that number by seven days. How many of these people did you help or present the Gospel too?
            We need to walk in the Spirit. And listen to what He says as He guides us through the day. We need to practice listening and being sensitive to His voice. We must remember that obedience is better than sacrifice. Worship connects to discipleship and evangelism. We are the body of Christ, and everyone is part of the whole. When we all do our part, and work together we can reach the whole world.
PROFESSIONAL
            Pray! A Worship Leader is a processional artist and musician. As a professional it is important to have integrity. As servants of the Most High God integrity should be so that they bring honor to God in everything they do. In dealings with individuals or groups they should always be done in a godly fashion with objectivity. This requires honesty as well as impartiality. The work done should always maintain its integrity.
            A professional must always work to see that their skills are honed, and that they have the necessary knowledge to use their skills to bring glory to God. They need to be able to recognize the limit of their knowledge, and not be so proud that they cannot enlist others with the knowledge to give assistance. It is important to continue to learn and gain in wisdom and knowledge as God leads. “While we cannot see God’s Spirit, we can sense His presence. And just as His Spirit moved across the waters, His presence today proves that He is still moving about, ever working, fully involved and carrying out His plan to be with His created.”[10] It is important to remember that worship is of utmost importance to God. A worship leader needs to be the best he can be through Christ.
            They should always treat others in the way they would want to be treated. That brings us back to the command, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is important to build a relationship of trust and confidence with their team, and with the people within the church. They depend on them. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance. There will be times when people will come to them for prayer or guidance, and it is up to them to maintain confidentiality.
            Worship leader is a very important position, and with it comes a lot of responsibility. They must be prepared to do what is required of them, and be professional in dealing with the people of the church, because some of them will also be professionals, and expect to be treated as such.
ARTIST
            Pray! Worship Leaders have the heart of the artist, and as an artist they want to find new ways to keep worship fresh and exciting and pleasing to God. The varieties of artistic expression mirror the diversity of God’s creation.” [11]God is an artist as well. Look around you at the wonders that He has created. The tall mountains, and the colors of autumn. He created the sounds of the bird’s song, and the breeze rustling the leaves. All the colors and sounds that we see depending on the season came from the heart of God.  No artist has ever been so lavish with their use of color and sound. “Since we are created in his image, we to have the ability to look at what God has created and declare with the Lord, “This is good.”[12]
David danced before the Lord, and not with decorum. God inhabits the praises of His people. People very often get set in their way of doing things, and it is difficult to do new things without getting a negative response., and yet it very often is that new thing that brings us into the presence of God.  “C.S. Louis wrote, “The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of: our attention would have been on God.” We dare not let the means of worship intrude on the experience of the sacred.”[13] It is challenging to bring anything new to worship, but if used wisely it can awaken the heart of the people to the wonders of God. The Worship leader should be wise in the way he uses creativity. Anything new should be offered in small amounts with a return to the comfortable. The Worship Leader must be sensitive to the people.
The Worship Leader should always be prepared. He will be there ready to go. He will have spent time with God, and is guided by the Holy Spirit. The people will see some new and wonderful facet of their majestic God.  
MUSICIAN
Pray! The Worship Leader as a musician should be skilled. In the Word, we find that a skilled musician was important, but there is one thing that goes beyond being skilled, and that is being anointed. The anointing will make all the difference in the world. We know that we should bring God our best, and that might well mean practicing.
            He needs to be competent at what he does. It is important to have the ability, knowledge and skill to do the job. A musician is working with a group, and having the flexibility to be able to blend with the group to bring forth worship to the Almighty God with beauty and majesty is important. Being practical is also a worthwhile trait. There are many elements in a worship group. There is the leader, and the singers, and instruments. There is much that goes into the making of a church services. The topic of the pastor’s sermon should be displayed within the music, and the different sections of the service which need to flow together to create a worshipful whole. The Worship Leader needs to be able to organize it all so that its flow is natural as the Spirit moves within the service.
            A musician should be people oriented, because a good share of his time will be spent with people. Not just the people within the group, but the people of the church. Their maybe times when he is called on to listen to someone who is having issues and needs an ear to listen, and pray with them. Being a musician and worship leader can cover many areas. Kevin J. Navarro reminds us that “musicians attract musicians.”
