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Hey, I'm just gonna be brutally honest here...
I've just started in as the new worship leader for my church. The transition has been fantastic, the team is great, the congregation loves to worship, I feel like I'm stepping into part of my calling, God is anointing it all, everyone is excited.
But I have really been struggling with stress the past couple of weeks. Not about all the work there is to do, or even about how to do this. I feel this weight of responsibility, because the team is looking to me for direction and vision, the congregation looks to me to lead them, etc. I know I am not their pastor, so I'm not responsible for their souls or anything - that's my pastor's job. Who, by the way, really believes in me and supports me 100%.
So it's the weight and responsibility of leadership I get stressed about. I feel this heaviness.
Last night we had our first practice together and it was PHENOMENAL. Everything about it just went great. But I still came home ready to quit and let someone else take over so I can stay in the background and not have to be responsible!
Does anyone else ever feel like this? Do you ever want to quit? How do you deal with stress?
I've brought this up because it seems like this whole forum has become like a big family, where we can encourage each other and cheer each other on. And I could really use some encouragement today. Anybody have any advice for me?
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I think it's always great to take on something bigger than yourself. Simply because that's when we start to rely less on ourselves and our own abilities and more on God's strength and power that he gives us through the His spirit.
The devil will often like to make us feel overwhelmed with responsibility etc. but we need to find security in God. It's not easy, and I'm no expert, but that's what I have found over the years.
Sorry it's not very practical advise, I'm not a worship leader so I can't offer much advice in that area so I will leave that to others. But keep up your great work. God loves you!
I've been a worship pastor for 6 years now and although the stress will always be there, it definitely goes in waves and seasons. I would just encourage you to trust that you have you been put in the right place at the right time. Lead humbly, but firmly. Work very hard and then rest, it's important to keep a balanced schedule and have people around that aren't afraid to speak into your life if they see imbalance.
Lastly, I would encourage you to see yourself as their pastor. Whatever your job title says doesn't matter, you are providing oversight, you are teaching them about worship, and you are most certainly going to be a part of their lives. It's important to understand that God has given you a pastoral voice with your team and they are looking for leadership and vision from you.
Best of luck to you.
Thanks Jords and Caleb. This is great advice! I really appreciate it!
Jessica im praying for you and I have just started to lead worship at our ladies group and i get so nervous the night before but I rebuke the nerves and I always pray before I start if thats any help to you.
someone very wise said to me once that nobody said it would be easy, and by stepping out of comfort zones we truely know what it means to totally depend on God. I think that stress can sometimes be an indication of how much something means to you, so I say embrace it with all you have. It means you care, and because you care you'll strive to do 'the right thing' and make a success of it.
Of course, chocolate always helps!
Agree on the chocolate.
Also agree with Caleb on your role being pastoral. Being a Worship Leader is so much about communication. The more communicative and naturally pastoral you can become, the more relaxed you will be. I have learnt this to be true by my own past mistakes.
Having thought about it, I think I also need to impart this to the other Worship Leaders in my team. So thanks for your question.... it's made me think!
It's a responsible job.... Perhaps, when you lose that 'weight of responsibility' it's time to check you are still in the right place....? Enjoy....
Just to add in a thought re 'responsibility' - yes as Pete says it is a responsible role, and I think being 'pastoral' is inevitably part of it. Make time to get to know the people you're working with, what's going on with their lives etc - because all of that will affect how able they are to participate in the music team.
However... you are not 'responsible' for whether the congregation worship God or not. You are responsible for helping to create an environment where engaging with God is made easy, but fundamentally whether any individual chooses to use that opportunity to worship or not is down to them and their choice. I mention this because I've felt the weight of expectation (which may or may not even have existed) from congregations, kind of like they're saying 'go on, make me worship - choose the right songs and play them well, otherwise I'll be disappointed...'
You need to be free from those kind of attitudes in others - as I said I don't think that many congregation members really do kind of project that pressure onto the worship leader, but there's always a little voice in my mind that claims they do. Be free from that, trust God, pray for the Holy Spirit's inspiration, learn what you can, work with your pastor, play the music, and at the end of it hand everything that went well and everything that was a train wreck back over to God, and go and relax!
Long post, sorry, hope that helps. May God bless you richly as you lead others towards Him.
www.RESOUNDworship.org
Free New Worship Songs
Hey Jessica,
It's great that you're in the position you have, that you're stepping into your calling and with the support you have! In a way, it's also good that you're realising the importance what you do - leading worship is an awesome thing to do, encouraging people into the throneroom of God!
But this responsibility isn't yours to bear alone: Jesus said "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). Give all the pressure you're feeling to God. Also, you're not leading people to God in worship on your own - the Spirit does that and I'm sure I've heard it said somewhere that worship leaders follow the Spirit's leading, and invite others to follow (or something along those lines). Getting out of comfort zones stretches and builds faith as we need to rely on God more.
Practically, I'd say stress gets a lot better when you're getting enough sleep! Give yourself some time to rest and refresh, as well as some spiritual R&R with reading the Bible and spending time in God's presence during your own quiet times :)
All that's been said above is great stuff too.
I'll pray for you, God bless!
Hey Jessica,
It's great that you're in the position you have, that you're stepping into your calling and with the support you have! In a way, it's also good that you're realising the importance what you do - leading worship is an awesome thing to do, encouraging people into the throneroom of God!
But this responsibility isn't yours to bear alone: Jesus said "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). Give all the pressure you're feeling to God. Also, you're not leading people to God in worship on your own - the Spirit does that and I'm sure I've heard it said somewhere that worship leaders follow the Spirit's leading, and invite others to follow (or something along those lines). Getting out of comfort zones stretches and builds faith as we need to rely on God more.
Practically, I'd say stress gets a lot better when you're getting enough sleep! Give yourself some time to rest and refresh, as well as some spiritual R&R with reading the Bible and spending time in God's presence during your own quiet times :)
All that's been said above is great stuff too.
I'll pray for you, God bless!