Worship pastors, we often have lengthy job descriptions. Take a look at yours and see how many pages it has. Two? Four? Twelve? However, there are really three things that encompass your entire job description. Three little items that have huge ramifications. All of your activities every week should revolve around these three things.
Setting an example
Setting an example is number one because all of the others will fall in line if you’re setting a good example. You’re going to be leading somewhere, so make sure you’re leading to the right place. This includes worship leading. If you’re not worshipping in your daily life, you’re not setting the example. If you’re asking your people to do things that you aren’t willing to do yourself, there’s a problem. This also includes healthy Biblical principles. Conflict management, treating others well, and maintaining a positive attitude are also great examples that need to be set.
Keeping sound theology
There is nothing more important in a church than what it believes about God. This can make or break a church. Incorrect beliefs are incredibly important to weed out quickly. One place that this practice is often overlooked is in music. Often, set lists are planned based on key, “catchiness,” or tempo. While these things are important, these songs must pass a theological checklist to ensure that we are teaching well from the platform. The sermon is never the only place to ensure great theology.
Loving other people
This one is kind of a tough one sometimes. Sometimes loving other people is difficult because we’re all people. We’re all broken, and we all are unlovable at times. We have to set the example (there’s point number one again) and show Christ’s love at all times. Another tough thing about this one is that sometimes, showing love doesn’t look a lot like love to the other person. A father disciplining a child doesn’t seem very loving to the child. Often, being loving means doing something that someone won’t like. It sometimes means saying no. It sometimes means disciplining someone. It’s painful for everyone involved, but it’s incredibly important.
