Redefining “Success” in Worship

In ministry, it’s easy to walk away from a Sunday asking questions like:

How full was the room? Did the band sound tight? Did the transitions flow well? Was the message engaging? Did ___ work or not?

These questions aren't wrong. They're important for stewarding excellence. But if we're not careful, we begin to let these metrics define success. The truth is these metrics don't tell the whole story. I have to remind myself this all the time.

As worship leaders and creatives, we care deeply about the details. The lighting, the flow, transitions, the visuals on screen, and well crafted service flow- all of it matters. Creativity isn’t self-serving; it’s a powerful vehicle that can stir hearts, lift our eyes, and create space for awe.

But here’s the tension: We don’t gather to be impressed—we gather to be transformed.

Redefining Success in Worship

Real success in our gatherings isn’t measured by if something "worked". It’s measured by the faithfulness to deeper things, proclaiming a powerful gospel, humbly speaking truth, and making space for the Spirit to move.

Gods presence is what makes the difference. That doesn’t mean we get lazy on excellence. It means we remember why we pursue it in the first place.

Why the Typical Scorecard Falls Short

It’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring success by what we can see: numbers, energy, engagement, if things went according to plan. Here’s the problem: These things are moving targets.

A loud room isn’t always a worshipful room. A tight band doesn’t guarantee surrendered hearts. A planned moment doesn't always fit the moment. And sometimes the services that feel the least successful on the surface are the ones God uses most.

God’s Scorecard Looks Different

His priorities are different. He sees the heart. He values obedience over applause, faithfulness over flash, and humility over hype. A successful service from a Kingdom view might look very different from what we evaluate on Monday.

The Better Questions to Ask

To truly assess whether a service “worked,” we need to ask questions that go deeper. Even if we don't ask them out loud, we can use them to keep our hearts in check.

Some examples:

• Did we unapologetically point people to Jesus?

• Was the gospel clearly presented—not assumed?

• Were our hearts postured in humility and dependence?

• Did we create space for people to encounter God, not just observe a program?

• Were we sensitive to what the Holy Spirit was doing—even if it disrupted our plans?

• Did today contribute to the building of a worshiping culture or did we just execute a service?

• Did we come prepared—with hearts, minds, and skills ready—and still stay adaptable?

• Were we bold in addressing the reality of sin and clear in proclaiming the hope we have in Jesus?

If we want to truly evaluate the success of a worship service, we need to ask different questions—ones that align with God’s priorities, not just a checklist for us to feel good.

I heard someone say "There’s a difference between a smooth service and a spiritually fruitful one." The success of a service is ultimately measured in faithfulness to the deeper things, not flashy stuff. When we shift the scorecard, we have the potential to move from performance-driven ministry (and burn out) to Spirit and Truth-driven ministry. This is where real impact begins. It's what are souls long for.

Take courage. Keep planning. Keep creating great things, excellence matters but remember - We don’t gather to be impressed—we gather to be transformed.

Praise Is His Gracious Choice

There's a hymn called "Come, Christians, Join to Sing" that has this verse, "Praise is His gracious choice. Alleluia Amen"

I had to do a double take when I read this - "Praise is His gracious choice". You see, the praise of God is only possible because He allows it. He created it. And it's a paradox.

It's right to praise God, He deserves it. But because He is self-sufficient He doesn't actually need it. What floors me is the beauty of the design. He allows praise to be a vessel that not only gives us a way to glorify Him BUT transforms us as well. You see, praise enhances our relationship with Him. Praising God (drum roll...) is good for us! ;) It builds us up in Him and He wants the best for us. When we praise we are transformed. When we "enter into His courts with praise"(Psalm 100:4) what we find is a courtyard full of healing, soul-satiscation, and nearness to Him.

The more we glorify God and enter His courts with praise; the better our perspective, the stronger our faith, the better our lives.

Worship is pretty amazing.

Railroad Tracks

For the Worship Leader:

When I was young we lived right by some railroad tracks. I remember hearing that you can actually hear an oncoming train by as much as a mile away just by putting your ear to the rail. There were times that I would climb over our fence to try this out. It actually worked! (side note: Not smart. Don't do this!). Later I found out the simple fact that it's just because the trains are so massive they can be experienced before they are even seen.

There seems to be two things God continually desires of us: to seek and create space for Him. For me in this hurried world, these practices are so hard but so necessary. This seeking is a continual effort to "set our minds on things above". It's not easy. To pause and seek is an act of the will. The question I often wrestle with is why does He ask us to seek Him? Is He hiding, not wanting to be found? Isn't it true that He is already present? The answer is a resounding yes. He is present AND He hides Himself... for our good.

