Worship Leader Development: Pastoring Your Band (Part 2)

(Austin Stone Worship Note: This post is the third in a series developed from content from our Worship Leader Development Program, and the second in a three-part post from Aaron on this topic. Pastoring Your Band Part 1 can be found here, part 3 can be found here. Other posts in the Worship Leader Development series are here: Post 1, Post 2.)

In part 1 of pastoring your band, we looked at three temptations which can torpedo your ministry. Now we’re going to turn and look at what your band will be looking for from you as a leader.

What Do Your People Need?

Have a vision and make your band have a vision.

I want to follow a guy who knows where God is calling him. He needs to also call his band to have vision. Make your band share ownership in what you are doing together. This is not a one man show. This is a team effort. We are in a sense all leading worship when we are on stage, and that only happens when the leader calls his band to that. Everyone in the band needs to have ownership of the mission of what they are doing.

Be Relational

I value what we have as a band when it comes to community. It is hard but vital to what we do. We are all in this battle and fight together, and we need each other when the hard times come. Apart from our relationships with Christ, community is the lifeline that keeps us going. Community is where we pastor each other. Community is where we call each other out. Community is where we love each other. I can’t be someone who is asking his band to do something I wouldn’t do.

That community allows my band to trust me. I really need verbal feedback of some kind to let me know how I do. Constructive criticism and positive feedback alike are welcome but the band won’t feel that way unless they trust you. They also won’t trust you to try something new musically without that community.

What Makes a Leader Actually Worth Following?

• Humility: I can follow confident, but not prideful. Be willing to admit your mistakes and give credit to others where it is due. Everyone will see those things anyway; you might as well admit them. Lastly, if you need a break or someone else can do something better, step aside.
• Live the Gospel: I need a leader who lives and breathes the gospel in all areas of his life. On and off the stage. If their ministry is only on stage I can’t be a part of it. Leading from the stage is only a small part of what we do as worship leaders. Justin Cofield will be blogging here on this point soon.
• Identity: I need a leader who realizes that their identity isn’t in them being just a worship leader. I follow people who know they are jacked up, admit it, and know that they need the saving love of Jesus. A leader needs to first know their identity is a son of God.

Ultimately, a leader knows how to suffer, encourage and rejoice with you.  They’re committed to you as much or more than you are to them. A leader that can do that will always have great guys or guys worth having around him.

In part 3, I’m going to give you practical advice on how to incorporate all of these things into your current ministry.