The Worship Leader in the Pew: What to Do When Not on Stage

Worship leaders, is our worship genuine if we’re only modeling worshipful and thankful hearts when we’re on the stage? What about the weeks when you’re not scheduled to lead with the team? Have you considered how you can aid the worship culture of your church by “leading from the pew”?

Worship leaders (and for the sake of this article, I mean “everyone who makes music or leads liturgical readings from the stage”) must set a good example beyond their regularly scheduled service times.

• We aren’t just worship leaders when we’re on a platform in front of our congregations.
• Our role is not confined to an assigned instrument or microphone.

If we truly love our God and desire to worship Him, we will exhibit spiritual, truthful worship not only from the stage but when we’re standing in the gathered congregation.

If our attendance at our gathered worship services is limited to the times when we’re scheduled to serve, what kind of example are we setting for those we are called to lead? We’re likely sending them these messages:

1. It’s not important to attend every time the congregation gathers to worship.
2. We don’t need to participate in worship from the congregation since we’re only called to lead in front of the congregation.
3. We’re so spiritual that we’re exempt from participating outside of our regularly scheduled service times.

If you do attend regularly even when you’re not scheduled to serve with the worship team, consider whether your worshipful participation in the gathered congregation continues to lead your people well.

• Are you actively engaging in the worship service?
• Do you sing out with all your heart?
• Do you lift your hands to the Lord?
• Do you sincerely participate in the liturgical prayers and Scripture readings?
• Are you worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth (whatever that may look like for you) when you’re not in the leadership spotlight on stage?

Our goal should not be to actively engage in worship from the pews in order to draw attention to ourselves. Rather, we should seek to continue leading the congregation in worship by modeling a worshipful and thankful attitude as we worship alongside them.

We should be eager to gather with the church and to worship our Great God together, whether scheduled to serve and lead from the front, or whether we “have the week off.”

Kristen Gilles is a deacon at Louisville’s Sojourn Community Church. Her new CD Parker’s Mercy Brigade is a story of faith, lament, comfort, healing and worship following the stillbirth of her son. Kristen blogs about worship with her husband, Sojourn’s Bobby Gilles, at mysonginthenight.com.