            You have heard it said many tines that worship is a verb. That means it is active. As a Worship Leader, it is good to remember that worshipping can take the form of singing and clapping, or the bowing of heads, the lifting of hands, kneeling or even prostrate before God. The music should fit the mood of the worshippers. The goal is that it flows. “Music is one key to the “heart dimension” of worship, whether we are gather in a stadium, large church, hundred seat sanctuary, or home Bible study, singing has the power to help us freely express our feelings for God.”[14]
            In discussing flow, we need to remember all the technical devises that are used to enhance the worshippers experience such as the lyrics being projected on the screen, and this must be done in a non-distracting way. The microphones used by the singers and the instruments need to be adjust so it blends, and does not leap out at the congregation. This way flow is achieved. The Worship leader, musician, singer, technical producer. There are a lot of titles that he could easily claim that fit neatly in the title Worship Leader. Communication is of utmost importance especially with so much going on.
SERVANT LEADER
            Pray! Being a servant leader is to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Christ showed us how to walk humbly before God. He was God incarnate, and he washed the feet of his disciples, and touch a man with leprosy and healed him. What an amazing thing that must have been to him. He had to cry unclean as he went through the streets, and people would avoid any contact with him, but Christ reached out and touched him where he was, and cleansed him and made him whole. The human touch of Christ. Christ reaches out to touch each one of us just as we are, and he cleanses us with his precious blood.
            The Worship leader will need to be a servant leader as he interacts with all the people within the group and within the church. He must be dependent on God, so he must be a man of prayer. “As worship leaders, we must demonstrate the intricacies of worship such as a generous spirit, a worshipful attitude, a person who worships God with body as well as with heart, and a life totally lived for Christ.”[15]
            A servant leader needs to be a good listener. When a person really listens then they can make better decisions as to what the people want. As good listeners, they are more apt to hear the still small voice of the Spirit. Being a good listener can lead to the ability to empathize with people. He will build a deeper understanding of those around him, and appreciate them for who God made them to be.
            The servant leader cares about the growth of the people on both a personal and spiritual level, and does what he can to contribute to this growth.
PASTOR
            Pray! The Worship Leader is to care for the people of God. He must be a shepherd to the people of the church. He is a spiritual guide for them. He is also a moral compass as he discerns between right and wrong. The life of the Worship Leader should be an example to those he works with. Worship should be a lifestyle. “It is what they believe enough to emphasize.”[16] We live what we believe. It should flow naturally in his life every day. Walking in the Spirit living an exemplary life. 
            He is a caregiver which means that he is concerned with the needs of the people he serves. He should visit those that are in the hospital or shut ins who appreciate the company of a caring person. It might be that he could administer communion in the home for those who could not make it to service.
There may be times when music is needed for a funeral or a wedding that is happening at the church, or he may attend to share in the grief of the family over a lost love one. He could rejoice with the newlyweds at a wedding. As worship leader, he is part of the church community. It is important to be genuine. He must never say negative things about people. If there is an issue go to the people prayerfully to talk to them. Intentionality is very important. Building relationships is very important. The people should know that they can trust you completely.
Sincerely caring means so much to people. Christ was always caring. Send a birthday card or sympathy cards. Be aware of what goes on in the church community.  Be enthusiastic.
Enthusiastic people who have that smile or that pleasant word can make a difference in the flow of the persons day. .
            RELATIONSHIPS should be capitalized. Because of its importance. Building a relationship is so important. Visit the people in the church, and above all be a forgiving person. Unforgiveness is detrimental to the person holding the grudge as well as damaging the person it is leveled at. It is a very destructive thing. It can get into the spirit, and cause a well of bitterness to rise, and destroy you and the person.
