Man, there have been times when I hated hearing that phrase! “Just flow” is one those phrases I’ve often heard used to cover up when someone really doesn’t know what they’re doing! However, when it comes to worshiping God, “flow” is exactly what we want.

What is “the flow”?

Well, the opposite of flow is no flow. No flow is when the song list rules. No flow is when your team gets up there on a Sunday morning and runs through a list of songs. You do this song, and then that song, and then the other song. The order is always the same: three fast songs and two slow songs, or whatever the usual is. Nothing really happens in between the songs. And, truthfully, nothing really happens during the songs either. Because it’s all about the songs. The song list rules.

Flow is when God’s Spirit rules. Flow is when your team gets up there hungry for a move of God’s Spirit. Flow is when you use songs and don’t let songs use you. Flow is when no matter how many songs you use, there is a deep sense of one singular journey, one through-line of action: God’s Spirit moving God’s church towards God’s heart – in worship. Flow is when something powerful and holy is happening before, during and in between every song. The song list is not the vehicle, we are the vehicle, and God’s Spirit is the driver.

Why should we want the flow?

When there is no flow, the atmosphere set for a service is flat and cold. Then we find ourselves relying on the songs to hopefully, maybe, make something happen that is not really happening inside us already. So we launch into the atmosphere songs full of, well, not much, and that’s the atmosphere we set for the day: Not much.

We want the flow because we believe that God is in the midst of us when we gather. The same God who parted the Red Sea, the same God who fed the five thousand, the same God who healed the blind and raised the dead – this God is among us when we worship. We want the flow because God is not just a man-centred feeling or concept, but He is the Father, Son and Spirit and He has personality, desire, preference, agenda and we want Him to have His way. We want the flow because if we find the flow then when the music has stopped the flow will keep going.

Where does the flow lead?

The flow leads wherever God’s Spirit leads. Because He is the flow. We know where He leads because the Word tells us where He leads. According to John 14 God’s Spirit leads to a place where God’s people know the truth, are comforted by His presence and have peace in life. According to 1 Corinthians 12 God’s Spirit leads to a place where God’s people are united in love, with God and each other, powerful in serving, blessed with significance, gifted, anointed and ready to reach the world. And there are loads more scriptures that teach about where the Spirit leads! Get your study Bible out!

When I say “the flow” I’m not talking about goosebumps, emotionalism and shivers down your spine. I’m talking about edification. Edification is when people feel built up because they are built up. That’s when people are strengthened in their faith in God, fed by the Word of God, focused on their mission from God, encouraged that no matter what they may be going through God is at work in and through their lives. When a worship team flows in God’s Spirit, the room becomes full of edification as God’s Spirit leads God’s church to God’s heart.

Emotions are definitely part of the flow because emotions are part of being human in the presence of God. But the flow is not about emotion. The flow is about God settling, strengthening and sending His Church to be great and do great things in the name of Jesus. The Spirit leads us to everything that Jesus stands for.

The exciting thing about the flow of the Spirit is that although you know where He leads (in theory), you don’t always know how He’ll lead you there in the moment! There’s a dynamic in the worship that makes it somehow unpredictable. God has taken centre-stage and though we know He’s gonna do all of the above we don’t know exactly how He’s gonna do it. Who will He heal? Who will He save? Who will He turn from a destructive decision? Who will He deliver from a life-controlling habit? What will He say? What will He accomplish? How…?

Can we expect this atmosphere in every service? Why not? That’s part of the dream. And every service can be one step closer to it.

Where does the flow begin?

Prayer. It begins in prayer. Taking time not only to pour out our souls before God but also to listen to what He’s saying. What does He want us to pray about? How does He want us to pray? Becoming sensitive to these gentle leadings in the prayer time is the beginning of learning how to flow.

Personal life. In the place of prayer God will give us directions for what to do once we get up and continue the walk. He will impress things on our hearts – go call this person, go start doing that thing differently, etc. These are obedience checks. As we walk in obedience to the things we hear God speak in our hearts in the prayer time, we are stepping further into the flow.

