Worship & Creative Leaders

I have a concern with the way that we use a couple of particular words: I don’t want to be called a ‘worship leader’ anymore.

This season, choose two carols and two modern worship songs, experiment with creative pairings, and build a blended set that draws your congregation into the wonder of Christ’s birth.

Each of these elements represents a significant loss because each in its own way expresses obedience to God and brings encouragement to his people.

We have to learn to remove our worries, our opinion, our questions and ourselves—so we can worship with appropriate honor.

If the month of December leaves your team more weary than worshipful, it might be time to pause and ask: Which Christmas traditions are quietly exhausting our ministry—and what can we do about it?

Sometimes we worship leaders feel it’s necessary to segue between songs and/or liturgical readings and prayers in order to avoid any potentially awkward silence. But we shouldn’t be afraid of or avoid the silence.

The Hallelujah Pentatonix video is a bold move at Christmastime. The lines, “Love is not a victory march / It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah” speak to the bittersweet nature of love.

The answer isn’t found in a stopwatch but in spiritual discernment—balancing structure with sensitivity to the Spirit, excellence with accessibility, and tradition with growth.