As a worship leader or pastor or just a Christian we must be humble. We are a sinner saved by grace. Everything we are or have comes from God. Without Him we are nothing. “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things, so ever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19). Christ is our example. “Worship is a profound experience of God that will only be fully revealed in eternity.”[17]
STAFF
Pray! As a member of the staff you will want a person who is humble, and will work well with the pastor as well as the other staff members. He needs to have good communication skills and the heart of a servant. The worship leader should be surrendered to God, and so he is a servant of the Most High God. He will be working closely with the pastor, and will need to build a strong relationship with him. “A worship leader who understands the pastoral calling (In both  thier life and the life of the other pastor(s)) take seriously Scriptures encouragement that members of Christ’s body should submit to one another in general (Eph. 5:21)and submit to their leadership in particular (Heb. 13:17; 1 Thess. 5: 12-13; 1 Tim. 5:17).”[18]  He will need to collaborate with the pastor, so it will be a partnership. There will be times when they will visit the sick or the bereaved together to bring comfort and strength to these people. Christ sent out his disciples two at a time. They could be supportive of each other.
You will want a person who is energetic, positive, and flexible. These three characteristics can go far in building a partnership. A lot is expected of the worship leader, and a lot of it is dealing with people. Evangelism is an important aspect of the position. Christ gave us the Great Commission, and the church must move forward with it.
            Organizational skills are a must. The person will be organizing time, finances, social events. seasonal music, as well as administrative work.
ADMINISTRATOR
Pray! As administrator, he will be responsible for management. He will be managing people, and scheduling meetings and practices, as well as budgeting finances. He will also have to be aware of the resources that are available to him, and plan the best way to use them. He will plan and then talk about it to everyone so they are aware of it, and on board with it.
It is important to nurture the staff. Be there for them at special family events like weddings, births, deaths. These are important things. Graduations are mile stones in their lives. He should be an interested caring person.
He should have strong values, and walk the walk and talk the talk. People are watching to see if he is genuine. Always be an honorable person. Never take credit for something someone else did. People will begin to be distrustful of him if he should do that. “Actions speak louder than words. Words are fine as far as they go, but sometimes the most important experiences of life are too deep for words.”[19]One needs to walk in the Spirit, and let Him guide and direct actions and words,
He will have to plan music for the weekly services, and see that all the people involved have the necessary music, and that the practices are done in a timely fashion. He will also have to find the singers and musicians to make up the team if there is a shortage. If it is possible have two teams that can be on a scheduling rotation to avoid burnout.
TEACHER
Pray! A teacher is one who imparts knowledge to someone usually through lessons and instructions. The worship leader imparts knowledge to the congregation through the words of the songs that are sang. Many of the songs sang are Scriptures. The people sing the songs at church and then they run through their minds during the week as they meditate the lyrics, and receive instruction in theology, Biblical principles, worship. There are many different themes that are put to music. They can be taught without the worship leader being aware of teaching or the people being aware of learning. “That I can receive a blessing from the Lord is a welcome prospect. That I can both be and give a blessing to the Lord is even more thrilling.”[20]
The people are edified through worship. “…from a biblical point of view, the worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with Him on the terms that He proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible.”[21] Their mind and spirit are lifted in praise and worship to God. This is how the body of Christ is built up. Congregational praise brings the body of Christ closer together, and strengthens them to go forth and to evangelize. They go out to fulfill the Great Commission which is the heart of the church. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in songs, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).”
PRODUCER
Pray! The producer is the person who “sees the big picture”. He has a plan. Effective planning can include having a vision, goals and an outcome. When a plan is created it gives direction to the project, and eliminates indecisions. It is important to have an upbeat group of people. When people have a goal, and a plan to achieve that goal; they are bound to be more successful. When creating a plan, time should be set aside for prayer. Guidance from God and His blessing on the project is very important, because everything we do is to bring glory to God.
It is important to be a strategic thinker. A strategic thinker thinks critically, and can define their objective with clarity. They are good listeners. This means that they are taking in what the speaker is saying, and will be able to use the information effectively. Balancing creativity with common sense is very important.
 Being a good steward of the materials and funds available is very important. There are the weekly services that must be planned, and there are seasonal events that take time and staff to plan and present. The producer must plan the seasonal events six to eight months ahead. Waiting until the last minute creates stress and unwilling volunteers, and an unorganized project. The joy is gone, and the event becomes burdensome which does not bring glory to God.  There are publicity schedules to be made, and production scheduling calendar to be created. Without organization and delegation of work the producer would find himself suffering from burn out. Team work and an early start brings glory to God.
