Raising People Up

Recently, I asked the Lord this question: “What have you called me to?” After several weeks of praying and waiting, I felt the Lord respond with this answer: “I’ve called you to raise people up.”

We all know we are called to raise people up — to disciple! We are called to invite people in, make space for them, teach them, lead them, then get out of the way and allow them to grow and bloom. There are many opportunities to do this in our day to day and in our churches, but one specific area I want to encourage you to think about is raising up the next generation in your worship ministry.

Do you have any Jr. High or High School-age musicians in your church? How about on your worship teams? If so, how are you helping them grow? The first area of growth is on their actual instrument but, as we know, much of that is up to them. The next area however, is something they will need your help with – that is learning to play with a team. At Vineyard Worship, we know that this is a crucial component to their growth so we want to help.

We created RISE - a 2-day intensive designed to train, mentor, and equip young worship leaders and musicians ages 12-17 - teaching them the necessary skills to thrive as musicians and the spiritual guidance to grow as worshippers and leaders in a congregational setting.

If you have young musicians in your church, we encourage you to bring them to (or host!) a RISE event. It is important that, as churches and as worship communities, we help disciple and equip our churches for more – and this includes our next generation!

Take a moment to watch the video below and check out our upcoming RISE dates - and if you are interested in hosting a RISE event, please let us know. We would love to partner with you in RAISING UP our next generation of worship musicians!

- Melisa Keller

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Melisa Keller is the Director of Events and Project Management for Vineyard Worship. She is a wife, mother of two and also leads worship and serves at Vineyard Fullerton Church in Southern California.

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Invitations

The Gospels are filled with stories about invitations. Some of the most notable, and my personal favorites, are the invitations made by Jesus to those simple fishermen and that “scumbag” tax collector. Not only do I love that Jesus saw them and chose them, but I am amazed that they all accepted his invitation. They had no idea who Jesus was, what they were in for, or what Jesus could have possibly seen in them to choose them to begin with. Regardless, they said yes.

Growing up as the pastor’s kid in our small La Viña church, I was asked to sing on the worship team at the age of 10 due to my love for singing and the lack of volunteers. I may not have been very good at the time, but I was invited, and I gladly accepted the opportunity. In my youth, when our churches merged into one bilingual church, I again was extended an invitation to help lead worship. At the time, no teenagers were leading on our Sunday morning team, but my pastor, Jessica Lewis, took a chance on me. I again accepted. It has been over 10 years since I said yes to her, and I could never have imagined all that God had in store for me.

Over the course of these 10 years, I have had the privilege of leading regularly as one of our main worship leaders, I have been engaged in translating songs for Vineyard Worship, and was a part of the first bilingual album. Additionally, I have had the honor of co-leading with some incredible worship leaders and musicians over the years at conferences and retreats. Sometimes I cannot even believe all the things I have been able to do and be a part of, all before the age of 25.

As I reflect on my journey, I realize that it has been filled with invitations from those in places of power and leadership who have been willing to offer me a seat at the table; people who have been generous enough to share the stage and spotlight with me, someone younger and inexperienced, because they saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. I am grateful for those leaders who took a risk and a chance on me and allowed me space to grow and learn. As incredible as those invitations have been, my willingness to say yes despite my feelings of inadequacy was an impactful choice. Choosing to walk through the open doors God had arranged for me led to an incredibly rich life. The lyrics of the song “Generous God” perfectly describe God’s grace towards me: “You do exceedingly so much more than we could ask, believe or imagine.” That is what my journey has felt like. The Lord has been incredibly generous despite my feeling completely unworthy, but that is the God we serve.

For those of you in senior leadership, I want to challenge you: when was the last time you extended an invitation to someone younger and inexperienced? Do you have anyone on your team who you are actively pouring into and raising up, possibly a person who you will transition into your position at the church one day? It is not easy to take that risk on the unknown and give up control. It takes courage and intentionality to make room for others who have yet to fully cultivate their talents, but I know that it is worth the risk. The impact you can have on a young person’s life by simply extending an invitation can be life altering, and possibly change the trajectory of their lives! If you are doing these things – way to go! If not, I highly encourage you to start looking around and find someone. Check out your youth group; I am sure there is at least one person with some musical inclination that you can start working with. Perhaps it is that background singer or guitar player that has been faithfully serving and is ready to be invited to take on a greater role. An invitation releases them to step out in faith.

