Aspiring worship leaders tend to prioritize one aspect over another in any decision for a worship leader school.
This article talks about the theology, calling, spiritual formation and the various responsibilities that pertain to worship leadership.
Find out why these aspects combine to highlight why education is so important at a worship leader school.
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A worship leader school should promote a personal, but a biblical philosophy.
It is important to have a personal worship philosophy because it provides a framework from which you build a worship ministry and worship culture in whichever church you are leading.
It is important for each worship leader to have their own understanding of:
This is something you can gain from going to a school that teaches worship leading. There are different courses that offer those teachings about worship leading and biblical philosophies.
Learn More about how you can earn your degree in the field of Modern Music with a Worship Leadership concentration from Visible Music College.
Many people believe that there is debate about whether or not worship leading is a calling.
If we look back in scripture, original worship leaders were found in the tribes of Levi and they were chosen to be priests and were called by God for that purpose of worship leading. It was not unlike a worship leader school in Biblical times.
When we look at worship leaders today, if you can play an instrument or sing really well the next step is to be a worship leader and immediately enroll at a worship leader school. Truthfully that is not the case in scripture and especially when we look at the passages related to leadership in the New Testament.
Worship leading is a heavy responsibility that God does not take lightly. Therefore it is something we should not take lightly.
Adding in the additional role, leading people in worship is another responsibility of being a leader in church. A worship leader really needs to have confirmation from other people in their life and also confirmation directly from the Lord that they are being called to do it, and that they are taking it very seriously.
They are seeking guidance and wisdom on how to best pursue becoming a worship leader, and how to be truly what the church needs.
"You don't know, what you don't know" is a popular saying and it is true of anything, even worship leading.
Some of the reasons why we encourage someone to pursue an education in worship leading is that there's so much to learn - even studying the Bible.
We could read it everyday for the rest of our lives and still get so much out of it and never really find the end of spiritual growth that can be found.
The more you study the more you are likely to grow. Specifically when it comes to worship leaders and studying, one of the key things that a worship leader needs to know how to do is grow spiritually and learn specific disciplines like pastoring, prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and learning what scripture has to say to let it shape them into the worship leaders they are meant to be.
The more you study the more you should start to see those things come into fruition naturally as you're learning about it. Ideally it becomes a desire for you to grow in those things, see the fruit from what you're studying, and it only makes you capable to lead people God has placed in your path.
One of the main responsibilities of a worship leader is spiritual leadership, which we already discussed above.
To go further, spiritual leadership is similar to that of a pastor.
Ultimately you're given responsibility over a group of people - large or small. You're leading songs, small groups, bible studying and people are going to be in your care. This aspect has been dumbed down over the years and needs to be brought back up to the surface as a very important part to this role.
You are ultimately helping people wherever they're at in their walk and in their journey with the Lord and also trying to help them go deeper to learn more about worship and to be the type of worshipper that God desires. The more seriously a worship leader takes this aspect of this role, the more fruit you will see in your church of people growing spiritually because of your leadership.
Pastoral leadership is essential to worship. Think of it this way - if pastors attend seminary then a worship leader school could be appropriate for worship leaders.
Another aspect of worship leading is musical skills.
These will be more practical things that a worship leader needs. They should be proficient if not advanced in their musical abilities so that they can lead a band well.
This includes understanding basic music theory, knowing how to read chord charts, creating music transitions between songs, how to map that out for their instrumentalists, and how to communicate in a band setting.
Music skills go beyond even your own individual ability with your instrument and your voice, it should understand other instruments that would potentially be in your worship band so that you can lead them well in their own language.
This is something that going to a worship leading school can help you improve in those areas.
A worship leader needs to have some administration abilities because a lot of times you will have to organize services and people.
Beyond putting together a worship set, organizing the music, and communicating to the different departments that need to know about the service, you’re also having to organize your team, replacements, volunteers, paid musicians, or having to sort through those administration details.
A lot of churches want planning far ahead, so you may be planning how to think about Christmas services in July. Having an admin mindset as a worship leader and understanding that it is not just about the music, but it's also about the organization.
The better organized you are, the more likely things will flow and move in a better direction to create a better culture of people who have to work with you.
Many online worship leader schools are offered in live formats where professors and students interact in real time. This of course is crucial during the pandemic.
A theological education and tangible worship training experience is not the same without the option of having an open campus. After all, no library of youtube or recorded videos can do justice to a theologically based worship training program.
Perhaps the best choice these days is a mix or hybrid of both online and on campus study. However, not every school is equipped to provide the resources for both.
According to ShareFaith, Visible Music College ranks among the best as a worship leader school that also offers programs and degrees in other departments.
We recommend talking to people you know who are in the music industry but also have a strong Christian walk. Be it mentors, pastors or trustworthy friends, they are probably in a good position to provide sound advice for your music career in the music industry, church and everywhere else.
Also be sure to check out our comprehensive overview of a worship leader ministry for more topics and resources about worship ministry in general.
The Worship Leadership Program at Visible will prepare you for everything as a worship minister. Request more information about Worship and Modern Music.
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