For the last few weeks I’ve been inviting area worship leaders to a meeting to network and share with others doing the same ministry in other churches. I was very pleased this past Tuesday when 11 people came (representing 9 churches). Most of the people there were full-time staff at area churches, but there was at least one volunteer and one intern. We spent about an hour getting to know one another and talking about helpful resources, and some current challenges in ministry. Then a few of us went out for lunch afterwards.
There have been other similar groups in the area for youth ministers and preachers, but there is no network (that I know of) for worship leaders from Christian Churches. Most of my ministry friends are from the Christian Church (Restoration Movement), but this meeting is certainly not limited to folks from Christian Churches. I’m hoping that in the next year or two, if we continue to have successful gatherings, that we can involve more people from other denominations. There is certainly no reason we can’t learn from one other.
Here are a few reflections on the meeting:
1. I heard a number of positive comments about the meeting. It was incredibly simple, and I tried to make it un-structured, yet people seemed to respond to this. There seems to be a hunger among worship leaders to network with others doing the same kind of ministry.
2. What is the benefit of this kind of thing? An obvious one is getting new ideas from others. Worship and music ministry thrives on creative ideas in music and the arts. All you have to do is ask, “What are some effective things you’ve done lately at your church?” and most any worship leader will have some things to share.
3. On the flip side, another benefit is hearing about the struggles and mistakes of others. Seeing how others have failed (especially bigger churches) makes us feel more “human” and reminds us that at the core, we’re imperfect. There is never a “perfect service” (nor should that even be the goal).
4. But I think the biggest benefit is developing relationships with others in the area. Ministry and leadership can be incredibly lonely, and worship ministry in particular can be very draining–emotionally, spiritually and physically. Hearing about others’ struggles, and the opportunity to share your own, can be a great support.
5. There is also the benefit of Christian unity when leaders from different churches meet together. We’re reminded that we’re not alone in trying to advance God’s kingdom in our neck of the woods.
In the coming months we’ll see what happens with this. I hope that in some small way (and maybe in some big ways?) this is an encouragement to worship leaders in the area. If you know of someone who would benefit from this, feel free to drop me a line or comment.