For those of you who are younger or just starting out, please keep striving forward. Thank you for saying yes to serving and embarking on this journey. My encouragement to you is to remain humble, willing, and available to the needs of your leaders and church. Serve faithfully, even when you are not getting to do what you want to do. Continue to grow in your craft, whether it is singing or playing an instrument. This is all in God’s timing, but put in the work and effort, be present, and give of yourself. Your time is coming. Lastly, don’t be afraid to say yes to the invitations that come your way. Even if you feel inadequate or not ready, take the risk! Your leaders might see something in you that you have not yet recognized in yourself, but you will only discover it if you take that leap of faith and say yes.

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Carlabigail Hernandez is a wife, mother of two, and a worship leader at the Vineyard Church of Houston. She has been leading worship in both English and Spanish for over 10 years and is a featured vocalist on Esta Es Mi Canción, a bilingual Vineyard Worship album. Carlabigail has also been an active member of the official Spanish translation team for Vineyard Worship, helping to translate numerous Vineyard songs.

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Worship Leading Takes Work

“Ambitious parents who are currently playing the ‘Baby Mozart’ video for their toddlers
may be disappointed to learn that Mozart became Mozart by working furiously hard.” 

― Geoff Colvin, Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else

Have you had those weeks in worship when you have prepared diligently, rehearsed the team, practiced the cues and got everything “right” but then when church happened, it all fell apart? Inversely, how ‘bout those weeks where you hardly make a plan but somehow everything was pure fire? Worship ministry can be mysterious; sometimes it feels like the results are out of our hands. If you are like me you’ve had seasons where you’ve taken this dynamic for granted and rested too much on the mercy and favor of God.

Here’s the thing: God really loves his gathered Church. He commissioned it. He knows that our worship, when fully attentive to Him, will actually grow and edify us. Those 5 songs and that sermon comprise no ordinary event - this is the best gig of our lives and we get to live it over and over again. What an honor! When we gather, our job (as worship leader) is to help the people (a varied demographic) engage the invitation of God to worship Him. This is actually work. It’s work for the people and it’s work for the man or woman that is initiating that weekly rhythm.

Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” The Message paraphrases the end of this text with the sobering truth that “Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.”

We understand this idea when working outside the Church, but the irony is that we often forget it when working for the Church. Mediocre effort over the course of 52 weeks will produce mediocre results even if we have an occasional fire weekend or two. Your extraordinary singing gift or slamming multi-tracks might work for a while, but over the course of many seasons, this is not going to cut it. How and where can you grow as a worship leader in this season?

Where is your biggest weakness as a worship leader?

Have you been “phoning it in” for a while?

Are you administering your band’s songs, schedules, and pastoral care consistently?

Are you giving away authority and replacing yourself?

Are you attracting or repelling other creatives?

Are your song choices and song order Biblically robust?

Consider your next year in worship ministry. Pray and ask God to give you one or two goals to pursue, and commit yourself to grow in those areas. It might be learning piano or taking vocal lessons or learning how to better pastor from a mentor. “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge" (Proverbs 18:15, ESV).

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Mike O’Brien is Director of the Vineyard School of Worship, a worship team coach, leadership mentor, speaker, and record producer. He holds his Masters of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute and is currently serving the church at large in worship team training and worship leader mentoring. Mike, his wife Susan, and their son Ezekiel live in Atlanta, GA. You can find out more about Mike at themikeo.com

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Gathering: Vineyard Worship Leader Retreats

Hello my friends!

It was wonderful to see so many of you this summer at our Vineyard USA National Conferences in Dayton & Denver. We loved the opportunity to worship with you, to reunite with old friends, and also meet so many new people during those two powerful weeks!

As I write this, I can’t believe that summer is almost over. But as fall draws near, I look ahead to the events and gatherings that are quickly approaching, particularly our Vineyard Worship Leader Retreats.

Our retreats are some of my favorite gatherings that we do here at Vineyard Worship because they extend unique invitations to our greater worship community.

