I sent all 15 of the previous blog posts, the entire series, to the members of the creative team I served with at Memorial Baptist. I was deeply encouraged by how they responded. I've been gone more than 3 years, and due to financial challenges the church has not been able to bring in another worship pastor.
As you might imagine, the results of that could have been devastating. I served with those folks for 7 years. The worship ministry, like the congregation, changed significantly during that season.
And the thing my (former) team asked me to share?
They were equipped to go on. As one of those dear friends wrote, "There is no way we could have continued the culture of worship our people desired if we had not served as a team. The reason the next Sunday after your final Sunday as our worship leader felt no different as far as style was because you never made the worship ministry about you. We were still worshipping the same God who you pointed us to and helped us connect with weekly and we were able to step out on the platform with confidence in our ability to lead worship because you had trained and prepared us for that moment. MBC still benefits from your team approach today."
As touched as I am by the kind words of my friends, one of the things that most compelled me to share this entire concept with you is that a church still worships effectively, even without a staff person to lead. My conviction became our conviction, and is now the church's conviction.
I often joked that one of my goals was to work myself out of a job, to equip so many others to do what I did that I wasn't necessary. I suppose that in some ways, mission accomplished!
Lest this cause those of you who are worship pastors concern, I think the church would love to have me back. There were dozens of unfulfilled visions I had for the community, the church, and the worship ministry that could have kept me gainfully employed. And through which we could have expanded God's kingdom.
In fact, the development of a team is exactly what freed me up to seek hard after God so He could impart new possibilities to me!
So are you ready? Then do it! Start a team, even if it is only 3 of you. And allow the Creator to pour vision into you for your city, your church, your worship ministry!
If you'd like help walking through this process, that's why I've created Worship Coach consulting. I want to serve hundreds of churches. Not to impose a former model from a former church, but to help reveal the best next model for your church. Shoot me an email (RodEEllis@aol.com) or give me a call (502.229.0114).
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