Top 6 things music/worship ministers should learn as early as they can

Top 6 things music/worship ministers should learn as early as they can

By Grace Thornton
The Alabama Baptist

Rick Stone said he feels like he had a definite advantage in his music ministry — a father who was in the same line of work for 60 years.

“I’m still learning. I’m still a student,” said Stone, worship pastor at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville.

But because of his father’s influence, he’s felt the responsibility over his 40 years of music ministry to pass along what he does know to the next generation, just as it was done for him.

Jim Van Matre, worship pastor at First Baptist Church, Gulf Shores, said he feels the same way.

“It’s so important for worship ministers to learn these things as early as they can,” he said.

Here are some of the most important things Stone and Van Matre said they would like to pass along:

1. Remember that loving Christ is the end. Music is just the means to the end.

The focus should always be on Jesus, Stone said.

“Our call is to minister the unsearchable witness of Christ and our medium is music,” he said. “What I encourage all worship leaders to do is to use music to get people to love and adore Christ and live for Him. The music is a means to an end.”

You don’t have to do “dog and pony” shows all the time — just point people to Jesus, he said. “The people are hungry for the presence of God and His majesty.”

Stone said he mentors younger ministers to make even their rehearsals a worship experience.

“Be genuine, be real, be passionate in your calling,” he said. “Be a hot-hearted minister for the glory of God.”

2. Never make the work of the church a substitute for your personal communion with God.

Great worship is based on the knowledge of God’s Word and that comes from time spent alone with Him, Stone said.

“The more we know Jesus and know the heart of God, the deeper our worship is.”

‘Open to a fresh work of God’

Worship pastors can sometimes get in the habit of using a formula week in and week out and forget that God might want them to go in a new and fresh direction, he said.

“God is our source. He is our inspiration and if we are not open to a fresh work of God, we may miss it,” he said.

3. Remember the weight of responsibility you bear.

Music gets people’s attention and that means worship offers a chance to have an impact on them, Stone said.

Leave them with a hunger for Jesus, not for more music, he said.

“People are very influenced by what worship leaders do on the platform. There is built-in authority and influence,” he said. “What they say and what they sing is extremely formative in the life of the church.”

That’s why Stone said he has always felt the weight of responsibility that lays on him, both in his own ministry and in mentoring younger leaders.

“We need to be careful what comes out of our mouths and how we conduct ourselves,” he said.

Worship leaders also need to guard their relationship with Christ closely, Stone said.

“Platform personalities are prime targets of Satan — he will target these people because of their public ministry,” he said.

And if they aren’t careful, worship leaders can be exalted to a level that isn’t healthy, Stone said.

“Remember that you’re not a star — you’re a servant.”

4. Know your audience.

When it comes to choosing music, Van Matre said it’s important to remember that you have an entire congregation with multiple age groups represented.

And your audience is different from that of other churches, he said.

Ministers sometimes fly to visit big, growing churches in other cities, then come back and try to replicate the same formula in their church, Van Matre said. “They never kneel down at their spot in the world and say, ‘What do You want to do with us uniquely for the glory of Christ?’”

Worship pastors should pray for God’s vision, select music that fits the different segments of their congregation, then blend those into a service that is uniquely their church, Van Matre said.

Have balance, he said. Represent your community and don’t try to be anyone else.

“We serve a diverse God,” Van Matre said.

5. This may sound obvious, but pick good music.

“Pick gripping, heart-stirring music,” Van Matre said. “Don’t pick passive, boring stuff that people won’t remember.”

There is no passive singing in the Bible, he said. “Pick the music that will point them to God and stay in their minds.”

6. Love people — the pastor included.

“Ministry isn’t about music; it’s about people,” Stone said. “I tell all the guys I mentor, ‘Ask God to make you a servant.’”

Remember that your role is to lead people to Jesus, he said.

‘Servant ministry’

“Your ministry is a servant ministry. Support the other ministries of the church,” Stone said. “Pray with the education minister, the student leaders, the pastor.”

And honor the role of pastor even if your relationship is a struggle, he said.

