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Topic: Reflections
Over the past eight weeks we have explored the role of the pastor and worship
leader, as well as challenges that impact this critical relationship. Based on your
reading and lectures from the course, discuss highlights and important concepts
gleaned from the course.
Hello everyone,
We finally made it. The past eight weeks, we have explored the role of the pastor and
worship leader and there are many important concepts gleaned from this course. In his
presentation Pulling It All Together – Finishing Touches, Dr. Lavon Gray points out six
important things for our relationship with our pastor from what we have explored. First, we get
to know one another which means spending time together, pray together, figuring out what the
other person’s strengths and weaknesses are, encouraging one another, discussing worship
philosophy and how that impacts what we do, theological perspectives, goals to our
congregations and goals to worship services. Second, we get to understand one another’s areas of
responsibility and what their specific calling is. Third, we get to plan and evaluate services
together. We need to sit in a room and plan together and especially evaluate together. We need to
be honest in what is working and what is not working. Fourth, another thing that we can do to
help our relationship is that we can reflect and light it up. Sometimes, we just need to get over
and move forward when conflicts come. Fifth, we need to keep our congregation in the loop. We
need to know their demographic, who they are and where they are and we need to let them know
and see us that we are investing in our church for the sake of eternity. Finally, we need to keep
the main thing that is taking the Gospel of Jesus to the end of the earth.1
1 Gray, Lavon. “Pulling It All Together – Finishing Touches.” Presentation, accessed Mar 8, 2021,
https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?
course_id=_711117_1&content_id=_45214583_1
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I have also learned many great principles for worship leadership from the book Worship
Quest: An Exploration of Worship Leadership. In this book, Brooks addresses foundations of
worship, practices of worship, gatherings of worship, and roles of worship leadership. One thing
that really stood out to me was the different roles in worship leadership and the responsibilities
of each role. The first role is Worship Leader and the responsibility of worship leader is to lead
and instruct the congregation in their worship as they journey together to the throne offering their
responses to God’s revelations.2 The second role is Song Leader. The responsibility of song
leader is like worship leader, however there is the significant difference between these two roles
– a song leader is predominantly concerned with the songs of the worship service while a
worship leader is concerned with every element of worship in the service, not just the music.3
The third role is Worship Artist. Worship artist lead worship in a festival gathering. Their
responsibility is to encourage worshipers to continue to fight the good fight and trust in the Lord
and their ministry is a more performance – based ministry to build up the body of Christ and
encourage them on the journey.4 The fourth and last role is Worship Pastor. Steven states, “the
primary responsibility of the worship paster is care and spiritual formation of those in the
worship ministries, as well as the congregation.”5 The Worship Pastor has three significant roles:
a priestly role, committed to the body of Christ and the pastoral musician.
Lead Like Jesus is another great leadership book especially for second chair leaders. Most
of leadership books focus on solutions aimed at external behaviors, but this book initially aims at
the heart of the leader, then the external behaviors (changing from the inside – out). The central
2 Brooks, Steve. Worship Quest: An Exploration of Worship Leadership (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2015),
95. Kindle.
3 Ibid…, 102.
4 Ibid…, 117.
5 Ibid…, 124.
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theme of this book is servant leadership which focuses on Jesus as the greatest leader role model
of all time. Very important contents that really stood out to me from this book are the being and
doing habits. Blanchard addresses five being habits and doing habits. The first being habit is the
habit of accepting and abiding in God’s unconditional love.6 The second being habit is the habit
of experiencing solitude which is spending private time alone with God – listening to Him,
soaking in His presence. The third being habit is the habit of practicing prayer – we need to
strengthen our prayer life and communicate with God on a regular basis. The fourth being habit
is the habit of knowing and applying Scripture. And the last being habit is the habit of
maintaining supportive relationships – it is important to have like-minded friends with whom we
can be open and vulnerable.7 The five doing habits to like Jesus are: first, the habit of obeying
God and expressing His unconditional love – sharing God’s love with those in our spheres of
influence. Second, the habit of grace – looking for opportunities to extend grace to people at our
home and workplace, etc. Third, the habit of forgiveness – offering forgiveness to people in our
spheres of influence. Fourth, the habit of encouragement – offering words of encouragement or
praise to others. Finally, the habit of community – fostering a community of love and grace in
our home and workplace.8
6 Blanchard, Ken. Lead Like Jesus: Revisited, (W Publishing Group, 2016), 92. Kindle.
7 Ibid…, 121.
8 Ibid…, 237.
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