Katie Eckeberger offers ideas for being confident, while still honoring God with humility.

You might think it odd that I’m addressing stage presence in a worship leading context, but all too often I see worship leaders struggling to maintain a leading presence for their congregations. It might be a confidence issue, or they worry about getting in the way of God and “humble” themselves too much, trying to become invisible. Unfortunately, this can actually become a distraction. Our congregations need us to fulfill our role with authority and confidence so they can worship effortlessly.

So how can we be confident, while still honoring God with humility? Here’s some things I have learned:

EYE CONTACT:

There are certainly moments when closed eyes are appropriate. But excessively closed eyes can create an invisible barrier between us and the congregation. A friend told me once, “Our worship can still be personal without being private.” That’s the key: communal worship is not a time for us to close off from the people we are leading. We are there to worship together! Incredible personal connections are made when we make eye contact – it engages people, helps them feel known and loved, and communicates a shared feeling. It helps us draw closer to God together.

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Brian Gowing says be better stewards of God’s money by looking at what could be done with what you have.

Prepare to be uncomfortable. You have fallen prey to Big Church Envy. You know who you are and what I’m talking about and you’re starting to squirm in your seat.

Just because a church the size of Willow Creek or Saddleback has a fantastic mondo sound, video, and lighting system doesn’t justify YOU spending that kind of money on equipment. These Big Churches are a different breed and can set the bar for the rest of us. That doesn’t mean we should copy them.

The Symptoms

It’s fun to drool over a Big Church’s latest $50,000 digital mixer or $100,000 lighting setup. Many small church techs crave the fancy equipment. Yes, it can make the tech’s life easier. Does it make the service sound better or look better? Maybe.

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James Tealy gives practical advice to the church plant worship leader:

Cake? Is a birthday cake at the end of worship the right way to celebrate your first year as a new church plant? I didn’t know I would ever have to make that decision. For the first time in my career I am helping to plant a new church. In the last 18 months we have traveled from three guys dreaming around a coffee shop table to “Launch Sunday” and now through our first anniversary as a new church plant. When I told fellow worship leaders and pastors what we were attempting to accomplish in rural, suburban Nashville, I received some great counsel. I realize every church faces its own set of unique challenges but here are a few bits of advice from others that have helped me survive this first year.

Be Who You Are

There is always pressure early on to pretend to be MORE than you are as a church because you believe it will draw people. It’s the “fake it till you make it” principle and it is fundamentally contrary to the gospel. I wrestled with this pressure daily as we moved toward our “Launch Sunday.”

The worship experiences that have impacted me the deepest were media-rich, band-driven experiences with professional audio, video, and light rigs in a dark room packed full of expressive worshippers. The first time I visited the elementary school cafetorium where we would gather for worship at our launch, I was crestfallen. “How can I build atmosphere in THIS?” Another wise church planter reminded me, “Be who you are. Build the church from a place of gospel-centered authenticity and let the people who want a good show go somewhere else.” This has been a hard pill to swallow.

Every week and with every aesthetic decision, we are reaching for excellence while at the same time trying to stay true to who we really are in these early days. That means our musicians, the gear we can afford, and a set-up that we can easily move in and out of a trailer every week. This even applies to song selection. Sometimes a song that feels great when a 12 person Jesus Culture team leads it in an arena full of passionate worshippers can feel awkward when you lead it alone from a guitar and cajon in a school cafeteria with 60 self-conscious strangers. In this church planting season we ask, “What songs will work with a simple arrangement as we seek to make the Kingdom tangible and the gospel clear this week in worship?”

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