Resources For Worship

Mark Francis and I have been friends and partners in ministry for almost 10 yrs. Currently he is one of the worship leaders for Fellowship Bible Church in Winchester, Va. On any given week Mark works with a worship team of close to 25 members. He is the frontman for the The Mark Francis Band and is the founder of CrossLink a young adult outreach ministry in Winchester.

Mark has been and amazing encouragement to me in my personal life as well as in the ministry God has called me to. Check out the insight that Mark offers in our conversation about worship and church music.

If you could name one bible verse that comes to mind regarding “worship” what would it be and what is the significance of that verse to you and your ministry?

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.

When you look at this verse, there are so many rich truths about God and our response to Him – even more than I can simply describe in a small paragraph.  Throughout my years of leading worship, God continues to mold me into worshipping being that has a greater knowledge of Him.  And in turn, I see more and more of my need for Him.  This verse is a continual reminder that we are dependent creatures – that our every breath should be given to Him with a heart of thankfulness and praise.  It is because Jesus Christ laid down His life as a sacrifice, paying the ultimate price that God requires for the atonement of sins, that we then should in turn dedicate our whole lives and our whole being to Him.  That is our calling.  That is our response.  That is our worship of Him.  It is only because of the grace given to us that we can approach the throne of God and come boldly before Him.

How do you spiritually prepare for any given Sunday of leading worship?

Preparation is key.  I must be honest.  There are many Sundays I come in fully prepared, loaded, and ready to go.  And there are others that I feel half prepared at best.  The awesome fact is that we have a God who is 100% reliable and dependable.  He can overcome any shortcomings that we may have.  He is the One who we can turn to when we feel inadequate.  My goal is to be in constant communication with God leading up to the time I have to speak or sing to lead in a service.  Chances are there may be may distractions along the way.  However, being Spirit-led is something I take very seriously.  I try to remind myself to pray that the Holy Spirit leads my thoughts, actions and voice.  It’s so not about us on the stage – it’s about being surrounded by a group of people with the common purpose to worship God in a corporate setting.  I just pray that I can be a tool to help people along the way.

A few practical things leading up to the worship…I’m in weekly communication with the teaching pastor to get an understanding of the passage(s) and ideas being shared for the morning.  Our worship team assists in selecting the songs, verses, and themes that are going to be communicated.  Over the course of the week, I try to meditate on the key verses, sing over the songs in my mind that we’ll share, think on the key thoughts for the morning, and formulate a few ideas that God puts on my heart that may positively impact the congregation should I share a few comments between songs.  Sometimes silence between songs is important.  Other times, a comment or two can be a great tool to stir people’s hearts into a greater response to God through the next song.  Remember – we are sharing truths about God when we sing songs to Him and about Him.  It is important that everyone properly understands what they are singing.  A good worship leader can guide people down a path of truths about God via scriptures, prayers, comments and songs – it’s not just about being a music director.

What is the one thing you want every one of your worship team members to understand and incorporate into his or her act of worship on any given Sunday?

We are all servants.  It’s not about us, or our preferences, or our styles, or our instruments, or our voices, or our performances, or our song selections.  We are here to serve the congregation by assisting them in worshipping God.  Every person that comes to be a part of the worship team should have the mindset of a servant.  All strife, discontentment, and discord comes from a prideful heart where the worship experience somehow whittles down to being about “me”.  For worship to be in “spirit and in truth”, it must come from the heart of a servant ready and willing to be used by God for His purposes.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to a young worship leader who is building their ministry from the ground up?

Prayer.  Prayer.  Prayer.

Then, understand that building a team is all under God’s timing.  He will bring the pieces together when He sees fit.  Work with the people that God had given you, as challenging as that may seem.  The hearts of the individuals should be the first and primary criteria in selecting members for a worship team.  As a worship leader, teach and display the characteristics and qualifications of what God desires a true worshipper to be.  Show what the Word says about walking a Christian life – then lovingly hold your team accountable.  If you do this, the level of heart-felt true worship will be instilled as a culture in your church.  That is what God truly desires!  He is looking for people who long to grow in the knowledge of Him and respond to that knowledge in heart-felt, passionate worship of Him.  And that worship of Him is expressed in our everyday, daily lives – not just our singing on Sunday mornings.  That is why Romans 12:1 is such a priority for me.  I want people who offer their “bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” far above someone who can sing like Pavarotti or play like Beethoven.  This is a lesson that I mentally understand, but struggle with even to this day.  I have seen the affects of worship when it comes from a pure heart, and I’ve seen the affects when it comes from the heart of someone there for the wrong reasons.  It is a challenge, but being a worship leader also means that we must be a shepherd to some.  Cultivate your worship team, as big or as small as it may be, and build them up in Christ.  That is just one key ingredient in building a worship ministry.

Caleb Nei is the lead singer for Stereoreel and the worship leader for Emmaus Church.  If you have never heard his music I highly recommend checking it out. He has recently written a series of short stories and poems entitled “Come and Worship“. He has given Resources For Worship permission to post a link to this amazing insight and Holy Spirit infused writings. Please feel free to use these writings as a tool to draw people in your congregation/organization into the presence of our creator. May I suggest sharing this with your drama team? They would make awesome dramatic monologues. Thanks Caleb!!

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Come and Worship