First, retreats are an invitation to ENCOUNTER:

We know that He is Emmanuel (“God With Us”) but something special happens as we gather together in community. The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people, and when we come together at retreats, we know He is with us so we come with GREAT expectation that He will MOVE among us. And when He moves, we know we will see lives transformed. When He moves, we know we will see people healed. When He moves, we know we will see the dead places come to life. When He moves, we know we will see fresh vision, hope, and encouragement released.
We extend this invitation to you to come, receive, and encounter the Living God!

Second, retreats are an invitation to REST:

Retreats are just that…retreats. Not conferences, not meetings, not seminars. Retreats are not meant to be jam-packed with information that makes your brain want to explode (in the best kind of way). To retreat is to withdraw — to step back and away from your day-to-day tasks — and take time to meditate, to pray, and to meet with the Lord. As worship people, the weekly rhythm of leading our communities can take a lot out of us, so rest is vital.
We extend this invitation to you to come refill, recharge, and rest.

Third, retreats are an invitation into COMMUNITY:

We know the name says “Worship Leader” but that doesn’t just mean the song leaders or worship pastors. Everyone on your stage is helping to lead the church in worship each week, and all of those folks are invited to join us at these retreats! Invite your drummers, your bass players, your guitar players, and your youth worship teams! Everyone is welcome – especially your younger team members! It is powerful when the extended community comes together, each of us giving and receiving. Community is built when seasoned leaders encourage and bless new leaders (and vice versa). Community is built when songs, stories, meals, and laughs are shared. Community is built when people are vulnerable and open to one another.
We extend this invitation to you to build and extend your community.

I encourage each of you to prayerfully consider joining us for a retreat if you haven’t yet this year. I also encourage you to share this with your team members and pastors. Perhaps someone just needs to know they are welcome. Perhaps there is a little extra money in your worship budget to help bring someone new.

Our upcoming retreats are in North Carolina, New York, and California. You can find the info at vineyardworship.com/vwlr.

We hope to see you in the Fall!

Sincerely,

Melisa Keller

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Melisa Keller is the Director of Events and Project Management for Vineyard Worship. She is a wife, mother of two and also leads worship and serves at Vineyard Fullerton Church in Southern California.

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Notes from the Field: Adam Russell

Vineyard Worship Community!

I’m finally back at my desk after two weeks of national conferencing (is that a verb?…I don’t know). Anyhow, I’ve mostly recovered from going hard these past two weeks and now I’m sitting here feeling a great deal of thankfulness. I’m thankful that God met us so powerfully. I’m thankful that every team led so beautifully and with so much humility. I’m thankful that our tech teams solved problems, served with grace, and made everything look and sound great. I’m thankful that I was able to meet so many new people. I’m especially thankful for all the new worship leaders that I met! It’s apparent to me that God is moving among us and that this is an awesome moment to be a part of what is happening in the Vineyard.

Maybe you share some of these same feelings and you’re excited to see what is on the horizon both at your church and in our wider Vineyard family...and maybe you’re wondering what’s next, or how to absorb these past few weeks into the current culture at your church. I’d like to say a few things to this very unique moment that we are in:

First, it’s clear that God is moving! So having a degree of expectation for our churches is good and right. We should all be encouraged about the communities that we help lead. God doesn’t just want to meet us at pastors conferences; he wants to meet us in our local churches.

Secondly, I’d like to say that if you feel encouraged to take more risks in following the Holy Spirit, reorganizing your worship team, changing your sound, rethinking your stage and the way it looks, or adding new songs to your weekly rotation, those are all good instincts. One of the benefits of conferencing is that we get a chance to see beyond our local expressions. But I would also like to say DO ONE THING AT A TIME! Conferences are not the same as local church. Conferences represent months and months of detailed planning. The weekly rhythm of regular church is totally different, and results in terms of changes and implementation happen at a much slower pace. Don’t let a great conference trick you into being unreasonably dissatisfied with what’s happening Sunday to Sunday or how quickly things should change.

And finally, I’d like to say that one of the best ways to keep the spirit of the conference alive in our local churches is to reach out to other Vineyards around you and do a few things together. Invite in another worship leader. Do a joint worship night. Invite in a speaker from some place else and get 3 or 4 churches together for a Saturday morning. One of the reasons a conference is so impactful is the unity and connection that each gathering represents. It’s not all sound systems and lights. there’s something more fundamental sitting beneath it...lean into that stuff.

Okay, team...onward!

