Can an Unbeliever be Part of Your Worship Program?

As a worship leader it is vital that you just take into account the query of whether an unbeliever could be part of your worship program. I am often requested this question when two situations happen in a church: there are few team members obtainable for the worship program, and the one that shouldn't be a Christian is a really talented individual. In case you have a big church with many proficient musicians then the question may not affect you as much, but when your team is small and a very talented musician or singer is in the wings, are you able to willingly accept them into your worship program with a clear conscience?

What is the Worship Program Actually About?

When considering your team, it is advisable to cease for a second and ask yourself what the worship program is all about. Is it about having an awesome sound, or being professional or rocking the congregation’s socks off? Or is it about leading your church family into a deeper, extra meaningful relationship with the Lord?

I'd recommend to you that the worship program should be about leading individuals to God in worship. Certain, we need to be skilled and to play and sing to a high and delightful standard, but I'd counsel that these are secondary concerns in your worship program. A worship program is a religious event, not a live performance, so the concept that a non-believer can join your staff is surely out of phase with the aims of your worship program team.

Who Qualifies Somebody to Take Part in the Worship Program?

In teams that I've lead, one of the core necessities of workforce members is that they know Jesus and have a relationship with Him. Non-believers can undoubtedly play properly, sing well, and possibly perform effectively, but they don't have any concept of the very central idea of the worship program: closer communion with the Lord. Sure, we want it performed and sung brilliantly, but we don't want to compromise the spirit of our worship program simply to sound a bit better.

One of the first major worship program teams I assembled featured an excellent drummer who was not a Christian, however who proved to be a demanding and relatively aggressive team member. We had a backup drummer who was relegated to percussion, and who was just happy to be part of the worship program at all. When the unbelieving drummer didn’t trouble to turn up to observe twice over as a result of he stated he was ok, I appointed the Christian guy. He couldn't play as well, however he had an ideal spirit and understood what humility and serving within the worship program was all about.

Can the Worship Program Be a Tool To Reach Team Members?

In most modern church buildings, the stress is on worship leaders to sound nice and act professional (and this implies accepting talented people whose lives aren't proper with the Lord) and I consider that worship leaders have to make a stand in their worship program. I have heard of non-believers becoming Christians due to their involvement within the worship band, however I do not really feel that this is the way in which we should be operating. Why not lead them to the Lord first (when there is no such thing as a ego alternative at stake), then introduce them to the entire idea of worship, each private and corporate.

Using worship team involvement to win a talented unbeliever to Christ is a bit like marrying an unbeliever to witness to them and lead them to Christ. It's across the wrong way! It is tough to seize a true spirit of worship when the crew in your worship program is unequally yoked!

So, worship leaders and pastors, allow us to make a stand for what is true and ensure our worship team is targeted on the real process of leading individuals to Christ. We must worship in Spirit and in fact, not just have skilled music and presentation. Don’t allow your worship program to be held to ransom by gifted non-believers.