Practice time. Be sensitive to those same gentle leadings of God’s Spirit during the practice time. A particular line or verse of a song may seem to carry something special that night, or you may sense a need for encouragement among the people, or the musicians may find a chord progression that seems to take you somewhere. Step out in obedience and faith and follow those leadings. Remember, it’s about building up the people…

Platform. What is birthed in prayer, walked out in the personal life and cultivated in the practice time will eventually overflow on the platform. Just follow those same gentle leadings. Sometimes you’ll get it wrong, but hopefully most of the time you’ll get it right! It’s all a learning process. What’s important is that you’re learning to step out in faith and obedience to the Spirit of God!

Flowing Orderly

When it comes to worship leaders flowing in God’s Spirit, there are certain things that every worship leader must be careful about.

1. God’s Spirit doesn’t lead contrary to God’s character. Study 1 Corinthians 12-14. Without love and order, you’re making a mess. Love God’s people and learn God’s order. Don’t miss an opportunity for God to move by responding in the flesh.

2. Our senior pastors sense God’s leading first. We must believe that. If our flow is not the same as their flow, we may not be in the flow at all. So stay in line by keeping your eyes open and watching the pastors, ready and willing to change direction at any time.

3. Although the proof of the flow can sometimes be experienced immediately, it will definitely be evident over time. Each service is a step along the journey. So commit to serving your church, your leaders and their goals with a long-term mentality. You flow as you grow, and you grow when you’re planted.

Now go take authority over that song list and find the flow!

Er… I’m a worship leader. I mean, a lead worshipper. Or a music minister. A music director? Maestro of music? Resident minstrel? New Testament psalmist…?! Whatever we call ourselves, what’s most important is that we’re the real deal and get the job done well.

Doing the job well is way more important than having position, prestige or perks. If you’re the real deal, you’ll just want to do the job well. Someone in the congregation once asked their worship leader: “Don’t you wish you could preach more often?” His answer was simple: “If I can’t just be faithful where I’m at then I have nothing to say anyways!” Don’t be someone who puts their security in having a position or title. Just love God, love His church and get on with the work. Understand what God put you there to be and, by His grace, be it! Here are a few thoughts on being a music ministry leader for you to munch on:

1. Don’t just see the problems; Be a Leader

Some people are very good at pointing out what’s wrong: “The songs don’t work, the sound’s bad, the team don’t pray enough, that sister sings too loud…” Those people may well be observant and insightful, but if all they see are problems then they are not leaders.

Some go past seeing problems to being able to point out solutions: “We need to use a different style of song, we need to upgrade our sound system, we need to teach our team how to go deeper in prayer, we need to coach that sister to blend her voice with the team…” Those people’s ideas may well be helpful, but if talking about solutions is as far as they go, then they are pointing the way instead of leading the way. They are not leaders.

You can A) see what the problems are and B) find out what the solutions are, but if you’re a leader you will then go into action, charting a course and taking real steps to move things from A) to B) – and people will follow you. Action makes the difference.

More than just being problem solvers, we have the opportunity to move things forward, to back our pastor’s vision and see things change for the better. Don’t be passive, don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. See what needs to happen, find the way to do it, and move things forward. It starts with us.

2. Don’t just hype the crowd; Be a Teacher

Think about it: every service there we are singing songs that make statement after statement about who God is, what He’s like and what He can do in our lives. We lead our church to make these statements, repetitively, again and again. What are we doing? We’re teaching people about God! We’re teaching theology! Your song list is a theological document. Put all those lyrics together, and you’ll see what picture you’ve painted of God and you’ll see how you’re teaching your congregation to relate to Him.

Some of us approach our song lists like DJ’s. “First we’re gonna do something really hype, really all out, and then we’re gonna “take them down into worship” – as long as the keys match that is…”

Well, er, yeah, maybe, kinda… But we need to pay more attention to our role as truth-teachers. If our song list is full of only “I feel this, I feel that” we’re teaching our people to be driven by emotion. If our song list is full of phat beats but no depth, we may be teaching them to dance but what are we teaching them about God? I’m talking about balance. We need to teach our people to see God and relate to God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. How much substance is in the lyrics of our song lists? Are we leading aerobics? Are we leading a bless-me session? Or are we leading worship?

