2 Keys to Relating Better with Your Pastor

One of the greatest strengths you can develop as a leader is to learn how to relate well to the leaders running alongside you and the leaders serving over you. Understand and recognize the leadership position you have. Are you part of the pastoral staff as the worship leader? Does the pastor want you to be a part of the larger church leadership team? If you don’t know, then these would be some great questions to start a discussion with your pastor.

One of the greatest strengths you can develop as a leader is to be a servant of others.

Pastors aren’t holding back God’s presence. They’re seeking Him to the best of their ability and striving to fulfil the vision He gave them. There’s nothing worse than a worship leader who thinks he knows how to lead the church better than the senior pastor. Senior pastors have many challenges, so many time-consuming challenges that we don’t fully understand. We’re there to serve them and the vision they feel God has given them.

Worship leaders: Your job is to serve your pastor and congregation.

Always give suggestions humbly and if you’re called to be a part of that leadership table, then go for it. But if you don’t fully agree with decisions about vision, purpose, or scheduling, submit to what the larger team has decided. I’m not saying that all pastors and leaders are perfect—I’m saying that it’s our job as worship leaders to submit and serve the primary shepherds over our church. Of course this goes without saying - as long as what they're asking you to do is in line with God's Word.

Let me leave you with a final thought. I realize that in our culture today this isn't a very popular topic. Words like submission, serving, and humility can be a challenge as we're being trained to be more and more entitled. But I encourage you to pursue these two keys to relating better with your pastor:

1. Begin asking God how you can better serve and submit to your pastors and leaders.

2. Do a quick Bible search and see how many verses talk about submitting to leaders and those in authority. (There are a lot!)

Pray and ask God to help you put His words into action.

I'd love to hear what you find.

Are You Ready to Take Your Worship Leading to the Next Level?

Check out the Worship Leader Academy, where you'll find a variety of courses designed to help you develop the mindset and skills needed to excel for the long haul as a worship leader. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just starting out, my programs offer valuable resources and coaching to help you grow in your calling. Visit www.justinrizzotraining.com to learn more.