Peace and Love,

Adam

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Adam Russell is a husband and father of four. In addition to his role as the Director of Vineyard Worship, Adam is Lead Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Campbellsville, KY and also serves on the Vineyard USA Executive Team.

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Notes from the Field: Adam Russell

Hey Friends!

Summer is upon us, soooooo:

1. Take some risks. This is a great time of year to bring up that new leader or bass player. It’s a great time to invest in some of your middle and high school kids who might have a little extra time on their hands. And speaking of taking some risks by sharing leadership, it’s also a good time to give these “green” leaders some extra slack and let them lead a few Sundays in a row. I’ve found that most people need reps back to back to back in order to settle in and really grow. Often, the first few times a person leads they are overcoming nerves and working on an in-ear mix that is actually helpful.
   

2. It’s probably time to go through your storage closets and reorganize. The weekly grind of worship ministry and dozens of volunteers has a way of leaving our storage and staging areas a mess. You might find some things there that you forgot about...things that might need to re-appear for Sunday usage. I’m sure there’s probably more than a few things that need to be thrown directly into the dumpster too. You might have to “Marie Kondo” some things too...if it’s not bringing joy, let it go! Maybe give it away to a church plant or sell it on Craigslist.
   

3. Summer is also a great time to call the band and organize a night to go out and see a really inspiring band. Check out the upcoming schedule for the venues close to you and see if there are a couple bands coming through that might be a fun night out for your worship leaders and band volunteers. It would be even cooler if your church was able to buy everyone a ticket. In addition to being a nice way to say thank you, it’s also a really good way of saying to the band, “This is the bar we are shooting for as players and singers”...but without having to ever say those words. Seeing great things always inspires me to practice again, and to learn something new.
   

4. Okay… another thing on taking risks... why not pick up a new instrument and learn everything you can this summer. Lay down the guitar and sit at the drum kit or maybe a piano. Or maybe you need to pick up that guitar and get some calluses. IMO, more worship leaders would do well to sit behind a drum kit a time or two — it’ll help in giving them the language they need to communicate better with the rhythm section.
   

5. What’s summer without road trips? Why not hop in the car and go see someone who’s in the same fight? Go see a worship leader or two who live an hour or so away, or maybe drive to see a pastor or a more-seasoned worship leader for a mentoring session. No one can make it in ministry on their own, and sometimes what we need is actual face time with other people who know what it is to lead teams and congregations. A day on the road with an up-and-coming leader is a real win, but even more so if the two of you are going to see and be with another leader. One of the great things about the Vineyard is that we have people all over the map doing kingdom work, but one of the challenges is that actual miles separate us from people who might be the source of wisdom and friendship that we need for our current season in life. Don’t wait for them to come to you...hop in the car and go to them!

Peace!

Adam

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Adam Russell is a husband and father of four. In addition to his role as the Director of Vineyard Worship, Adam is Lead Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Campbellsville, KY and also serves on the Vineyard USA Executive Team.

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Notes from the Field: Adam Russell

Hey Friends!
 

Here are three things you need to know about (two are calendar and information-oriented and one is just something that’s on my heart):
 

1. V I N E Y A R D   S C H O O L   O F   W O R S H I P
   
   In June Vineyard School of Worship (VSOW) is putting on two weeks of bootcamp-style training for new worship leaders. We’re calling these weeks our SUMMER SESSIONS. One week will be in Columbus and the other will be in Los Angeles. If you have a younger worship leader with promise on your team, or someone who has been leading for a while but hasn’t really been formed by Vineyard practice and values, this is the event for them! One of the things that leaders need to be thinking about and acting on is who we are raising up and how we are growing them up. This is a simple way to INVEST in the precious people that Jesus is entrusting to us. If you need more information go to http://vsow.org/summer-session/
    

2. T R A I N I N G   T U E S D A Y
   
   I hope you’ve noticed that every Tuesday a new “Training Tuesday” video drops. These videos tend towards either super practical training things or big picture worship ideas, and they come from all kinds of people from across the Vineyard! I wanted to share one idea with respect to these little videos. Why not share these with your worship community at the beginning of a rehearsal time? Most are only a couple minutes long, and they contain things that are perfect for the worship band members. It is great way to make your rehearsals go deeper and connect your local church to the wider Vineyard movement. If you go to the Vineyard Worship page on YouTube you’ll notice that there is a “playlist” tab, and in that tab you’ll find “VSOW training videos” with every video that has come out so far. Check it out and share it with your band!
    

