Greetings, dear readers!
I was talking with a friend the other day. "I'm on the worship team at my church," he said. "Really, I replied. "So am I." "Yeah? What do you sing or play?"
Which opened the door to the petting of one of my personal peeves...
Who's on YOUR Worship Team? Or as I like to call it, "the greater worship team." Is the worship team at your church only those of a musical persuasion? What about the sound folks, the overhead flippers/PowerPoint poppers, readers, dramatists, environment folks (from flowers or trees to cloth hangs or full-fledged scenery backdrops, banner makers/movers, dancers, mimes, or (dare I say it) clowns? Can't any or all of these be considered as part of the team that is involved directly or indirectly with the leadership of worship in a congregation?
And that could easily lead to a side discussion about who the worship leader is at any given moment in time within a worship service. If the dramatist is involved in moving the congregation from one stop to another for a particular worship "set", is the dramatist not leading worship for the moment? If a dancer or mime is in front of the congregation, not just following along with the music, but ministering the song and moving the congregation beyond where the words alone might move, is not the dancer or mime leading worship? Would not the music leader be wise to be sensitive enough to allow the one leading to bring their leadership to a graceful close?
Thoughts? Ideas?
Good morning, Dean.
We've met once, at your house last summer. I really do like this new messageboard- it's a GREAT idea.
The worship team at my church is very small right now. I attend a Lutheran church in KCK. The church was active and thriving at one time, then nearly died out completely. Things are picking up again; I'm a fairly new member- just a couple of years here now.
I just accepted the job as music director last October. I've sung for many years; I was a member of the Kansas City Symphony chorus for 15 yrs, but had to drop because of work schedule conflicts. I've never had any conducting classes, but I've been "conducted by" some of the best names in the business.
So we're doing our best to make a joyful noise unto the Lord- but it ain't easy!
I feel so very limited by my lack of choral conducting education! I have to be the one playing the piano too, so what I do is what I remember from "being conducted", as far as our rehearsals go. It seems to be going well so far, and there have been many positive comments from the members of the congregation. But oh my- I am having NO delusions of grandeur here!
I probably need to check out what's available here in KC at some of the local colleges; I bet I could get educated here, at least a little.
But on the positive side, there's a joy in worship here. The people love to sing, and are open to new ideas and music. I'm looking at it as a challenge, and a real growth opportunity for all of us. :yay:
I read today that "Anyone who seeks to encourage others to give praise and honor to God can be referred to broadly as a “worship leader."
With that in mind, our worship team consists of:
The Pastor
The Music Worship Leader
The Musicians
The Singers
The Sound Guy and Video Guy
The Banner Ladies
The Lady who decorates the building and altar table
The Sunday School Teachers
The Deacon Body
The Church Body who sings, reads scripture, prays and testifies
Wow...... all of us... are worship leaders in some capacity.
That's an interesting post, DeanZF.
Only a few weeks ago I was talking to our worship leader and he shook me by saying that very thing! That all the people who work the sound desk, do the OHP, and heaps of other stuff, (including yours truly with the flags! :twirl: ) lead worship! I thought that was an incredibly humble and sweet thing for him to say and what was more, he really meant it!
flaglady,Mar 18 2006, 07:10 PM Wrote:I thought that was an incredibly humble and sweet thing for him to say and what was more, he really meant it!
Hi FlagLady!
Glad you're here!
My question back to you is, "Good that he meant it, but does he actually act on that premise?" In other words, when you as a flagger are responding to the music, does the music continue until the unction is done and whatever portion you are actually leading is completed, or do you end up stranded in mid-move? I like to tease about dancers who find themselves in mid-air when the music stops and they have to kind of sneak off the platform. :blink:
As movement ministers, most dancers, flaggers, and banner folks are really at the mercy of the music worship leader. There are a few out there who worship with eyes open and hearts tuned to what the Father is doing in our midst, what the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish through a mover. The leader who
is sensitive suddenly becomes accompanist to the new leader for the moment. These are truly self-less folks who have figured out that they can lead without having to be leading at that moment. What a JOY it is when that happens!
Tell us some more about you, where you worship and the sort of environment in which you usually find yourself.
Oh, he's definitely sensitive to that, Dean. When we started using "Open The Eyes Of My heart, Lord" - which concludes with
"Holy, holy, holy,
Holy, holy, holy,
Holy, holy, holy,
I want to see you."
I was moved to go all over the church with the Holy Spirit flag (pale blue) and bless all the people by flying the flag over their heads (risky procedure if you're not absolutely sure of yourself BTW!!!!) and he kept the choruses going until I had done all the people.
I had another instance when we were singing "Beautiful One" and I was doing this frenetic "The Lamb and the Spirit" thing with two flags. I know he kept the choruses going on that one just to see how long I could keep it up! :hot:
See, I have this thing that I 1) keep to the beat exactly, 2) keep going as long as the band does and 3) try to end at the moment they do. This has meant that I have had to learn all their little discreet signals about repeating a verse or chorus and when to end a song.
Also he has sometimes comes to me before the meeting begins if he wants me to use a particular colour or manoeuvre and he's told me on more than one occasion that he gets a real Spiritual lift from my flags and misses me when I'm not there. (As a nurse, I work weekends sometimes.) He's really one great guy and I love him to bits!!
GREAT topic!
At another church I was at, our worship team consisted of myself (leading and playing guitar), 2 girls (one alto, one higher harmony), my sound guy (my hubby), the overhead lady, bass player, drummer, and on occasion, 2 signers.
I had approached a friend of mine and asked her to consider flags--still relatively new in some areas here, but she never "took it up" until after I left that church. Now it is her worship form of choice.
At our new church, I'm down to "just" me--and our church family. <EMOJI seq="1f607">:innocent:</EMOJI>
Blessings!
Moe.
:crooner: