Chapter 14: caring for your congregation

As worship leaders our first priority is to worship God and bring him glory, but like the book said, that is only half of our title. We are called to be worship LEADERS setting a tone and example for all of the people we are leading. Talking to your congregation in a loving, caring manner will keep them much more engaged then nagging them to be alert and awake. It may be frustrating at times when they don't respond the way we want. But who is the worship really for? Not the team, but God. We need to learn to be patient, knowing God has called us to lead a congregation and be blessed only by that.

I think this chapter is so relative to our team. The student body may not respond the way we would like at times, but we need to remember God is working on everyone's hearts in different places. Encouragement and relentlessness are keys to creating a safe worship environment for all to join in.

Chapter 12

We are all given spiritual gifts as Christians that God has specifically given us and can be used for the greater glory of him and the further of his kingdom. We need to nurture and grow our spiritual gifts through prayer and practice. A gift is given by God but the only way for it to grow and cultivate is by practice. We all called to excel and build our gifts to help grow the church. To put this in a musical worship sense, we should be practicing our instrument daily to grow the gifts that God has given to us.

I liked this chapter because it was a great reminder of what we should be doing as leaders. Practicing the gifts God has given to us. So often we are lazy or think we have everything ready and planned out, but the real key to success in growing our spiritual gifts is practice.

Chapter 11

The author begins to talk about how at first when he stepped into the bass position at his church on the worship team. He didn't like how people would stare at him and look to him as a role model. He simply wanted to use the gifts that Gid gave him without the responsibility of having to be a example. When someone is out into a leadership position, they are bound to have followers and people looking at them. This is why we have to be so on guard as Christians in this world because as leaders, we are called to live a higher life.

I liked this chapter because it is so relavent to our life today. As Christians we need to live our life in a way that is pleasing to God so that, when other people follow, they are not lead astray by the way they live their life.