3. H U N G E R
   
   I’ve been thinking about spiritual hunger a lot lately, probably because a few months ago I had a rather powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit. And honestly, it had been a while since I’d had something like that happen to me. It was wonderful. And since then I’ve been hungry for God in a brand new way. Anyhow, I’ve sort of awakened to the reality that my present spiritual hunger for God isn’t really new. I’m always hungry. I’m not always aware because my hungers are not always turned towards God...or maybe sometimes I’m getting a measure of satisfaction from something else. I don’t think I’m alone here. I’m pretty much a pro at trying to extract satisfaction from people or things that are not God. The point I’m trying to make is it’s not about “trying harder” or the regular shame-oriented argument that makes us feel bad about our human fragility and tendency to be distracted. That stuff goes nowhere. Rather, I am saying this: spiritual hunger is a gift from God, and there is nothing better than having your true hunger exposed to the satisfying presence of God. He really is available. He really is the bread of life. And if you’re not hungry, don’t feel shame and don’t try to stir yourself up. Instead, simply tell God where you are and that you would like to experience the satisfaction of being near to him. Tell God that you would like to know his nearness. He loves to answer the prayer of hunger. He is the bread of life that has been, and is being multiplied, piece by piece into every hungry heart!

Peace!

Adam

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Adam Russell is a husband and father of four. In addition to his role as the Director of Vineyard Worship, Adam is Lead Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Campbellsville, KY and also serves on the Vineyard USA Executive Team.

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Pastoring Your Worship Community Better This Year

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:10-13)
 
There are song leaders and there are worship leaders. There are worship leaders and there are worship pastors. Regardless of your specific title, I want to zoom in a bit this month on some approaches we can think about in regards to pastoring our worship community better this year. Some of this will come very naturally; if you are like me it’s a never-ending work in progress. We do play a role in shepherding our larger gathered church, but I want to speak to the team that is serving right alongside you. 
 
At this point in my ministry experience, I see the worship stage as the center of the world. It’s not central for reasons of pride or music-centric ambitions, rather it’s primary in my mind because this is where I naturally do the work of discipleship. Musicians and techs under our care are being formed and shaped through the hours, weeks, and years of serving together. When you pastor your team skillfully, you are making disciples, and this is the work of the Kingdom! 

Here are some practical ways I encourage you to think about this in 2019: 
 
People Over (and Before) Production 
I love to produce awe-inspiring, over-the-top, pastor-pleasing weekend experiences. Ironically, for years I did this while stepping on the very people I was serving alongside. Over time I’ve learned to welcome and embrace every soul that enters into our rehearsal space. I try to take time before the music begins to give space for people to share and be present to one another. From that foundation of care, we make the music.  
 
Seamless and Consistent Administration 
To quote a friend and mentor, Randy McCoy, “BAD administration hurts people.” One of the most loving things we can do for our teams is to have clean and consistent communication. Timely scheduling, song prep, emails, and texts all speak the language of care. Let people know what is expected of them and what they can expect from you. Over time these faithful structures will build trust, and your team will grow. 
 
Never Stop Saying Thank You 
Sending encouraging texts/emails/cards before, during, and after services can be the fuel for a life-giving worship team environment.  Look for little and varied ways to say “thank you.” A little post-it note on a music stand/soundboard, a bottle of water, a backstage station for hot tea, or a social media shout-out can and will move mountains relationally and organizationally. 
 
Never Stop Learning 
A thriving worship community will be, at its core, a learning community. Both newbies and “pros” will always be exploring new ways to be enriched and challenged. Part of your job as a worship pastor is encouraging everyone to have opportunities for growth. If most of the people on your stage have a “been there, done that” mentality it will create a sense of entitlement and cynicism. We all have something we can be learning. Has it all become just a little too easy? How are you growing as the leader?  Who are you encouraging to risk, stepping up and out? Who are your training to go even beyond you?
 
Vineyard School of Worship 
Consider attending one of our training events in 2019. Our Rise Worship Bootcamp is for ages 12 to 18, and our Summer Session is for ages 18 to 35. We are currently developing an all-ages Worship Leader Intensive. Also, mark your calendars for our next Sound and Song Summits. Go to vsow.org to learn more. 

