Twelve Things for Worship Leaders

I've been getting ready for next Sunday for a while now and part of what I'm sharing this weekend about music ministry and praise & worship comes not only from 16 (looooong) years as a worship leader, but also from a frighteningly on-target (and totally unpublished) book I wrote a few years ago on the subject.  Here's a dozen quick take-away's (culled from a very long list) that I wrote down (and looked at OFTEN) to remind myself what to do as a worship leader.  Useful in every application.

1. Godly priorities—God doesn’t want you to grow your music ministry at the expense of your relationship with Him, your family, or your job.  First things first.  Make God's priorities your priorities.
2. Submission and Authority—Praise & worship isn't about you.  Get over yourself, and get under the authority of God and the spiritual leadership He has placed over you.   
3. Personal preparation—Pray and Study BEFORE you Play and Sing.  Have something to BRING to the platform, not just something to SING on the platform.  You gotta go somewhere in worship yourself before you can lead your congregation there.  Know the roads and the destination and you won't get lost, or lose anyone else along the way.
4. Stay in your gift—know what God has put in you, do it with all your might, perfect your skills.  Don’t try to be something you’re not.
5. I Saw You at WalMart:  Live a life worthy of your calling.  People WILL see you when you least expect it.
6. Make Skinny sound Fat—You can ALWAYS get a big fat sound, even with very few instruments if you put some stinky on it.  Stinky is fat.  Make it stinky.
7. The Next Big Thing—The opportunity God has given you IS the next big thing you’ll do for Him.
8. The Right Stuff—Build a team of people that won’t make you sorry you picked them.  Divas need not apply.
9. Ministry time—Learn to play while they pray.  This is the most important music you will deliver on the platform.  Make it B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
10. Hearing from Heaven about song selection—God wants to lead you where He is going in the service.  If you don't know what your pastor is teaching/preaching about, you're just guessing, and guessing isn't leading.
11. Moron’s Four-Step guide to music ministry ---1. Fat girls shouldn't wear gold stretchy pants on the platform.  2. Fat guys should always have a towel nearby.  3. Don’t EVER do praise and worship with your singers standing behind a puppet stage because VBS starts on Monday.  4. Don't EVER have a Blood Drive going on in the lobby while you're doing a worship service in the sanctuary.  (Been there.  Done ALL that.  You don't want to know.  Trust me.)
12. Ministering to the Ministers---Grow a spiritually healthy worship team.  Know those who serve with you.  Know their lives, not just their skill.  Pray for them.  Lead them, not just in worship, but in their lives.  As a worship leader, never forget that you share pastoral responsibility for those who serve in the music ministry.