The weekly services require planning. Music must be chosen prayerfully, practiced, the instruments and vocals must flow together to bring glory to God, and the music must compliment the readings, and the sermon. It is important for the pastor and the worship leader to meet early in the week. Topics to be discussed: “What is the target of the service? What are the givens? What resources are available?... What sequence of events would give the service a logical progression, and be psychologically sound? What titles or captions would integrate the
service?”[22] “Worship both reveals and forms our identity as persons and communities.”[23]
MENTOR
            Pray! A mentor builds a relationship in which an experienced person helps a less experienced person gain knowledge. It is a partnership between a person who has knowledge that another person would like to gain. Mentoring requires a relationship and communication. The knowledge is generally imparted to the individual in an informal way.
            A mentor sees the potential in the person, and is willing to share their knowledge. They are willing to meet the person where they are and make a commitment to help the person grow and develop in the position they would like to achieve. The mentor listens to what the person says. By listening it means that they are focused on what the individual is saying, so the person can share their vison. They will spend time together, and the mentor will find opportunities to teach.
            The mentor brings perspective, and direction to the person. He must be tolerant, patient, and flexible. It is a huge responsibility to build up and encourage the person. Eventually to co-minister so they can get on the job experience. Being a mentor can be extremely rewarding.
COUNSELOR
            Pray! A counselor a person who gives guidance on personal, social, or phycological problems. “Added to the twin characteristics of authenticity and empathy are the twin requirements of knowledge and skill….”[24] These are needed to be an effective counselor.
            Before we talk about counseling we should talk about listening. Listening means the person has your undivided attention. You listen not just with your ears, but also with your spirit. So many times, people do not really listen. They are looking at the person, but thinking about something unrelated to what the person is saying. There is no way to give assistance if you have only half an idea of what the person is going through.
            A good counselor is empathetic, and  able to put themselves in the other persons place without being judgmental. They show warmth so the person feels cared about, and not alone. Warmth can only be achieved if the counselor is truly interested in the concerns of the person. Before any counseling session there should be prayer. The Bible tells us to walk in the Spirit, and we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit every day, but when counseling the Holy Spirit should be allowed to guide and direct. A counseling session should begin with prayer and end with prayer. A humble Spirit on the part of the counselor is important.
FAMILY PERSON
            Worship Leaders should have a lifestyle of worship which means they are walking the walk and taking the talk. The way you live should be a testimony to the love and power of God. It is not always easy to pace yourself when there seems there is always something that needs to be done or a meeting or practice to attend. It can make a day seem endless. Therefore, having a morning meeting with God is important. His guidance and blessing through the day keeps our eyes and mind focused on Him, so the words of your mouth are words of exhortation. The family should be a part of the life of worship. Deuteronomy 6:1-12 tells you: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” The greatest inheritance your children can receive from you is the heritage of the Lord.
Your families are the most important people in your life accept God. God must be first, and then the family. God will guide you in the care of your family. If you show respect to God they will learn this is a priority. Speaking about God daily should be a natural flow. Your children should hear about God from your mouth, and see Him by your life. You should always maintain a private worship. It is in this time spent with God that he will give you the wisdom needed with your family, with your ministry, with your work/job, relationships, health and finances. All wisdom comes from God.
            Spending time with the family in devotions is very important, because it gives time to talk about God, and His work in individual’s life, and in the family unit. They hear the Word of God, and talk about how it relates to the family and to them. It can be a wonderful time of sharing. If it is done from infancy it will be a natural flow. We started with our children from day one. Even our first one. There was our little darling being held as we read the Word and talked about it, and prayed over Him. It was never over looked even if we were traveling or had a difficult day. Before bed we read the Word and prayed if nothing else. Sometimes they would be longer, and sometimes shorter, but always we spent time in God’s presence. They are grown with their children grown, and the great grandchildren are still being read the Word and prayed with daily. The heritage of the Lord is passed from generation to generation. “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Duet. 6:6-9).