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Mike O’Brien is Director of the Vineyard School of Worship, a worship team coach, leadership mentor, speaker, and record producer. He holds his Masters of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute and is currently serving the church at large in worship team training and worship leader mentoring. Mike, his wife Susan, and their son Ezekiel live in Atlanta, GA. You can find out more about Mike at themikeo.com

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The Good Trouble

During the month of February, our country celebrates Black History Month. It is a time when the nation seeks to recognize the great contributions African-Americans have made in fields like the arts, sports, politics, science, business, and more. While it’s great to celebrate those contributions, it’s also important to acknowledge the African-American struggle. The struggle that began with the brutality of slavery, the indignity of segregation, and the continuing institutional and systematic ways people of color have yet to fully level up here on American soil.  We have a long way to go, but during this sacred month of remembrance, we acknowledge that we are not where we were.

It’s necessary to note that the progress we’ve made is primarily the result of brave men and women who felt that liberty and justice (for all) simply could not wait. These same men and women have gone down in history as some of the world’s great “trouble-makers.”

U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia) grew up in the Jim Crow South in the '40s & '50s. He recalls experiencing the ugliness of racism and segregation. He was reminded of how the world viewed him every time he saw a sign that read “whites only” or “colored.” Even as a young man, this did not sit right with him and he often wondered why things had to be that way. When he’d ask his parents about this unfair reality, his parents would say, “John, that’s just the way it is. Don’t get in the way and don’t get into trouble!” The only problem is that John was absorbing the words and ideas of civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which inspired him to ignore his parents’ advice and to purposely get into what he calls “good trouble.” 

John began marching with Dr. King, staging sit-ins to end segregation, and participating in dangerous freedom rides across the country. He was repeatedly arrested, faced countless threats, and was violently beaten by police and angry mobs. John’s life, and many others’ lives, captures well this idea of “good trouble.”

The older I get, the more I appreciate and understand the importance of getting into “good trouble.” Significant change rarely happens without someone choosing to get into “good trouble.” It’s the kind of trouble that comes when we begin to question our culture’s deeply held beliefs and popular opinions. It’s the kind of trouble one finds when he or she insists every person be treated as someone who is made in the image of God. It’s the kind of trouble people discover when they begin to fight unjust systems of racism and inequality. It’s the kind of trouble we find when we begin to use our voice, influence, or platform to speak up for the voiceless and vulnerable. It’s the kind of trouble that finds you when you muster the courage to speak hard truths to power. It’s both messy and costly.

Dr. King was that kind of troublemaker and it literally cost him his life. Medgar Evers was that type of troublemaker and he, too, lost his life. Nelson Mandela was that kind of troublemaker and it cost him his freedom. Colin Kaepernick was that kind of troublemaker and many believe it cost him his football career. Most importantly, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was that kind of troublemaker and he died a brutal death on a cross.

As a Kingdom of God, signs and wonders movement, we must fully embrace the call to extend the Kingdom of God. In doing so, we realize we’re called to push back against the darkness and to cry out against the systems, institutions, ideas, and practices that are the natural outworkings of our fallen, sinful, and selfish humanity. We’re called to delight in what God delights in and be grieved by what grieves Him. We’re called to invite others into the life of faith and risk - one that runs toward the good, necessary trouble. All this in hopes that, through us, God’s Kingdom would come and His will would be done here on the earth. In this current social and political climate, may the Vineyard be a movement and a people who seek to run toward the (good) trouble and not away from it. 

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Geno is the lead pastor of the South Suburban Vineyard, a multiethnic church that he and his wife, Shannon, planted in the south suburbs of Chicago. He is a gifted leader and communicator who has devoted his life to church planting and cross-cultural ministry. 

Geno currently serves on the National Executive Team for Vineyard USA. He’s also a songwriter and has co-produced albums for Vineyard Worship. 

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The Bravest Thing

One of the hardest things in life is having a clue about who we really are. It’s hard to be self aware. Mostly because we have such a seamless experience of being ourselves that it’s *almost* impossible to see outside of ourselves. Our eyes are pointed forward and they are wired for looking out. Looking inward requires other means. 