3. Don’t just be musical; Be a Minister

Some non-musical people say that musical people are weird. Maybe we are! That’s part of the price of being artistic. Week after week we’re publicly pouring ourselves out, allowing music to rise up from deep inside us, carving into the air the sound of our souls. Some non-musical people struggle to understand what it feels like to expose yourself in song again and again, and then to hear everyone share their opinions on it. Is it any wonder we get so touchy about what we’re doing?! An artist’s music is an intimate expression of their very self for everyone to see! We want to get it right!!

So when people call us weird, don’t get mad. Anyone revealing themself so totally on a weekly basis is likely to be a bit weird! We are artistic. God is the ultimate Creator and He has blessed us with the privilege of creating powerful moments through music. But we must make sure we stay grounded. Perfectionism makes music more important than its purpose. The purpose of our music is to minister. If your music doesn’t minister, it’s not music ministry. We can’t get touchy about that. It’s not about us: it’s about God building His people. So if our music is carving into the air the sound of our souls, we better make sure our souls are right with God!

Be the real deal. Lead well. Teach truth. Make music that ministers. You’re more than a person with a title. You’re a music ministry leader.

Assess yourself:

1. A leader, by implication, is going somewhere. Where are you going? What are your goals for the next three months? Is anyone following?

2. The best teachers have both studied and experienced. Are you studying scripture or just reading it? Do you know why you believe what you believe? When’s the last time you took a real step of faith?

3. Ephesians 4:11-16 shows what happens when “ministry” is really happening. Is “ministry” really happening in and through your team?

Therefore, I would also say that the second most important day is worship practice day. You can only serve on the table what you cooked in the kitchen. Even if you add the most awesome side salad with the most amazing balsamic vinagrette and wash it down with the most outstanding glass of your most impressive (non-alcoholic!) drink, a microwave meal is still a microwave meal. Eventually, the church will experience from the platform what you’ve been experiencing in the practice. Yes, a worship practice should be an experience.

So, for a main worship service that’s truly, er… tasty… here are just five of the many elements I think should be part of those precious few hours spent together on practice day:

1. Hospitality

I think it’s great to walk into an atmosphere of prayer, but only if prayer is what’s really happening. If it’s just tired people, in from a hard day at work, grunting quietly in a darkened room, it’s perhaps not the best way to start a practice. I prefer people to walk into a bright room, drinks ready on the table, upbeat worship music playing. They can chat a bit, wind down a bit, have a laugh, make the transition from “out there” to “in here”, and then come together corporately to pray and worship. Hospitality communicates a message: “We’re glad you’re here. Thanks for your time.”

Q. What atmosphere do you set at the beginning of your practices?

2. Punctuality

Starting on time is a two way street. It says to your people “We don’t want to waste your time, so let’s get started” while at the same time teaches your people “We’re serious about what we’re doing so make sure you’re here!” Ending on time also sends a message. It’s not that we’re ruled by the clock. Sometimes it’s beneficial to start a little later than usual. And sometimes we just gotta get the work done and that might mean finishing late. (Or sometimes God’s Spirit just starts moving and you gotta go with it! I love it when that happens!!) But don’t start or end late due to lack of proper planning and preparation. That just tells your people you weren’t ready for them.

Q. Are your start/end times realistic?

3. Preparation.

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s seeing people just sitting there while leaders argue and debate in front of them: “No, that’s not how it goes!” “Yes, it is!” and all that. Boo. When people come we need to have things ready, or have the people involved in the process. It’s great to pull together and work out the harmonies together, or decide which breaks sound the best… just making the music a real team effort. But if that’s what you’re gonna do, plan for it! Don’t turn up with no sheets ready, no clue what you’re doing, winging the practice. The people’s time is worth more than that.