CONCLUSION
            Every person old, young or middle aged needs to experience the presence of God. A worship leader who is walking in the Spirit will be guided by the Holy Spirit to lead the people into the presence of God through their creativity. We can talk about the glory of God, but when we experience it, when we feel His presence it changes things. His Spirit flows through us, and we experience worship of the living God. The God who created the universe, and yet loved us so much that he was willing to go to the cross and bear our sin and shame so that we can have life, and that more abundantly.
            The worship leader is the overseer of theology. He creates a liturgy through the language of the music sang. Music that expresses the greatness, and the wonder of Almighty God. Worship transforms the heart of the people. The words of the songs bring Him to life. He is no longer a story, but a reality. In a moment of time He can change a life, and turn it into something so beautiful that even the person is surprised. The music moves the heart. l but God makes disciples. What a wonderful thing to have a worship leader who through His surrender to God can bring mothers to the cross, and guide them making disciples who will win others, and make more disciples until the church grows and grows, and we can truly say that we have been obedient to the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples.
            That should be every Christians desire, but the desire comes when we can grasp the eternal. It is through worship that we come to the throne of God. Israel had their worship leader that were appointed by God to lead in worship.  David understood the full impact of worship. David danced before the Lord, wrote beautiful Psalms of worship to God, He had a heart for God. “As the deer panteth after water so my heart longs after thee.” David expressed his longing for God. Each of us can express that longing to be in God’s presence by letting Him use us with the creativity that comes from within us combined with the creativity of the worship leader with in the church setting. It is through worship and the blood of the Lamb of God that we can enter the Holy of Holies.




BIBLIOGRAPHY
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 Hayford, Jack, John Killinger, and Howard Stevenson. Mastering Worship. Tree Sisters, Oregon: Questar Publishers, 1990.
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Tozer, A. W. And He Dwelt Among Us. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 2009.
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Wardle, Terry. Exalt Him! Designing Dynamic Worship Services. Rev. ed. Camp Hill, Penn.: Christian Publications, 1992.
Watkins, K. (2004). PERCEIVING AND PRACTICING WORSHIP: A REVIEW ESSAY. Encounter, 65(3), 291-299. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/216766425?accountid=12085
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[1] Andrew E. Hill. Enter His Courts With Praise!. (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 1993), 5.
[2] Kenneth Boa. Conformed to His Image. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001), 435.
[3] Ibid., 436.
[4] Ibid., 368.
[5] Jack Hanford, John Killinger, and Howard Stevenson. Mastering Worship. (Portland, Oregon: Multnomah Press, 198), 90-91.
[6] Barry Liesch. The New Worship: Straight Talk on Music and the Church. ( Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2001,142.
[7] Jack Hayford, John Killinger, and Howard Stevenson. Mastering Worship. (Portland, Oregon: Multnomah Press,1984, 145.
[8] Alicia W. Walker. “The Voice of Art, Liturgy, Hymnody in Mark: Resources of Worship,” Review and Expositor, 107, 2010, 343.
[9] Ibid., 343.
[10] Vernon M. Whaley. Called to Worship.  Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2009), 5.
[11] Andrew H. Hill. Enter His Courts with Praise!.  Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1993, 220.
[12] Kevin J. Navarro. The Complete Worship Leader. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2001),
[13] Jack Hanford, John Killinger, and Howard Stevenson. Mastering Worship. (Portland, Oregon: Multnomah Press, 1990), 104-105.
[14] Ibid., 50.
[15] Kevin J. Navarro. The Complete Worship Leader. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2001),143.
[16] A.W. Tozer. And He Dwelt Among Us. (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 2009), 187.
[17] Greg Scheer. Essential Worship.( Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2016), 40.

[18] Zachary M. Hicks. The Worship Pastor. ( Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2016), 24.
[19] William H. Willimon. A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship. ( Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1984),39.

[20] Jack Taylor. Hallelujah Factor. (Mansfield, PA.: Kingdom Publishing,1983), 85.
[21] David Peterson. Engaging with God. (Downer Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 1992, 55.
[22] Barry Loesch. The New Worship. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2001), 84.
[23] Ibid.,90.
[24] Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Ron Hawkins. Biblical Counseling. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 5.


Copyright 2017
Kathleen A. Hadley

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