Developing Future Worship Leaders
Following God’s Plan of Reproduction
As a worship pastor, one of my greatest responsibilities is to develop worship leaders and future worship pastors. In any ministry of the church there should be an ongoing development process of church members reproducing themselves. In Matthew 28:19–20, what is known as The Great Commission, Jesus commissioned His disciples with His plan for the spread of the good news of salvation. His plan was for the disciples to “go and make disciples.” In other words, “go and reproduce what you are.” So what were they? The greek word for disciple is mathētḗs, which generally means “learner, pupil, and apprentice.” As disciples of Christ, we are learners who are to teach others what we have learned, so as learners they can teach others what they learn. Discipling others began with the teachings and actions of our Lord Jesus and is God’s plan for spreading the gospel.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20
The reproduction process in the work of the church also involves mentorship. God uses spiritual mentors in the development of members of the church body for service. Where discipleship involves teaching the ways of Christ, modeling faith, and encouraging spiritual maturity, spiritual mentorship involves an experienced and trusted advisor equipping and assisting another in specific work of the church, while encouraging them to reach their full potential for God’s glory.
Another way to look at mentorship and ministry development is to simply help someone get to a place that you have already been. Pastor and Author John C. Maxwell once wrote, “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” Once a person has reached their destination, most often their journey is just beginning. One that has been mentored well knows the importance of mentoring, so they in turn become a mentor.
“One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” John C. Maxwell
A Personal Story
One of the joys of my ministry has been mentoring interns and worship ministry staff. One such intern from several years ago was a college student, Andy Williams. Andy led with our Sunday worship team, and also led our student worship teams on Wednesday nights. He was a great mentor to students and my two sons played in the student band and benefited from his leadership. I loved how Andy would encourage and pour into them. His talent and leadership of our students was such an asset to our ministry, but I don’t believe he knew his full potential. Andy had a great work ethic. He lived an hour’s drive south from the church, worked the graveyard shift at Walmart, and was engaged to be married as soon as his fiancée graduated from college. Just after they were to be married, his then wife would begin a nursing residency in Memphis, just over an hour’s drive southeast from the church. Andy’s plan was to continue interning at the church, work at Walmart, and live somewhere in the middle of all of the destinations he and his new wife would have to maneuver each week. We had some great talks and prayer times working through God’s best for his future marriage and ministry. I had a choice to make. Should I encourage Andy to continue in his plan to serve as an intern under my leadership? After all, there would be such a void in our ministry without him. Or, should I encourage what I sensed to be God’s best for Andy and his future wife and ministry?
The choice wasn’t a difficult one at all. I believe God was leading me to encourage Andy to consider moving to Memphis and begin a search in the area for a church in need of a Worship Pastor. It wasn't long before he was interviewing with a church 30 miles south of Memphis in Senatobia, Mississippi. After serving as Worship Pastor there for six years, Andy served as the Student Worship Pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Nashville and now serves Long Hollow as Lead Worship Pastor. Andy and his wife Kristin have two beautiful daughters and a blessed life in Nashville. Today Andy is making disciples and mentoring many at Long Hollow and throughout the Nashville community for God’s glory.
I am blessed to have many wonderful stories from my experiences through years in ministry. One of the blessings of ministry is to reproduce yourself by making disciples and mentoring those who serve the church, including those who have been called to vocational ministry. I truly believe the joy, blessings, and fulfillment that comes from reproducing yourself is evidence that it is God’s plan.
