For a long time I have been thinking about the aspects of the traveling worship leader. Is this really a healthy function, or a function that the church even needs? What is it exactly that they are doing, how are they serving the body of Christ, does the position that they are in a valid ministry or is it more of a business.
I am going to do some research on this but my first inclination is to ask how they can be serving the body of Christ when they are not connected to a congregation. How can they be truly developing the community when they are congregation hopping. We all know what church hopping is and that we categorically disapprove of it because of it’s selfish motives, and self centered view of worship. But for some of these traveling worship leaders isn’t it the same thing, they hop from congregation to congregation and they give what we feel is a great worship experience but are they really feeding us or are they turning out a formula fitting gathering that achieves the maximum emotional response?
I’m Genuinely interested to find out if anyone else has any opinions.
oh man tough question there.
I think most traveling worship leaders have a home church and go from church to church blessing other congregations. Some dont even have worship leaders so it’s great to get somebody in there. I think they need to be connected, but I dont think being at that church every week is the only way to be connected. If that was true then missionaries would be church hoppers also. hopping really refers to becoming a member of another congregation or going to one over another where a traveling missionary or musician etc etc…are going from church to church blessing others with a founding bacbone, support and authority of there home church
Good question~!
Short term? Yes, there are advantages and benefits. “klampert” mentions some, I can think of a couple more.
* Travelling worship leaders can provide a burst of encouragement to small-church worship personnel that are beginning to grow weary.
* They can provide relief to larger churches when the church musicians and dramatists are working hard on a production or concert. For several years we invited travelling worship leaders to lead us on Palm Sunday morning, which was right in the middle of our series of Easter production performances. It was true relief and refreshment. Good stuff and well-appreciated.
* It can be a means of temporarily assisting and motivating. The local musicians have to remind themselves, though, that this guest artist has been practicing this set for a long time. They’ve got it down, it’s true, and it came with lots of rehearsing. First Church’s eam will put next Sunday’s set or song service together in a week, maybe two.
- It’s easy to let this become a business – and self-marketing is often a mega-turn-off (bet you’ve been there too – I sure have).
- Pride can get a foot in the door.
- The traveller’s ministry becomes centered around the thing he or she finds important or valuable, rather than centered in the local congregation expressing her love and adoration to her Lord.
* Long-term benefits? Ummm let me think.
…Hold on. I’ll think of something…
…Cheaper than a full-time worship pastor? (Maybe. Maybe not. Some are expensive!)
…Don’t really get to know them? (I guess that COULD be an advantage – with some – but some of us long-termers are strange birds too.)
…Come to think of it, I can’t think of any long-term benefits to the local church for travelling worship leaders. To the performer, sure, but not to the church.
Just my opinion.
Phil / Dad
It seems that you are right most of them do have a home church.
But here is a question, how helpful are these gatherings, and what does having these “Professional” worship leaders visiting, how do these visits effect the congregations perception and satisfaction with their worship leaders?
Most of the time I am asked to come in and help “raise the bar” of worship for the churches that I am invited to. What the pastor is asking for is to help them make the band “not distracting” or inspire them to become better musicians. My mindset is to help them realize that worship isn’t as much sounding like the CD that they listen to but rather an act of setting your mind on things above, offering up your adoration to your Creator for not only what He has done, but also just who He is. So, long term it can help the worship leader/worship band regroup and re-establish what the priority in worship should be. A part of that is to connect with them as much as possible even before I am up there. But you also go through a process of connection with the congregation depending on how you lead them and worship with them. I never want to go to a church to “show them how it’s supposed to be done” I want to go there and hide myself behind the cross and allow God to use me in a way that He desires. As a member of the body of Christ, my thought is” God, what do you want to do through me here today, and what do you want to do in me today”. I will always try and work with the leadership and step into the journey that they are on at that time. I also try to work with the Sr. Pastor and Worship Pastor in leadership development and band directing due to my background in being a music pastor at churches.
I do keep in contact with many of the churches that I have been to and many of them do get a lot from having people in. It challenges and inspires the worship pastor and team to get better at “playing” and go deeper in their own worship. It can also create a wider perspective of worship, exposing the team and the congregation as a whole to other ways of congregational worship.
But it is important to remember that it is the responsibility of the worship leader to engage the church that they are a guest at. You have to be very intentional about inserting yourself into the the culture of that church as much as possible to understand how they communicate to God and to each other. That comes from talking with people before the event, talking with the pastor, and talking with the worship leader. You can also learn a lot about that culture by looking at the previous 1,2 or 3 weeks of worship sets.
Other than that, all I know is that being a traveling worship leader is specifically what God has called me to. After much battling and questioning I came to grips with the fact that God was calling me to travel and lead worship. I am however plugged into a church directing small groups and the media department and filling in for our music pastor when he is on the road.
At least that is my perspective. Sorry for the long comment.
I am a traveling worship leader. I think you have some great points/concerns. I think it comes down to the calling of each individual person. Some are made for this, some are made for that. I love helping out churches who don’t have a full time person yet, or relieving a worship pastor who is burned out or on vacation. I love the connection that takes place with other churches. And it fulfills dreams and passions that God has placed in me to travel and meet new people and lead people in worship with music and song. I think someone who tries it and is not made for it would find out real quick! It can be taxing, but so rewarding.
Sara,
I agree that it a certain capacity it is something that is needed. For a while I filled in for churches that were in between worship leaders. Personally I found that it only awoke in my a desire to deeply connect with the people, and spend time and effort getting to know them and their church. So I know that serving in that capacity is not for me.
But I now value those who are able and willing to sacrifice their time and gifts in this way to a much greater degree.
I still feel a measure of concern about the motivation of some. But I also think that testing your heart is something that all worship leaders should do.
What are your thoughts on the difference between a concert and a corporate worship gathering?
I have to continuously check my heart and my motives time and time again. I am surrounded by friends who are brutally honest and keep me accountable to the best of their ability (your accountability can only be as good as you allow it to be). This has definitely kept me grounded and in reality.
I have unfortunately been in many church services that felt more like concerts. I know the buzz word right now is “seeker friendly”, but I think alot of times this results in a larger concern of luring people in and keeping their attention than inviting the Lord to be there and move and pointing to Him and Him alone instead of the lights and cool music and elements. It saddens me and wears me out. But I have been at a number of Christian concerts that were some of the most worshipful times I have ever experienced. They were simple, with very few lights and plain white words on a black background…..not too many bells and whistles. It seems that whether its a Sunday gathering of 1500 people, or a concert of 300, what matters is what the focus is. Is it Jesus Christ, or is it something else?
However, we are not responsible to carry the burden of how other people choose to engage with God and respond to His Holy Spirit. I hear so often from people “I don’t like the music” or “The words on the screen came up late” or “Why can’t you do music by this band more?” or “It was more like a concert than worship”. People have to choose on their own to worship God and sing His praises no matter what. I think alot of Pastors underestimate the learning and growing capabilites of their congregations by feeling they need to sugar coat or simplify or “hold their hand” and lead them literally through every moment of worship. “Stand up.” Sit down.” “Why aren’t you guys singing?”. I think it is important to lead and to teach a congregation about worship and to share scriptures with them that instruct us on acceptable and inacceptable ways of worship. But eventually the “babies” have to grow up and be responsible for growing and researching and learning on their own as well. They have to have that passion ignited in them by the Holy Spirit, and we can’t do it for them, only God can.