NWLC Notes: Day 2 (3 of 4)

"Assessing Your Worship Service" Workshop by David M. Edwards - Tuesday afternoon July 22, 2008. In his workshop, songwriter and worship leader David M. Edwards spoke mostly about whether there is life-change happening in your congregation. Here are just a few key nuggets:

• God has given us a platform, not a stage.
  
• If you're going to lead someone into the presence of God, you need to know the way in yourself.
  
• Are people engaging God? Can you sense the power of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit in the room?
  
• Too often, we in the church get caught up in the "sin" of personal preference.
  
• People rarely rise above what the senior pastor is doing experientially. People in your congregation will rarely go beyond where he goes in worship. His depth of worship, his participation level gives permission to the congregation. It doesn't matter what you as a worship leader do if your senior pastor is not engaging in worship as a worshiper.
  
• You have to teach people about worship. Biblical expressions of worship. An extended worship times like worship nights are good.
  
• Music, art, and nature are vehicles God uses to help us worship.
  
• It is the anointing of God that breaks the chains of bondage.
  
• People are desperately hungry to be touched by God.
  
• As a worship leader, here are some tips to assess your worship:

1. Once in a while, get off the platform and among the people. Blend in. How are they responding?
   
2. If there is something wrong in your church or leadership? If so, have the courage to stand up and speak up.
   
3. Stop assuming what God wants in a worship service. Ask Him!
   
4. Be willing to try something new. If we do something different, are we doing it to bring deeper meaning and to help people see truth?
   
5. Are lives being changed in your church? It's a reflection of your worship.
   
6. It's not just about the "worship," but the entire "message" of your services.