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1. Confessions Of A Burned Out Worship Leader / 32. The Life Changing Power Of Worship Leadership / 53. Creating Your Plan - The Vision / 84. Creating Your Plan - The Mission / 95. Creating Your Plan - The Execution / 10a. Weekly / 11b. Monthly / 11c. Annually / 126. A Vision Worksheet For Worship Leaders / 137. Share This E-book With Others / 188. About the Author & Contact Information / 19

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As I surveyed the worship team one morning, I was startled by the knot in my stomach. Was my life where it should be?As a worship leader, my life was revolving around weekends. From one stressful weekend to the next, I kept going.This particular Sunday was unique.It's not often that I'm afforded the luxury of simply attending church. Typically youll [ind me on the stage leading my band, singing songs, and engaging my congregation in worship; [irst to arrivelast to leave."What would it be like," I mused, "to wake up a little later on Sunday morning, enjoy breakfast with my wife, drive to church together, sit together, worship together, hold hands together, and leave together?" Other thoughts [looded my mind like, "Why do I do this worship pastor, thing? Why do I bust my butt every freaking weekend of the year for people who probably don't even like my music selection? Why do I put up with the countless it's too loud comments, deal with stubborn volunteer musicians, and serve on a pastoral team that doesn't understand me?"3

"I want out. I need to do my own thing," I thought. "This isn't worth it."I thought that's what I wanted, at least.God assured my naive self it was going to be OK.

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The truth is, I'm not called to leave the local church, but to serve it.I'm not called to display my artistic brilliance, but to foster it in others.I'm not called to deal with or put up with anything, but to disciple, envision, raise up, and release others to carry the torch."Yea, God. You're right."It saddens me to see so many young, gifted artists leaving the local church to [ind their purpose elsewhere.Why does the local church not capture their imagination? Have we become too self-centered? Have we lost something?I believe a worship team is an incredible place to disciple and train the next generation; to have in[luence on other's destinies; to pour into people who may do more than you could ever do on your own.Yet, I've wrestled with this religiously: what am I supposed to do? Sunday comes along too quickly, rehearsals resemble babysitting, and I just don't have time to do more than what is necessary to make Sunday happen. 5

"Raising up the next generation" is a sexy statement, but it's just not practical for me.If you've thought that, youre in good company. I've been there. And I've also found some ways to make sure we as worship leaders don't sink into a rehearsal-to-service-to-rehearsal-to-service rut where all we do is maintain a well-oiled machine of service execution. All that fosters is volunteer burnout, boring music, and mediocre worship for a congregation desperate for Jesus.We can do better. We must do better. And that's what this book is all about.In this brief e-book, I want to help you develop and execute a vision for your worship team. This is a book about action. Without action steps, we [lounder in the universe of good intentions and accomplish nothing. But you don't want to do that. You are committed and capable of so much more.This book could be subtitled "Time Management for Worship Leaders." We've all been confronted by well-meaning people who ask, "So what do you do all week?" After I consider a thousand snarky responses, I realize their question demands a thoughtful response. And if you're like me, you don't always have a good answer.We worship pastors should be investing our time more wisely. We need to dream massive dreams, love the local church, be faithful to the Gospel, pen visions that honor the vast creativity of our God, and execute with a contagious joy and passion.

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Sure, the nitty-gritty details of scheduling, rehearsals, and managing volunteers can't be avoided, but let's not stop there.That's what you can expect from this book - a plan that will help you move forward; a plan that involves more than singing songs, pulling off services, and warming people up for the message; a plan to move beyond Sunday. The responsibility and opportunity that awaits you, my friend, is great.Let's do this.

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1. The VisionWhat are you passionate about?When I became a worship pastor, I really struggled with this. I didn't know I needed a vision, let alone have time for it. I had become very good at being told what to do. What do worship leaders do? They pick out music, lead rehearsals, and sing songs on Sunday. And thats what I did.Eventually I realized I was coasting. I was doing what was manageable for me - riding the momentum of my personal skills rather than attempting the impossible with the help of a miracle-working God.Your vision needs to be audacious. We're not talking about what you can accomplish on your own. God movesor you fail. Thats the kind of vision you want to cast.We're not all called to look the same. There are similarities, but what drives you as a worship pastor may be different than what drives me. Are you into songwriting, discipleship, or arranging music? Why do you do what you do? My vision stems from my passions. I love teaching and discipleship. I love encouraging others and releasing them to do what they never thought they could do.