“I train my guys, ‘You may have a pastor who is mean-spirited or egotistical, but he has the office of the pastor and we are to honor that office and respect that office,’” Stone said. “Ask the spirit of God to give us the capacity to love and respect that man.”

Overall, serve people in music ministry but don’t let your identity be dictated by their compliments or criticism, he said. “The desires of people can change overnight. We need to let our worship be driven by God and get back to seeing God for who He is.”

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NorthPark’s worship pastor invests in culture of mentorship, learning

By Grace Thornton
The Alabama Baptist

Chris Lombardo started out at NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville, four years ago. He was 17 and in his last semester of high school, and some of the mentors in his life suggested he give an internship at the church a try.

“I had some maturing to do — still do,” said Lombardo, who now serves as the church’s student worship pastor. “But it’s been a really cool process for me to be mentored by and learn from Charlie. He’s put up with a lot of my problems.”

Charlie Martin, NorthPark’s worship pastor, said that’s exactly why he believes it’s important to invest in younger worship leaders — to walk alongside them as they learn, and learn from them too.

“Chris has really had a tremendous impact in developing a very awesome worship culture with our students,” Martin said. “I try to glean off of his connections with millennials and the younger generation. I want to learn how I can connect. And hopefully I’m able to help him with instruction on the baby boomers.”

It’s a team effort, he said — something they do together.

And it’s an effort that has grown into a worship intern ministry for high school, college and seminary students, something Martin launched two years ago to start investing in future leaders even sooner.

“You try to target those kind of student leaders who have that passion and respect,” he said. “The purpose behind it is to equip leaders for the work of ministry. That’s my responsibility as a pastor, so I take that very seriously.”

Through the three-month program, students serve in some type of worship ministry in the church — lighting, video, audio or even children’s worship — and have the opportunity to observe and gain training from more seasoned volunteers.

Then every Tuesday the small group of interns meet with Martin after school to talk about how that week’s service went and help plan the next week.

‘It’s a joy for me’

“It’s a laid-back, fun environment. We talk about what they learned from worship each week and we talk about worship as a daily lifestyle. I try to challenge them in those areas,” he said. “It’s a joy for me.”

Sometimes there’s ice cream and there’s always good conversation, Martin said. They also go through a book each semester. This semester it’s “Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars” by Stephen Miller.

And over the course of the internships, Martin and others try to teach technical skills while hammering home the theology of worship and how it impacts worship ministry.

Kenley Gibson, a 10th grade worship intern working with the choir, said her involvement in the intern ministry has been an extremely helpful process for her.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot about my personal spiritual gifts, and it’s been great to be able to grow and learn more about how I can use those gifts to further the Kingdom,” she said.

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What’s the best way to introduce a new song to your congregation?

From Rick Stone, worship pastor at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville

The best way (for us) to introduce a new song to the congregation is through the choir. Why?

1. When the choir sings the song in corporate worship, all attention is on the choir. There are no other distractions present.
2. The choir has rehearsed the new song beforehand, so the song is presented well musically and the lyrics are enunciated clearly.
3. The words are on the screen to reinforce the message of the song.
4. More times than not, if a choir can sing a new song, the
congregation can sing it also. The song lends itself to group singing.

Of course a song can be introduced via solo, ensemble or even an orchestra. It’s good to place the words on the screens for these also.

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How do you approach mentorship?

From Don Campbell, minister of worship and discipleship at The Baptist Church at McAdory, McCalla

I think it’s important to share the experience that one has had — to be able to say, “You don’t have to make this mistake because I have made it many times.” It’s about time and transparency. You have to be willing to spend time with someone and explain to them why you do certain things and what your thinking is. It’s not just the “how,” it’s the “why” as well.

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You might find these on their bookshelves

• “Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars” by Stephen Miller

• “Worship: The Ultimate Priority” by John MacArthur

• “Real Worship: Playground, Battleground or Holy Ground?” by Warren Wiersbe

• “Enter His Courts With Praise! Old Testament Worship for the New Testament Church” by Andrew E. Hill

• “Worship” by David Jeremiah