Every month I write an article for Monday Morning Email (which you should subscribe to if you are reading this and you are a church musician…). The latest one concerns some important things I’ve learned from being a worship leader. You can get all the details here, but here are the 8 things:
People Feel Strongly About What is Familiar to Them
Unless Everyone in the Building is the Same Every Week, There Will Never Be Complete Agreement on What is Familiar
Whatever Worked Wherever You Were Before is Not a Formula For Success Where You Are Now
Whether You Like It or Not, Someone is Always Watching the Clock
Without Rehearsal You Never Know What is Going to Happen
Without an Established Level of Trust, Creativity Can Be Misunderstood
As Creative as You Think You Are, It is Still Not About You
Evolution is Better than Revolution Unless the Situation is Desperate
You may not agree, but I think these things are important. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear what you’ve learned…
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Last example cracked me up
. I am much more a revolutionary by nature. We got through the “wars” fairly smoothly by being an equal opportunity offender. I love the Biblical examples of getting the army to shoot each other instead of you (okay, that was just mean). Really we changed slowly and gradually. I call it “boiling the congregational frog”. Warmed them up a little at a time until they were cooked. Now we’re blended or pureed, or something, but it works.
I like the frog analogy…I’ll have to remember that one…
vs
Vern, this is a great list. Pastors as well as musicians really need to know these things (especially the part that “it’s not about you.”
isn’t that the truth…
blessings,
vs
so where is the controversy? that was not a difficult article on pastors – just very practical….you presented in a well-thought out manner too
good job -
Thanks, Jim, I appreciate your comment. Perhaps there is more controversy in this one, where I talk about pastors: http://is.gd/gha4B
Blessings,
vs
Re: October 25, 2010
Vern,
Don’t you think that a church with a pastor who is poor at preaching or with out great managerial skills can still do well if he loves the people where God called him?
I have seen great orators, well educated speakers with managerial skills to rival some CEO’s. They could manage the time you need to use the restroom or be gone to lunch down to the second…BUT (there always has to be a but) they either didn’t care for their congregation or didn’t know how to show it.
You can love most people into something easier than you could beat/coerce/drag/shame them into it and usually with much better and longer lasting results.
Just my $1.00′s worth.
Bob P
Bob-
That was my point exactly. Just because a pastor is or is not a great orator doesn’t make that person a great pastor.
vs
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