I'm learning that seeking aims our hearts. Seeking keeps our ears to the rail. And kneeling down to the rail keeps you humble. Keeps you expectant. Seeking pushes against apathy. Seeking Him alone pushes against distraction. Seeking aims our hearts.

For Your Team:

Before you step out and lead together - pause, pray, listen and receive from God knowing that "He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Our reward is His presence and in His presence is everything we're looking for. He has something special waiting for you.

Psalm 10:4 says "In his pride, the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."

Let's drop our guard just a little more and see what good things He has for us.

Why Aren't We Singing ?

Why aren't church congregations singing during worship? Worship Pastor, Graham Kendrick shares his thoughts. What have you experienced?

PEOPLE SING EVERYWHERE

People sing. Everywhere.

In their cars. In the shower. In choirs. At football games. At birthdays. At weddings and funerals. At rock concerts. In musicals and operas. When there’s sunshine. When it rains. When it’s stormy. In the morning, afternoon, and night.

But when the church gathers on Sunday morning (or Saturday night, etc.), our earthly voices join the choirs of heaven and the singing is like no other. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been moved as I added my voice to the beautiful, engaging, powerful, awe-inspiring, robust singing of a congregation.

But sometimes our sound is halting and weak. Out of tune and out of time. And not so beautiful. What should we do then?.. (continue reading)

Starting SundaY

With all the mornings I’ve rushed to get washed up, dressed, grab a bite to eat… and oh yeah, squeeze some prayer time in – I’m realizing it’s time to rethink how I get ready for Sunday. I’ve spent way to many mornings not being intentional with my time. Without a doubt the mornings I’ve gotten a head start on the night before have been like a breath of fresh air. My mind is calm and I’m that much more focused on leading my team.  

Here are some really practical rhythms I’ve been putting into practice. This stuff may be silly or obvious but lately, at least for me, the obvious has become forgetful, so having this mental check list has really helped me out. I hope it helps you gain a more consistent win on your Sunday mornings. 

IDEAS: 

NIGHT BEFORE:
* Lay out your clothes the night before.

* Think through Sunday morning devotional. (for those that circle up for devotional and prayer time) 

SUNDAY MORNING:

* Dont rush. Set your alarm and get up early. 

* Pray and read (I’m really loving this site. Great for morning devotional  http://d365.org )

* Look over set. Imagine where its going and how it sounds. 

* Go over service prayers/talking point notes. 

* Drink water, eat light. 

* Warm up your voice on the way to church. 

* LASTLY: HAVE A TON FUN AND DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY.

You don't lead worshiP

Thougths Before You Lead: 

"You don't lead worship; you lead people into worship" - A friend of mine reminded me of this a few years ago. Gosh, that stuck with me. It might just seem like semantics, but I believe this thought really does put into focus the sometimes blurry role of a "worship leader."

Our souls were created with a longing to connect with a real Jesus at a heart level. If we believe that, then it has to be more about shepherding people. Pastoring the hearts in the room. It's less about how well you execute a set of songs as it is how well you lead peopleinto the worship of God.  Darlene Zschech said "if all we do is play and sing songs then we rob people of the Holy awareness of His presence and our spiritual inheritance."  

There's been times that I've experienced an unhealthy thread in worship leaders. There can be a sense that it's more important to rely on talent. Keeping your charisma up. Leading a set of songs well. Don't get me wrong - become excellent at your craft and don't stand there looking stiff either. But remember; a great voice isn't enough. A solid five song set isn't enough. It's about meeting people where they are and shifting thier focus to something bigger. It's about becoming more than song leaders. 

So, how do we practically start to move away from just leading songs well to leading people well? I would say that it's in the small things. We don't have to ditch the excellence and creativity. Hold it in balance. It's things like speaking out scripture in between transitions, sharing a story about the song, creating meaningful  moments. 

Yes, the church needs you to be skillful, to pursue excellence, to be creative. But most importantly the church needs you to maintain a spiritual sensitivity towards God and what's happening with the people in the room. Take them beyond a set of songs. Speak out, read scripture, encourage. Pursue meaningful moments and prepare with people in mind because at the end of the day you don't lead worship; you lead people into worship.      

Ideas:

- Scripture: Prepare a scripture to read during the set. 