Of course we have feelings and they offer a kind of perspective, but often our feelings are based on events and circumstances that are not true, or the echoes of events that have long since passed. I sort of think of feelings as fruit - the end of a particular “growing season”...the last thing to show up. And because of that, it’s really hard to use feelings as a guide for who we are in a particular moment. 

This is why we need help in understanding who we are and how we’re doing. We need friends, mentors, and guides. We need trusted people who can gently hold up a mirror and offer some perspective. In the beginning this can be a jarring experience, kind of like hearing your voice on a recording and suddenly realizing that you actually sound different in the real world than you do in your own head. But if we stay with it, that initial jolt settles into something a lot less scary, and becomes a real gift.

Let me offer a few areas that we, as worship leaders, might become brave and invite some outside voices into our lives: our worship leading, our team leading, and our hearts. I realize that these simple categories are a bit fuzzy as to what they might mean and there is quite a bit of overlap, but let me quickly rough that out. 

WORSHIP LEADING

How long has it been since someone offered some kind and gentle observations on your worship leading in a weekend service? How are you doing connecting with the room? How is your musicianship? Is there a sense of pastoral leadership in your worship leading? Are we lovingly intuiting where the room is and helping them to connect with Jesus? Are we too passive? Are we too bold and dominating? It’s hard to know any of this without a few people helping us to understand their experience when we are leading. I’d recommend getting some feedback from your lead pastor, someone from the church, and a couple outside worship leaders who don’t go to your church. This might take a year to work through, but it’s worth the effort. A few years ago I asked some trusted friends and leaders to listen to one of my sermons each quarter and give me some feedback. It felt vulnerable, but I was met with so much kindness and so much really good feedback. At a certain point I realized that having my mom tell me how good my messages were was not going to allow me to grow.

TEAM LEADING

The real question here is this: What is it like to be on your team? What is the general emotional energy you leak in leadership moments? Are you clear? Are you kind? Are you organized? How do you respond when things go poorly or fall apart? What’s it like to join the team? What’s it like coming into the worship team culture? This is an area where you need to occasionally have conversations with the people who are on your team, which means asking extremely vulnerable questions to the people that you are currently leading. I’ve found these conversations to be hard at first, but very rewarding in the long run. Here’s a couple powerful, vulnerable questions to ask your team - “What is it like to be on this worship team?” Or “What is it like to have me as your leader?” HEART

This area is all about who you are as a person. Not you as a leader. Not you as a musician. Not you as a visible person in church or a spiritual leader. Instead, this is all about who you really are, and how you are on your journey of becoming more like Jesus. This is not about your worth as a person; that’s undeniable and forever unchallenged. This is about waking up a bit to the areas where our character is still in need of formation. This probably should come from our spouses and pastors. I’ve found it extremely helpful to have a spiritual director. There’s something about the space that spiritual direction provides which allows me to see and own my stuff more easily with a lot less defending - probably because I know there is no chance I’ll be judged. This is all about having a person or two in our lives where we can talk about our struggles, our hopes, our disappointments, and what we feel like Jesus is doing in our lives. 

DIRT AND GOLD

Up to this point it might sound like this kind of vulnerability is all about digging up our dirt and putting it on display for the world. Let me make this plain - this is not about discovering how broken or screwed up we are. It’s about digging through our dirt to find the gold, and just like with mining there’s a certain amount of dirt that has to be moved in order to expose the really valuable elements. This is about setting some things aside in order to bring the beautiful parts of our life and leadership to the surface. 

THE BRAVEST THING

If you are still reading this, you’ve probably realized that it will require bravery for you to attempt any of this. That’s true. It takes courage to go through these kinds of processes. To even open oneself up like this is to demonstrate considerable strength and bravery. It means that our gold is not very far beneath the surface!

A LITTLE BIT NOW, AND SOME MORE LATER

Here’s my final piece of encouragement: don’t do all of this at once. Pick one area and put some of your time and emotional energy into that. If the devil can’t get you to ignore your weaknesses and broken places, he’ll try and get you to address all of them at once. God, on the other hand, is probably inviting you to look at one thing at a time. The good news is that any bit of growth in one area (worship leading, team leading, and heart) will spill over into other areas of our lives. 

Peace!

Adam

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Adam Russell is a husband and father of four. In addition to his role as the Director of Vineyard Worship, Adam is Lead Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Campbellsville, KY and also serves on the Vineyard USA Executive Team.

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