Few worship leaders think their current job will be a short-term ministry or that their careers will be a series of brief stints marked by crisis, conflict and burnout. Yet this pattern is increasingly common. Why is this happening? 

The chief reason for the alarming burnout rate among worship leaders has to do with the lack of adequate training. They are simply not prepared to lead effectively in the complex and demanding environment of the evolving 21st century church. The lack of training, support and networking among worship leaders is taking its toll. For every successful worship leader there are several others with stories of pain, heartache and disappointment. Many of the best and most talented are collapsing under the load of unfulfilled expectations from their churches, pastors, teams, families, and most of all, from themselves. The sad truth is that many worship leaders are having to learn on the job, and the lessons aren't being learned fast enough. As a result the average tenure of contemporary worship leaders is alarmingly brief. 

In the space available here we can only hope to scratch the surface of how worship leaders can be better equipped for effective ministry for the long haul. I believe they will need to become intentional life-long learners, that is, men and women who seek actively to grow in four main areas: spiritual formation, musicianship, theological depth and ministry leadership. 

1. Spiritual Formation 
"The secret of being an effective worship leader," says veteran worship leader Monty Kelso, "begins with having the heart of a worshiper." Worship leaders are "lead worshipers," as pastor and author John Piper calls them, who lead while worshiping, not instead of worshiping. Yet the difficulties and demands of ministry often leave worship leaders with little or no extra time for personal worship and the care of their own souls. Are worship leaders too busy to worship? Eugene Peterson observes that the term "busy pastor" is an oxymoron. Busyness is not an indication of effectiveness, but rather a product of our own vanity and laziness (The Contemplative Pastor). On the one hand,we keep ourselves busy because we want to believe we are important. "The incredible hours, the crowded schedule, and the heavy demands on my time are proof to myself - and to all who will notice - that I am important." 

On the other hand, our busyness is often the result of allowing others to dictate our agendas. "It was a favorite theme of C.S. Lewis that only lazy people work hard," continues Peterson. "By lazily abdicating the essential work of deciding and directing, establishing values and setting goals, other people do it for us; then we find ourselves frantically, at the last minute, trying to satisfy a half dozen different demands on our time, none of which is essential to our vocation, to stave off the disaster of disappointing someone." 

Bruce Larson (qualify him as source) calls worship "wasting time in God's presence." From a human point of view worship doesn't accomplish anything. A cartoon I saw recently in Leadership sums it up nicely. The church secretary motions for a parishioner to enter the pastor's office saying, "Pastor isn't doing anything, he's just praying." From God's perspective, however, worship is the highest form of ministry. Worship and prayer are the work of ministry, not distractions from it. It is true that ministry activities can be worship, but they are not automatically so any more than sitting around doing nothing is meditation. 

So how can we prepare for the long haul of ministry? Here are some basic steps to learning the care of your soul: 

• Set aside a regular time for personal worship. Find a place where you can be alone without distractions or interruptions. Listen to worship music and sing along. Or take a walk and be silent. Meditate on scripture, such as the Psalms, and let the words and images of the Bible become the content of your praise and prayer. Many evangelicals are discovering the richness of the "liturgical" traditions, such as the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer, which is agold mine for personal worship. 

   

• Be accountable to someone else for your spiritual growth. We need to be in a small group or have a spiritual director. This may rub many of us Protestants the wrong way, but I believe we have misunderstood Luther's insight about the priesthood of all believers. He did not mean that there are no longer any priests, he meant we are all priests to one another. We do not need the mediation of any priest other than the High Priest Jesus Christ in order to have an authentic encounter with God, but our brothers and sisters may minister to us powerfully by keeping us accountable and focused as we grow deeper in our life with God. 

   

• Keep your marriage and family ahead of ministry. Fuller professor Ray Anderson likes to point out that the simplest test of spiritual growth is to ask your spouse if there is more or less love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) than last year. Sadly many worship leaders have their success in ministry undercut by failures with their families. God never asks his servants to sacrifice their marriages and families for ministry. Worship ministries are time intensive and put unexpected pressures on the home. Sooner or later you will need to make tough decisions and say no to ministry for the sake of your family. Maintaining proper balances between family and ministry commitments requires hard work and clear thinking. It also requires open, honest communication with your spouse and those to whom you are accountable in ministry. And when crises arise, don't be afraid to get outside help such as marital and family counseling to help you set reasonable boundaries.

2. Musicianship 
A worship leader I know told me recently that he has all but given up playing his instrument. He is so busy managing his ministry that he has little time to practice, and he frequently bumps himself out of the lineup on Sundays to make room for other players. I couldn't help but note the wistfulness in his voice, so I asked him if he missed playing. "Yeah," he said, "I really do." As musicians, worship leaders lead other musicians by example. How can team members be expected to practice if the leader doesn't? How can we expect musicians to improve if we're not improving, but getting rustier instead? 

• Rekindle your love for your instrument. Worship Leaders' Workshop clinician Scott Andrews likes to point out that if you knew that the finest musician in the world planned to attend your church next Sunday, you might just practice a little more this week. When in fact, we play for the Creator of music every week, and we honor Him when we play skillfully. Don't be afraid to take lessons if they are needed. Many of the best vocalists and instrumentalists still do. It pays to study your instrument, and to learn (or re-learn) the theory. There are plenty of resources for self-directed learning, including books, instructional videos, and websites. Above all, learn to read music if you don't already. It may be hard, but you'll be glad you made the effort. No matter how well you play by ear you will increase your effectiveness significantly as a leader and a musician if you can prepare and follow charts. 

   

• Become a more versatile musician. If you are a keyboard player, for example, you can learn modulation and improvisation to improve "flow" between songs. Learning underscoring will help you add musical dimensions to other elements of your service. Mastering MIDI technology will further expand your versatility. Acoustic guitar players should move on to electric guitar or bass. 

  Learning new musical styles on your instrument increases your versatility. A musically mature worship ministry will have a "signature sound," a style that is most comfortable for the congregation, but it is important not to let the sound become totally identified with one style. Worship leaders can create an atmosphere of experimentation and exploration of new musical styles by modeling maturity with their own growth as musicians. 

   

• Rekindle your love for music. Spend time simply listening to music. Many worship leaders complain that the only music they have time to listen to are the worship CDs they scour in search of new songs for their congregations. Become what Wheaton professor Harold Best calls "a musical pluralist," by expanding your horizons by listening to unfamiliar musical styles. Go to concerts and watch videos; study the masters and learn from their art. By learning music at a deeper level and continuing to improve on your instrument, you will communicate to your worship team, and to the congregation, a high value for the role of music and the importance of musical excellence. Your enthusiasm will rub off on others, and your passion for ministry will return.