- Story: Pick a song that you can share the back story of. This can help draw people further  in (worshiptogether.com is a great place to find the back stories of popular worship songs)

- Talking Points: Whether it's opening service, song transitions, or closing;  take a few minutes to prepare a call to worship or prayer. One way is just by searching Calls To Worship online. Use that as a starting point to help put richer words to whats in your heart. When I first started leading I would ramble trying to find the words in my own heart or just trying to sound wise... Hopefully my prayer life has grown since then but as we are all still growing in our personal prayer life - Go after resources that help give you richer language to what your heart is wanting to say. Make those moments count. People are listening and want to go deeper with you.   

- One-Liners: This might sound lame but another way to make the little moments count is also by thinking through declarative statements. Instead of always saying "Come on!” or “With everything you've got!”. Mix it up. Have some other one-liners in your back pocket, like; "Let's sing out in faith", "Make this your song", "Declare this truth,” etc… On the surface this may not sound like a big deal but don't take those little moments for granted. The reality is, people notice when you say the same thing over and over. 

 - Meet people where they are: Many people are rushing into worship from a crazy morning: Kids are crying, unresolved issues are still lingering, an argument on the way to church, etc...The reality is just because it's "time" to start worship doesn't mean hearts are ready. Don't get stuck to a formula by starting with a fast song. Start slower. Pray at the beginning. Read a call to worship. Maybe sing a simple chorus that builds into a song. Meet people where they are. Set the congregation up to "win" in their worship experience. Mix it up.

Identity Crisis

For Worship Teams:

Who are you when you're not leading?

Who are you when you're not playing guitar?

Who are you when you're not singing?

If you haven't read "How To Worship A King" by Zach Neede, I recommend it. He points out something that is so worth wrestling with  - the trap of function. The "my function must determine my identity" trap.  

It usually goes like this:

If I play guitar, I must be a guitarist. 

If I sing, I must be a singer.

If I lead worship, I must be a worship  leader.

Don't get me wrong, our functions matter. Our roles matter. But put function infornt of identity in Christ and things get messy.

Leading from function looks like this: Have you ever given feed back to a musician? Directions to a creative? Yup, you might as well have said you don't like them. It's an identity crisis and I'm guilty of it too.  

Zach Neese said "God didn't create you to only use you. He created you so that he could KNOW you."

What are you becoming known as? 

I heard a pastor say "the church doesn't need more talented musicians, it needs more Christ-filled humble worshippers who are also talented musicians." 

Worshiping out function alone will produce whatever your skill will allow. Worshiping out of your identity in Christ, aligned with your skill will produce a sound people can’t help but be compelled to. Because it’s more than just a skill you are offering, it’s a presence that you carry. That’s different. That’s set apart. How beautiful, right?

According to scripture - You are a friend of God (John 15:15), a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinth. 6:19), a Saint (1 Corinth. 1:2), you are purposed (Ephesians 2:10), set free, you have been called, qualified and ordained to lead people into new life.

Our function will come and go - our identity is eternal. It's the only steady ground worth standing on. 

Let's wrestle with this question together - When you show up on Sunday, what are you leading from? 

THE AIM OF WORSHIP

Thoughts Before You Lead:

As a child growing up in church I never thought much about worship happening outside the “4 walls” of a church building. I really assumed it was just another word for the music we played during service. Little did I know then that the word “worship” was actually filled with rich meaning and to understand it correctly is vital to the Christian faith.   

The New Testament Greek word for worship often meant “to fall down before” or “bow down.” Simply put the biblical meaning of worship is about a state of being. 

It’s important to know that worship isn’t a time, or place. Worship is an ALWAYS thing. Worship is not started; it’s aimed. So, the question is – where is my worship directed?

If I can be honest - the challenge for me is not necessarily for a church service to be Christ centered but for my life to be Christ centered. Getting off the throne of my life and putting God back on it every minute of the day. It’s pretty easy to worship when the music is great and the message is inspiring and you’re around people you like but the challenge is during the week. The challenge is during the “grey days” of your week, the “ordinary” moments.

William Temple, one of the great teachers of Church of England, unpacked worship in a powerful way. He said “Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His Holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of our will to His purpose.” This is huge. At the heart of this Temple is saying worship involves thinking, meditating, reflecting, processing, evaluating, and understanding what God has revealed to us of Himself. Simply put; worship takes intentionality.

How amazing is the power of Christ that comes alive in us when we live a life intentionally worshiping Him. When we intentionally aim our hearts and minds towards Him in the valleys of our lives and when we’re experiencing the mountain top. 

I spent many years of my life not even knowing that I was actually spending my focus and emotions worshiping fake gods. Understanding this word worship made a significant difference in my faith journey.

If worship as an always thing than the question is – what rules your time, energy, thoughts, longings and choices?