Q. Are you ready for your next practice? Are you sure?

4. Hard Work

When I went to kickboxing classes, I would leave each week feeling battered, bruised, sweaty – and entirely satisfied. If I’d have come out of the class feeling like I’d done nothing, that it was all too easy, that I hadn’t been challenged, I would have asked for my money back. People want to grow! I love it when a practice feels like a labour of love, when everyone’s challenged just beyond what they think they’re capable of. They should leave taking a deep breath, encouraged because they just went to another level. If one person is working like a dog and everyone else is chillin’, it’s time to change tempo. This is not my thing, it’s our thing! It’s the hard work of all of us that’ll make it happen. The team will work hard if the team’s dream is worth working for.

Q. Do you model a good work ethic for your team? Is your team vision-driven?

5. Encounter

If your practice is all about great music, you’ll bring great music to your service. But if all we bring is great music, we’ve turned into entertainers, and we’ve turned our congregation into a subjective audience. Every practice should be an encounter with God. The spirit of the music will be the experience the team had as they worked at it. Sometimes we compartmentalise our pratices too much: First the prayer time. Then the worship time. Then the Bible study time. Then the practice time. Then we go home. Boring. Be open to the move of God. Teach the team to be open to the move of God. I love it when we move on from “worship practising” to “worshiping”. Learning a new song? Then learn it quickly so we can move on to the good stuff: “using” the song to flow with God. Do that in the practice and the team will eventually bring it to the service.

Q. What is the spirit of the music you bring to your services?

They say about 90 per cent of communication is non verbal. The culture and atmosphere of our practices communciate things: they communicate how much we value our people, how much we value their time, how much we value the ministry God has given us, how much we value music, how much we value meeting with God. Your practice should teach the values that help build the service on Sunday morning. And for that reason, practice day is possibly the second most important day of your music ministry’s week.

Someone once told me: If you’re that bored it’s probably because you’re that boring! Time t0 get the passion back!

Maybe the reason you’re frustrated is found somewhere between Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” and Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision the people perish”. What brought you into music ministry in the first place? It was more than just wanting to sing or play. At some point there was a hope, a vision, a dream, of what singing or playing for the Lord would be like. But when dreams don’t come true, when hope gets deferred, then people perish and every service becomes a business-as-usual survival exercise. Singing or playing for the Lord was never meant to be like that.

Maybe your team needs a blank page. Over time, the page gets filled with:

“We can’t afford this” or

“They won’t do that” or

“He doesn’t like me” or

“I’ll never be as good as her” or

“They never let us go long enough” or

“They don’t understand us musicians”

or a bunch of other things.

The page gets filled with all the reasons why things can’t get better, or how things would get better if only this could be done or that could be done. You look at another music ministry somewhere and get depressed about your own because your page is filled with a long list of reasons why this has all become so boring and frustrating.

Maybe your team needs a blank page. Maybe you all need to sit down and re-connect to the hope, refresh the vision, remember the dream.

Try This…

If you were given the chance to design a worship service with no constraints, what would it look like? If you had all the money you needed, the venue, the people, the time…

1. What kind of songs would you use? What would the singers be singing? What would the band be playing? How many singers? What instruments…?

2. What would the room look like? What would the platform look like? How would everyone be positioned? What kind of clothes would you wear…?

3. How would the lighting be? How would the words be projected? What kind of mics and speakers would you use? What other arts would be involved…?

4. What would the atmosphere be like? What would be happening in the congregation? What would God be doing?

Oh, I know it’s easy to dream. But if there’s any hard work to be done, isn’t it better to start with a dream than with a frustration? Fill the blank page with the team’s dream. Pray as you write: “God, what do you want to do? God, what’s in your heart? God, give us a glimpse…”

… Then look at each other in the eye and discuss: What steps can we take to move on from where we are to where we want to be?

We can stop letting every weekend be more of the same. We can make every weekend one step closer to the dream.We can because God can. Elevate God, and not the problems. Elevate God, and not the constraints. If He is elevated, He’ll draw all people to where He is. Elevate God above the dream, and you’ll see how God can make the dream come the true.

And one last thing for now: Don’t despise small beginnings. It’s a blank page, a team with a dream and a God who can do it. Better than being bored, that’s for sure.