There is a lot of controversy in the church today over worship styles. Should we sing hymns or choruses? Should we have drums? Is it too loud? Everyone seems to have an opinion about what the perfect formula is for worship. Most of the people who want to voice their opinion usually have had little or no exposure to worship styles that are different from their own. We are creatures of habit. People like what they are familiar with. So as worship leaders we tend to want to please everybody which is impossible. I have seen churches destroyed over controversies surrounding worship, and I can assure you that it grieves the Lord.

I want to make it abundantly clear that I do not believe there is a perfect style of worship. I do believe that each church has a unique DNA if you will, a seed, that God has designed. The worship leader's awesome responsibility is to discover what it will take to make that seed grow in the area of worship. This is a process that requires much time in prayer, from a person who is willing to be humble before God, and who is willing to obey whatever He says even if it seems foolish. Often the congregation will not like change, but it is very important that the worship leader obey what God has told them and not let people lead them down a worship path that God does not want.

We must also be careful not to change things just for the sake of change, or to try to shock people into the latest and greatest worship craze. In my experience with leading worship I had to learn the hard way. When I first started, I was very sensitive to people's comments. I had a problem accepting the authority that God had given me, so I tried to please everyone, always trying to sing their favorite songs, etc. I soon learned that my job was to lead THEM. If I didn't, I was letting God down. We are to listen to the people, use their suggestions if it fits into what God is telling us, and throw them out if it doesn't. Sometimes God will use people to help us move in the right direction; so it is important to listen, but we are not to be controlled by them.

Worship styles vary more than anything else in the body of Christ. If God has called you to be the worship leader of a particular body of believers, then he feels that you have something unique to give to that body. It is very important that you not try to be like someone else. Be yourself! It is all right to learn from others, but don't try to imitate what someone else is doing, it will be empty and the people will not respond.

What moves you? What is God impressing upon you? God will always use the personality of the worship leader that He has called to set the style of worship for their particular church. I don't mean that you are the final word in worship, but that you should build the worship around what you feel you are hearing from God. Hopefully your pastor will give you that freedom, but if not always be careful to bring what you can while at the same time "submitting to those that have rule over you" (Hebrews 13:17). I can tell you from many years of personal experience that God will not bless your ministry if you have rebellion in your heart.

Having said all of that, be ready to be stretched. If you are seeking God for direction He will begin to have you do things you would have never dreamed of. Are you a die-hard contemporary music fan? Well get ready to bring out the hymnals. Do you hate contemporary Christian music? Get ready for the electric guitar. Do you think unless a person has had professional music training that they can't be a musician? Get ready for your new piano player that can't read music. God loves to make us grow. He loves to take us to new levels of freedom in our service to Him.

The best worship leaders are open to all styles of music. You must be willing to be flexible, while standing firm in the authority that God has given you. Don't get stuck in a rut. Singing the same tired songs over and over again will bring death to your worship service. Using songs that people are familiar with is good, but never adding any fresh material is simply a lazy way to lead worship.

Listen to new types of music. Visit churches that have a different style from yours. The only way to teach others to be able to worship Jesus in all things is to practice it yourself. If you are rigid, unmoving, and unwilling to change, then the people you lead will be the same way. Your people should be taught to be able to worship without music, without overheads, without being in church, and without songs that they are familiar with! Remember, we are to point them to Jesus. It really is all about Him. If we put Him in the center of it all, then it will happen spontaneously with or without us.

For more worship articles by Kim Linton click here.