Most Christian leaders worship, but aren’t worship leaders per se. So how do you lead your team to actively honor God when you don’t have a degree in music? And, more importantly, how do you follow God’s lead during a time of worship? Let’s take a look.
A small group of leaders gathered for a retreat on top of a 9,000-foot mountain in Colorado Springs. Between the six of us, there was a guitar player, some tune carriers, and some favorite You Tube songs. Most of all, there was a desire to connect with God.
One morning, we interspersed You Tube and guitar-led songs. In between the musical worship, God placed Scriptures in our hearts and we read them out loud. A theme began to emerge. “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Ex. 33:14). “Truly my soul finds rest in God” (Ps. 62:1). “Come to Me… and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).
A gentle quietness wrapped itself around us. Occasionally, someone lifted a prayer of thanks to God for His presence. We lingered with the Lord for many long minutes. No one wanted it to end. Our facilitator eventually asked, “Does anyone else have something they’d like to share from the Lord?” No one did, but we continued to be still. We were like “weaned children” (Ps. 131:2), content to be held in our Father’s embrace.
The worship extended far beyond the allotted time on our written agenda. God was leading, and He knew we needed that deeply satisfying, sustained intimacy with Him.
1. Gather some songs. If you’re not savvy with worship music, invite another team member to prayerfully choose a few singable and meaningful songs.
2. Choose some Scriptures. God may lead you to prepare a few verses to read with the group, or you can ask another person to do so. It’s not so much giving a devotional as it is laying a focused foundation of truth through God’s Word.
3. Set the tone. Give the group an overview of what’s been prepared, but let them know it’s not scripted and that each person can be led by the Lord as they worship—whether they stand, sit, pray out loud, share a Scripture, etc.
4. Genuinely worship. As the leader, you’re tasked with overseeing the worship time, but you also want to turn your attention to the Lord. Engage with the words of the songs and Scriptures. Truly enter into worshiping God.
5. Tune into the Spirit. As you’re worshiping, be aware of God’s promptings. Is He putting a verse in your mind or giving you an encouraging word to share? Does He want the group to wait on Him in silence or perhaps intercede on a specific topic?
6. Give space for God to move. Allow the time to be Spirit-led and organic. Maybe God wants to bless your group with His manifest presence. Maybe He wants to minister through Scripture. Maybe He has fresh vision to impart.
7. Bring closure. As the leader, people will look to you to know when the worship time is finished. If you’re not certain, ask if anyone else is sensing something from the Lord. After a season of silence, close with a simple prayer.
Leaders lead their teams to many places – toward God-sized vision, new territory, and greater passion for reaching people with the gospel. While there are many important places to lead your team, the premier place is into the presence of the Lord.
“There are many important places to lead your team—toward vision, new territory, greater impact in lives. The premier place is into the presence of the Lord.”
- Lisa Hosler
What are some keys you’ve learned about leading your team(s) in worship? Feel free to share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.
