One year ago my family moved to Richmond, VA, and on top of all that goes along with a cross country move we also started work at two new locations, I began an MFA program at VCU and we were blessed to find a new church home rather quickly that has been a remarkable model of community and faithfulness to us. In all of these situations we were new. The newest employee, the new TA, the new young couple, were were the New everything. In particular for me, I found employment with our new church as the Contemporary Service Music Director, basically that's a list of words that means the New Worship Guy, doing the New kind of Worship.
I don't think I ever stopped to take in what exactly it meant to be the new guy, or what implications came along with the territory. All I knew was that I was blessed to have a labor that I loved. So I hit the ground running. Now this post is going to be slightly different than previous, we have seen posts on vision, theology, mission, and Christian Gangster Rap.
Today's tack is going to lean towards the Leadership Training side of things. In hindsight when I first looked at the job listing for my current position the first thing I thought was...
"This is too good to be true, I want to have this job, it's what I feel called to do, but I'm sure it will be gone before you know it."
What I have come to learn is that there is much more tied up in those few little lines of job description on the church web page. The fact that there is a Job Listing at all lets you know first that God is interested in doing something in that Church, he is bringing change by adding new players to the equation, and through the passions, gifts, and talents of those individuals He is seeking to be glorified.
Here is a breakdown of some of the implicit needs that I believe are layered underneath the post that reads "New Hire: Worship Leader Position"
1. New Leaders Bring New Vision
Any time the Lord is bringing in a new leader there is inevitably going to be a change or augmentation of vision. As the Executive Head of an organization you should anticipate major shifts in vision, If there is a new Head (in an earthly organizational sense as Christ is always the head and as his character is unchanging so too is his vision.) then there must as well be new eyes to see, and new thoughts to share. However as Department Head, in a position like a Worship Leader we are called to bring change through augmentation of the corporate vision established by our Pastors and Elders.
2. Culture Shifts Ahead!
With the introduction of new people into preexisting environments you will inevitably encounter a clash of cultural expectations. On a lay level this is why so many people church hop. They walk into the door with a carefully groomed list of do's and don'ts and depending on how your church matches that list, you are judged compatible or otherwise. In the event that you are being implanted into a new environment and you happen to be in a leadership position you have to know they have expectation of you already, just as you also have expectations.
3. New Hire: Leader Trainer
As a "Worship Leader" you are not really "leading" worship so much as Jesus is leading worship and he has invited you to invite everyone in your congregation to come along. That being said, its important to know its not about you. It may seem like a bit of semantics, but consider this...
What we really desire for our congregants is that they would begin, continue, and grow in their faith through full recognition of Jesus, His work, and Power. That their response to these truths would fill their everyday moments with worship of Him. So this means growing our congregations one member at a time into Leaders who Worship. Parents leading their children in worship, Bosses leading their employees, Teachers leading their students, Bus Drivers leading... I think you get my point.
4. Success is Systemic
To implement the vision, support the shifting culture, and develop new Leaders who Worship, you're going to need something to do some of the work for you. The larger your team and more expansive your responsibilities, the more you will need to rely on systems to communicate, plan, train, and manage the events of your ministry. This will allow you more time to dream big visions, engage in your community and culture and worship!
5. We need a Magnifying Glass
This is the most important thing yet. This congregation needs someone to come on a regular basis with a heart that sees God for all He is, and wants nothing more than to exalt His name and make Him great among His people. Just think about it, if someone was doing this already, they wouldn't be looking for you.
It also helps if you can sing and play an instrument.
