This August, I will be leading a group of volunteers from our worship ministry on a trip to Maryland to participate in WorshipGod11. As I have spoken with some of the men and women who are serving our church on stage and in the sound booth on a regular basis, I’ve gotten some interesting responses. If you are wondering why it makes sense to take time away from your busy lives to study the practice of worship, you aren’t alone! I want to briefly share a few of the reasons why I am organizing this trip and why I hope that each and every worship volunteer in the church will consider going with me.  

As worship leaders, we have a very specific role to fill, but it can also seem very nebulous. Why do we worship? Why do we sing the songs we sing? What is the importance of corporate worship? In some cases, it is intimidating. What does it mean to be a lead worshipper? Does it matter what other people think? Are mistakes okay? These are questions that we all wrestle with as lead worshippers. By spending time studying worship together, we will grow stronger in our understanding of the gospel and how it should inform our worship. The gospel story shapes each and every worship service at Christ Community Church. It is a founding principle of our worship that each service would convey the gospel in its entirety. This sets us apart from many churches and often creates confusion. Why, for example, do we confess corporately in church? What happens when we sing our corporate confession? As we answer these questions together as leaders, we become more effective lead worshippers. WorshipGod11 will give us a unique opportunity to delve into these concepts as we continue to shape the direction of worship at Christ Community Church. Bryan Chappell, author of Christ-Centered Worship, will be giving the keynote presentation. His book has been a guiding force in the development of our worship services, and I cannot wait for everyone who attends the conference to experience his teaching.

In addition to rediscovering the core principles of worship, you will also have opportunities to enjoy workshops that are specific to your interests. In some cases, the people giving the workshops also authored many of the songs we sing together (Vikki Cook, for example, wrote “Before the Throne of God Above”). For sound and media volunteers, there is a “Demystifying Digital Consoles” seminar that I would love for someone to attend, among others. Above all, I hope that the worship team will find rest and enjoy spending time with other volunteers. The more we learn about each other and care for one another, the more effective we will be as a team.

Think about it. Pray about it.