Q: Some worship leaders speak very little; others talk almost as much as the preacher. How much should a worship leader talk?

A: Like a family, every church has a distinct personality. Your church's personality will depend on its size, leadership, culture, and strategy. But the most important variable is the senior pastor's philosophy of ministry.

I believe my role as a worship leader is to serve my senior pastor's philosophy of ministry. I trust that the Spirit of God is leading him, and through the Spirit he leads me. That means what I do on the platform should be shaped more by his philosophy of ministry than by my personality or worship style preference.

If this is clear in the mind of a worship leader, it helps establish trust between the senior pastor and the worship leader. As a result, when I lead weekend services at Saddleback, I am free to speak whenever I want for as long as I want. If I feel led to speak, I speak. But it also means my pastor has the freedom to ask me to speak ...