Apart from knowing the songs and learning the lyrics, setting aside time to prepare my heart before God is the most important thing — it allows the Holy Spirit to speak, puts a verse on my heart, and gives me ideas. Worship leaders play a critical role in modern churches. Despite this, the average congregant might not understand just how crucial they are to the church experience.

The most appreciated worship leaders have a streak of a trainer and mentor running through them. They are not content to have the platform all to themselves over a few years. They are always looking for those they can train, mentor and release, either inside or outside of that local congregation. They are secure in the gift they offer, and in the face of the gifts that others offer.

Great worship leaders know how to enjoy the process of building lifelong friendships with developing worship leaders—particularly those who value their input and share like-mindedness on key levels.

Great worship leaders know how to mentor over time, without feeling any pressure to release people to lead worship before they are developed musically, emotionally or skillfully.

Great worship leaders know how to become older brothers and sisters in worship leading, and not to simply protect themselves in the “always leading” worship leadership role.

As a follower of Jesus, we have the beautiful privilege for multiple lifelong opportunities to be exorheic, or externally drained. In the case of the Worship Leader, serving the congregation through the leading of musical worship is one way to allow what God has poured in, to “drain” out (or overflow) into others.

A worship leader who hasn’t matured to the place of seeing this wonderful opportunity will remain like The Dead Sea – receiving from the Lord through times of musical worship, but not actually seeing the weighty gift of stewardship of those streams from Heaven. They will continue to be given favor and blessing in the presence of the Lord as they encounter the Lord, but just like an endorheic basin, those sweet opportunities to overflow those blessings to others will eventually evaporate away leaving nothing that produces life.

Your primary service to the church is to lead them to the presence of God.
Don’t think for a second that worship leading is your moment to shine or preach, especially when you are taking ‘the gap’.  If it adds to the service and allows you to arrest the atmosphere, then do it; but if it takes away from Jesus and what your primary purpose is, leave it out.

You are unique and God speaks to each of us differently, so lead accordingly. God has put something on your life, so lead from that place.