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2. The MissionWhat is the vision of your pastor? As worship leaders, it's easy for us to get a big head. We thrive on people liking our art. But the local church is not about being liked and pushing your agenda. Your "vision" must tie in with the overall "mission" of the church.Here I recommend having a heart-to-heart with your senior pastor. Seek to understand what he values - know where his vision is taking the church. If what you want to do doesn't support what your pastor wants, either change it or move on. Part of the reason why I'm so into discipleship and raising up other worship leaders is because of my senior pastor. He's built a culture of church planting, which necessitates raising up and releasing leaders.Submission is so important here. Be humble. Seek to learn. Carry your pastor's vision with all your might.

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3. The ExecutionWhat would it look like if you executed this vision?So now that you have your vision and it's tied into the mission of your church, it's time to execute. It's time to stop thinking, writing, dreaming, and to start doing. What would it look like if you didnt just schedule volunteers but actually discipled them in their relationship with Jesus?What if they caught a vision for their life that changed the course of their future?What if God used you to raise up and release an army of worship changing worship leaders, musicians, and songwriters?Sign me up.In order to make this practical, I like to think of discipleship in terms of my year. Maybe you want to name your year. For example, you could name your year the year of spiritual passion. You could focus your energies on building the spiritual intensity of your team. Whatever it is, you need to be speci[ic. Think WEEKLY, MONTHLY, and ANNUALLY.

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WEEKLYYour worship team is with you every week, at least for a rehearsal and a service. How are you using this time wisely? How are you intentionally being a spiritual leader, not just a musical one? I can tell you what I do. We have a weekly devotional moment on Sunday morning where we read Scripture, discuss it, and challenge one another to live a life of worship. We also pray before service and pray before rehearsal. In those moments, I'm trying to turn my team's attention to what really matters. What are you going to do?MONTHLYI [ind it also healthy to determine what you're doing on a monthly basis. You need to think more long term beyond your Sunday worship services. We do workshops each month. They range from the practical to the spiritual: rhythm section, worship leaders, songwriting, band [low, keyboard, etc. It's a great way for us to connect with new musicians and strengthen those we currently have. Also, we have a quarterly event we call "Refresh" Night. It's our vision checkpoint. We meet in a home, enjoy hanging out, and worship together. It's a time to step away from the routine and connect with God. What are you doing?

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ANNUALLYIts also important to do some long-term thinking. What are you doing on a yearly basis to strengthen your team? Should you go to a conference? Host a retreat? Plan one-on-one team member evaluations? Included in this category could also be long-term ideas you have for a year or two down the road. Put it in writing. Develop a plan of action. Don't allow it to live and die in your thinking. Make it happen.Ministry is less about what you do and more about what gets done through others. Its less about a growing task list and more about growing people. You will only accomplish so much if you merely invest your time, talents, and gifts in doing ministry. But when you begin investing in others - raising others up - you multiply your efforts.Don't live your life in the "I wish" realm. Don't [lounder in the prison of good intentions. Put your passion in writing. Start doing today, because we only have today to make a difference.I've included a worksheet to help you think this through.

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STEP 1: What are you passionate about? If there were no limits ([inancial, permission, or size), what would you want to accomplish with your worship team? Brainstorm and write everything here: 13

STEP 2. What is the vision of your senior pastor? Even if you think you know, I would recommend having a conversation about this. Hear his or her heart and write everything here: 14

STEP 3: Talk to your pastor about what you wrote in Step 1. Be open to feedback. Do your visions connect? Has he or she blessed what you want to do? Write the feedback from this conversation here: ` 15

STEP 4: Now its time to create your plan. Be speci[ic. For example, dont write, Im going to raise up the next generation of worship leaders. Thats wonderful, but write how you are going to do that. What steps are necessary to get there? Organize the action steps youre going to take weekly, monthly, and annually. WEEKLY MONTHLY

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ANNUALLY

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If you enjoyed this e-book, please share it with your friends. You can do so by clicking on the appropriate link below. Also, please leave a comment on my blog. Id love to hear how this book has helped you in your ministry. I also welcome your feedback so I can improve how I produce future e-books.Stay awesome! Facebook | Twitter | Comment

For more info, visit the Beyond Sunday page.

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David Santistevan is a worship leader, musician, and blogger. He has a passion to teach and raise up the next generation of worship leaders.He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife, Emily, and insane dog, Riley.Read more at davidsantistevan.com/aboutConnect with David here:Email | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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CopyrightCopyright by David Santistevan. All rights reserved.