WTTU Special Public Post

“Too Many Hats” (Show #130) 7-18-17

#SixHats

2 min read | 30m Show

What Do You Do, Exactly? 

Being a worship leader or musical ministry leader is a big job. As a worship leader, there is no faster way to end your career in a church than to insist on wearing all the hats and being poor at helping others succeed. This does not mean you are not great at your strengths. 

It means that the combination of what you do and what you do through others matters greatly in ministry. Get this, and you will last longer.

Learn how to manage all the different hats of a worship leader by putting it on or giving it away.
 



7-18-17 WATCH SHOW #131




Get Rich’s Book:
The Six Hats of a Worship Leader  


The Six Hats of the Worship Leader

In my book, The Six Hats of the Worship Leader, I tackle this by giving a language for the various roles required that make up being a worship leader. Whether you are recruiting a leader for your budding youth group or in a large organization duplicating church campuses, the roles are all similar. Sometimes we focus so much on the visible parts of the role, that we fail to get help when the behind the scenes tasks stack up.

The six hats, in summary, are the following:
Worship Leader (upfront leading of songs), Music Director (literally music leadership), Technical Director (leading sound and technology), Service Producer (running all the stuff from off-platform), Administrator (budgets, calendars, people), and Shepherd (spiritual needs of the team members addressed). I explain in my book that you can “wear a hat, share a hat, or give a hat away” as a worship leader.

You should never wear all of these six hats! For one, it might be physically impossible once your second campus opens up and there needs to be two of you singing in front of your growing church. Or, your sound gear is now so complicated to setup that you need someone better than you to share that hat with you!

Here is a list of 10 consequences of holding on to too many hats as a worship leader.


Delegation is Key

1. Potential leaders will go unnoticed.
If you hog all the hats all the time, no one will get the message that you actually desire to include them. They will stay invisible to you and your church leadership. This then backfires over time as you then shoulder work that could otherwise be shared by willing and talented volunteer leaders.

2. You cannot take a vacation and enjoy it.
Yes, to survive long term as a church leader—especially if this is your job—you need to learn to take breaks. If you are the only one holding things together, it is what engineers call a “single point of failure.” That is not a good thing, by the way.

3. You are judged by your weaknesses.
When we do most or all of the work, the stuff that we are good at becomes overshadowed by what we are smarter to delegate to others. You may be great in front of people who love to be led in singing and prayer by you, but your band is ready to quit because you are not so good at directing music.

4. Burnout arrives too quickly.
Burnout at a younger-than-acceptable age is possible when you try to wear all the hats! And, if you are not as young, it is even worse for you. Lightening the load is not about being less tired as much as it is about being more effective, however.

5. Expansion means panic.
There will be a season when you are asked to grow your team, or expand it to fill additional services. If you are the “single point of failure” then all that stress will be felt in your gut. Those around you will walk on eggshells, wondering if you are a team player or not.  

[ctt template=”6″ link=”7Pl1I” via=”no” ] You should never wear all of these six hats! [/ctt]  

Tips for a Long, Successful Career

6. Those around you disprove your leadership.
Those around you prove your worth and effectiveness as a leader. Giving them opportunity to shine is what makes you shine when you are in a leadership role. How is your team proving your leadership?

7. People are not developed.
Tasks take up your time and people that need your development to succeed in the roles of leading worship take second place. How are you able to build a pipeline of leaders if you are putting your finger in all the leaks?

8. Spiritual temperature drops.
Stroking the fire in your own heart and having the focus of doing so with your team requires leadership. Are you a professional frontman of a band or a friend, mentor, and spiritual guide as well?

9. It is no longer any fun.
There is nothing frivolous about feeling joy in working in your gifts. This can sour, however, when your horde it all. If you find glory in being indispensable, you lose the joy in giving away those things you love to do. You see competition rather than multiplication. Legacy is built on what we give away to others.

10. Your job will end soon.
There is no way to end your career in a church than to insist on wearing all the hats and being poor at helping others succeed. This does not mean you are not great at your strengths. It means that the combination of what you do and what you do through others matters greatly in ministry. Learn this, and you will last longer.  
[ctt template=”6″ link=”7Pl1I” via=”no” ] Legacy is built on what we give away to others.[/ctt]

Give It Away

The last couple of years has shown that this model and way of explaining the role of worship leadership has helped many. Delegation, regardless of what ministry area you lead, is critical. If you want to learn more, please pick up my book or contact me! I have enjoyed talking with worship teams, worship pastors, college students, and churches all over the country.  


Rich Kirkpatrick is a writer, speaker, and musician. He was recently rated #13 of the “Top 75 Religion Bloggers” by Newsmax.com, having also received recognition by Worship Leader Magazine as “Editor’s Choice” for the “Best of the Best” of blogs in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

He is the author of, The Six Hats of the Worship Leader, building into the life of church ministry through consulting, coaching, and speaking. Rich is a ministry veteran, serving in roles from worship leadership, communications, to executive teams.

Currently, Rich writes for his blog RKblog.com, Sharefaith.com, and several other sites and publications. He teaches across the country for the National Worship Leader Conferences. As a musician, Rich is a songwriter and recording artist, currently with the group A Beautiful Liturgy while employed as a local church musician.


@rkweblog@BranonDempsey @worshiptt @WorshipTTU


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