Title: Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God
Author: Bob Kauflin
Release Date: April 2008
Publisher: Crossway
This book has long been a staple in the worship ministry world. Bob Kauflin is now a well known name in worship ministries nationwide through this book and his work with Sovereign Grace Music.
This book has been immensely helpful to me in my college ministry context as a worship leader and I have now given it to the two student worship leaders I oversee and train. It has many practical examples of how to evaluate, improve, and question the way you may lead worship and I have found it an invaluable resource.
The book is broken up into four sections, “Part One: The Leader,” “Part Two: The Task,” “Part Three: Healthy Tensions,” and “Part Four: Right Relationships.”
In “Part One: The Leader,” Kauflin begins with a short chapter titled “The Important Things” in which he outlines his own failings and weaknesses as a worship leader, his journey, struggle with pride and doubt, and what really matters in worship. “ Worship matters. It matters to God because He is the one ultimately worthy of all worship. It matters to us because worshiping God is the reason for which we were created. And it matters to every worship leader, because we have no greater privilege then leading others to encounter the greatness of God. That’s why it’s so important this think carefully about what we do and why we do it.” (19) This little paragraph alone already helped me gain a better perspective of what I do each time I take the stage. I’m not merely leading music but I am taking on the awesome responsibility of leading God’s people in the very act that he created them for, and that matters to Him.
The next four chapters ask the following questions, “What Do I Love?” “What Do I believe?” “What Do I Practice?” and “What Do I Model?” Each chapter was very helpful in reminding me that the worship leader is a leader on stage and off. In chapter two Kauflin states, “Your greatest challenge is what you yourself bring to the platform each and every Sunday. Your heart.” (21) He speaks against the idolatry that being the worship leader can create when we blur the line of whom the congregation is actually worshiping. He speaks of his own experience with this struggle and how the Spirit showed him his idolatry. This was helpful to see and I know I am prone to this sin and constantly need to ask God to protect my heart from it.
The second section of the book focuses on what a worship leader does. At the end of chapter two Kauflin provides a working definition, which he then dissects in the following eleven chapters. “A faithful worship leader magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God’s word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the gospel, the cherish God’s presence, and to live for God’s glory.” (55)
This section was particularly helpful is describing the role of a worship leader and really exploring it in great detail.
The third section of the book focused on what Kauflin calls “healthy tensions” that should exist in worship music. Chapter 20, “Head and Heart” was an especially enjoyable and helpful chapter for me. Here he discussed the balance or healthy tension that should exist between using our heads in worship, singing theologically rich songs, and our hearts, having a clear picture of God that stirs our emotions. He also highlights that in order to allow our congregations to use their minds we may need to explain different terms found in many modern worship songs. “We also explain the meaning of any words, biblical phrases, or terms that might be unfamiliar or too familiar. Words like justified, Zion, grace, and glory. Unbelievers, new Christians, children, and regular members can benefit from knowing what they’re singing about.” (166) I couldn’t agree more and this is a practice I plan to implement soon.
This section, as the ones before it, was again very helpful. Being able to explore different areas that many people, myself included, see as either/or turned into both/and gave me a fresh perspective.
The fourth and final section of the book, “Right Relationships,” is about the relationships we need to have with people, our church, our team, and our pastor. This section helped to shed some light on the other people that are important in worship ministry. It’s not just the worship team and the sound crew, but the whole church and the non-musical leadership of the church. I think having a solid relationship with your worship team volunteers is one of the greatest time commitments you can make as a worship leader. If your team gets burnt out or feels under-appreciated then it will be hard to work with them and motivate them week in and week out. Also having a solid working relationship with the pastor is key. He is just as much a part of planning the worship service as the worship leader. The teaching pastor and worship pastor should always be on the same page. This section was very strong as well and provided great insight and helpful tips.
Worship Matters has been a fantastic journey of exploring more of what it means to be a true worship leader. I pray that this resource continues to bless me in my future ministry endeavors and I know I will use it for years to come. I also pray that this will help you in your ministry as well.
Grace and Peace,
Miles
