The Ideal Worship Minister . . .

By Cathryn Comeaux and Knofel Staton

1. Models servant leadership characteristics with attitudes, actions, and reactions in accordance with Matthew 18:1-4 and 20:25-28; Luke 22:24-27; and the beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10.

2. Plans worship that is Trinitarian by giving balanced honor to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. Plans worship that is God-centered with congregational involvement and with a message for those who are not Christians (Isaiah 6:1-8).

4. Plans worship services with the reality that authentic worship is living drama””retelling the Christ event with the hopes that someone will catch the light.

5. Remains committed to and plans blended worship services with the blended church and the surrounding community in mind. That is, services that do not regularly exclude segments in the local culture by a style of worship, for such exclusion weakens the power of worship for introducing people to God and for changing them to godliness.

6. Develops worship services that help lift people to the “Holy of Holies,” sense the presence of the triune God, and foster connection with one another as equal members in Christ”s body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the family of the heavenly Father.

7. Engages in positive attitudes, actions, and reactions that serve the disciplines of music and worship that belong to the whole church in the following ways.

a. Develops a strategy for continuously discovering, tapping into, and using musical and worship talents and abilities from the wide diversity of the church members. This includes gifts in vocal and instrumental music as well as in drama and the other arts (poetry, readings, paintings, drama, and so on) in accordance with 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

b. Organizes and helps develop various musical expressions, such as soloists, ensembles, choirs, bands, orchestras, and so on, from the wide diversity of the membership, such as children, teens, and senior citizens in a wide diversity of styles, such as classical, traditional, and contemporary. And helps develop various worship expressions around such experiences as silence, meditation, prayers, Bible reading, preaching, Communion, baptism, confession, and so on.

c. Plans worship services that utilize balance in the style of music from psalms, traditional hymns, and contemporary choruses in accordance with Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.

d. Plans worship services that are calculated to honor God and connect members to theological and biblical content needed for maturing members toward Christlikeness in accordance with Romans 8:29; Ephesians 5:19-21; and Colossians 3:15-17.

e. Plans worship services that help seekers to better understand God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and themselves with the potential of deciding to become united to God through Jesus in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:24, 25.

f. Plans worship services with the whole membership in mind for the purpose of strengthening, encouraging, comforting, and building up the church in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:3, 12.

g. Plans and develops worship services that will help motivate members to understand that worship does not begin and end with any particular service, but is to be integrated into the “liturgy” of daily living in accordance with Romans 12:1, 2.

h. Develops other worship leaders who will lead worship not only on Sunday, but in many other settings as well.

i. Remains open to spontaneity in worship realizing that we are not to manipulate or control the movement of God among his people. Absorbs distractions during worship with humility, gentleness, and even gratitude.

j. Helps develop ways and means for family units to engage in ongoing worship during the week.

k. Maintains a willingness to let go of personal agenda and preferences in worship and musical styles.

l. Recognizes personal strengths and weaknesses and engages others to further enhance the strengths and to compensate for the weaknesses.

m. Incorporates changes slowly with a rationale that honors God and benefits the blended congregation.

n. Models personal and daily worship experiences.

Cathryn Comeaux, chairperson of staff relations at Meadow Park Church of Christ in Rochester, Minnesota, wrote this with Knofel Staton after discussing a worship minister job description for her own congregation.