Back in August, Jules Burt, Jordan Dillon and myself had the enormous privilege of leading worship at Newday 2011. But this time we tried something a little different. Instead of each of us leading the different sessions over the week individually, we decided to co-lead all of them, all together, as a team.
What followed over that week was one of the most profound, exciting and fulfilling weeks of leading worship I’ve ever experienced. God led us places we’d never been; new songs and new sounds just came out of us; we journeyed deep into the heart of God. So after some thought, Jules, Jordan and I have pulled together 9 reasons why co-leading worship worked for us:
1. Breadth of gifting
God builds us to be a body of different parts (1 Cor 12:12-30) so each worship leader has different gifts – no one person has it all. Jules has a strong prophetic gift, I operate more from a leadership and teaching gift, whereas Jordan has a strong American gift. Leading as a team means we can all play to our strength and go places we wouldn’t have necessarily gone if just one person had led.
2. Breadth of songs
When say Jules is leading, there will be some songs she wouldn’t use as they’re more suited for a guys voice, so her song choice is restricted. Leading as a team means Jordan could step in for that song – opening a greater breadth of songs for her to choose from.
3. Breadth of prophetic songs
Sometimes one of us may have a new song to sing out in the moment, either prophetically or as a response song (Ps 96:1, Col 3:16, Eph 5:19). With more of us on the stage, there’s a greater breadth of style and song that would bubble up.
4. Stepping back, taking in
When someone takes over the lead for a bit, it gives you a chance just to step back and see what the Father is doing. It’s often easier to hear Him speak and see Him move when you step back and just watch, without having to lead the meeting. Then you can jump in again and take the reigns if and when is right.
5. More energy on stage
It surprises me how often I see people lead and play in worship bands who quite frankly look BORED. I feel like asking them “Do you actually believe what you’re singing??” Body language is such a big part of leading worship, we lead from our hearts, then our bodies. So having more people on stage, full of energy, zeal and passion for God, means people are caught up in a mighty celebration, rather than a dull life-less meeting.
6. Stops being about one person
Our role is to direct hearts to God and we always want Him to be the focus of what we do. Sometimes having one worship leader all evening, one face on the screen the whole time and one voice coming out of the speakers can be a temptation for us to place too much attention and value on that worship leader. Leading as team helps emphasise the fact we’re there to look to God, rather than enjoy a one-man show. It helps protect our hearts as leaders too.
7. Models team
Closely linked with number 6, there’s something about teams that God particularly loves. God Himself is a team; 3 persons, 1 God. They’re all equal, yet all honour each other. So in a world full of big egos, VIPs and X-factor celebs, it’s a great opportunity for us to try and model honouring each other, preferring each other, and respecting each other as we lead worship. (Note. I’m not comparing Jules, Jordan and I to the trinity. That would be wrong)
8. Sharing the load
Leading worship is spiritually and physically draining, so it’s great to know you don’t have to carry it all but there are others who can step in and carry the meeting with you. It’s like knowing you’re all in it together makes it seem easier!
9. It’s fun!
We love being team, dancing, celebrating and making a huge sound together!
3 leaders, 1 meeting?
So how did it actually work? Basically all three of us would be on stage, with different ones taking a lead in the worship at different points in the evening. One of us would still take more of a lead overall for that particular evening, planing song-list and deciding who’d lead which songs. But the idea was we’d lead as a team – if any one of us felt God leading it in a certain direction, we’d go with it – listening, honouring, respecting each other, and seeing what God would do. This is something I’d seen modelled amazingly well by Dave Fellingham, Stuart Townend, Lou Fellingham, Kate Simmonds, Paul Oakley and Matt Redman over the years, and more recently at Worship Central and was keen to give it a go….
What followed over that week was one of the most profound, exciting and fulfilling weeks of leading worship I’ve ever experienced. God led us places we’d never been; new songs and new sounds just came out of us; we journeyed deep into the heart of God. So after some thought, Jules, Jordan and I have pulled together 9 reasons why co-leading worship worked for us:
1. Breadth of gifting
God builds us to be a body of different parts (1 Cor 12:12-30) so each worship leader has different gifts – no one person has it all. Jules has a strong prophetic gift, I operate more from a leadership and teaching gift, whereas Jordan has a strong American gift. Leading as a team means we can all play to our strength and go places we wouldn’t have necessarily gone if just one person had led.
2. Breadth of songs
When say Jules is leading, there will be some songs she wouldn’t use as they’re more suited for a guys voice, so her song choice is restricted. Leading as a team means Jordan could step in for that song – opening a greater breadth of songs for her to choose from.
3. Breadth of prophetic songs
Sometimes one of us may have a new song to sing out in the moment, either prophetically or as a response song (Ps 96:1, Col 3:16, Eph 5:19). With more of us on the stage, there’s a greater breadth of style and song that would bubble up.
4. Stepping back, taking in
When someone takes over the lead for a bit, it gives you a chance just to step back and see what the Father is doing. It’s often easier to hear Him speak and see Him move when you step back and just watch, without having to lead the meeting. Then you can jump in again and take the reigns if and when is right.
5. More energy on stage
It surprises me how often I see people lead and play in worship bands who quite frankly look BORED. I feel like asking them “Do you actually believe what you’re singing??” Body language is such a big part of leading worship, we lead from our hearts, then our bodies. So having more people on stage, full of energy, zeal and passion for God, means people are caught up in a mighty celebration, rather than a dull life-less meeting.
6. Stops being about one person
Our role is to direct hearts to God and we always want Him to be the focus of what we do. Sometimes having one worship leader all evening, one face on the screen the whole time and one voice coming out of the speakers can be a temptation for us to place too much attention and value on that worship leader. Leading as team helps emphasise the fact we’re there to look to God, rather than enjoy a one-man show. It helps protect our hearts as leaders too.
7. Models team
Closely linked with number 6, there’s something about teams that God particularly loves. God Himself is a team; 3 persons, 1 God. They’re all equal, yet all honour each other. So in a world full of big egos, VIPs and X-factor celebs, it’s a great opportunity for us to try and model honouring each other, preferring each other, and respecting each other as we lead worship. (Note. I’m not comparing Jules, Jordan and I to the trinity. That would be wrong)
8. Sharing the load
Leading worship is spiritually and physically draining, so it’s great to know you don’t have to carry it all but there are others who can step in and carry the meeting with you. It’s like knowing you’re all in it together makes it seem easier!
9. It’s fun!
We love being team, dancing, celebrating and making a huge sound together!
3 leaders, 1 meeting?
So how did it actually work? Basically all three of us would be on stage, with different ones taking a lead in the worship at different points in the evening. One of us would still take more of a lead overall for that particular evening, planing song-list and deciding who’d lead which songs. But the idea was we’d lead as a team – if any one of us felt God leading it in a certain direction, we’d go with it – listening, honouring, respecting each other, and seeing what God would do. This is something I’d seen modelled amazingly well by Dave Fellingham, Stuart Townend, Lou Fellingham, Kate Simmonds, Paul Oakley and Matt Redman over the years, and more recently at Worship Central and was keen to give it a go….
