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11 Things Worship Pastors Wish Senior Pastors Knew

6. You don’t have to be musically trained to help me do what I do better.
The fact that I know music doesn’t mean I know how to pastor a congregation, how to communicate effectively or how to make theological connections.

If something doesn’t feel right to you, I need and want to know. I might have to work hard to understand what you’re saying, but if you never say it I won’t know.

7. It would benefit both our relationship and the church if we occasionally did things together; i.e., went to worship conferences, took retreats, read books/articles or prayed. (Eccles. 4:9-10)
I don’t want to undermine you by trying to lead in areas you aren’t fully convinced of, don’t understand or haven’t thought about. My ministry will be more effective if I’ve had extended time to talk through it with you.

I need and want your perspective on topics or areas that are popular in worship conversations of the church.

8. When you encourage and pay attention to the band members, you build their trust.
Musicians, just like everyone else, thrive in an atmosphere of encouragement. Your words of thanks will carry more weight than you know and make people all the more eager to serve in the church.

If musicians know you’re aware of the time we invest to prepare, we’ll respond more readily when you have to make changes.

9. I’d rather know you as a pastor and friend than a manager or supervisor.
An occasional meal, email or question about my life goes a long way toward building trust. You can think of me as an employee if you’d like, but Jesus is building a church, not a business.

If you give me significant responsibility in leading the meeting each Sunday, it’s to your advantage to know me well. Relational unity brings greater glory to God than a well-produced and executed service by leaders who are bitter toward one another or hardly know each other.

10. If I’m a volunteer, I may not have time to do everything you want me to do.
I’m not a full-time staff member, so you probably need to lower your expectations. I want to serve you and the church, so I may need help keeping my family a priority.

11. Including good sound, projection and lighting in the budget communicates your support and serves the church.
Things wear out and break, technology improves and we can get more for less than ever before.
Some issues can only be improved by spending money. Challenge me if you think my goals are unrealistic, but let’s at least have the conversation.

As I mentioned earlier, I hope this post can serve as a jumping off point for pastors and their music leaders to dig deeper into how they can serve together more effectively in ways that serve the church and bring glory to God.

Feel free to leave a comment on other areas you think pastors can often miss in serving those who lead the music in their church.

And you can read the final post in this series here: What God Wants Pastors and Worship Leaders to Know.