This April, students at Howard Payne University were given the opportunity to participate in HPU’s first Worship Leader Lab. This lab gave students the opportunity to learn from several worship leaders from across the state, many of whom graduated from HPU.
Dr. Chris Rosborough, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities said that Dr. Gary Gramling approached him early in the fall of 2020 about spearheading the Worship Leader Lab.
“This course would cultivate an opportunity for students considering worship ministry (in music or otherwise) to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the practical and spiritual elements of what it means to ‘lead worship,’” said Rosborough.
Students spent a week learning from worship leaders, each of whom presented a different aspect of worship and shared their unique stories of leading worship.
Kris Redus, minister of music at Second Baptist Church Corpus Christi, has led worship since he was 12 years old and felt called to ministry in college.
“In my senior year of college, I felt called to worship as a vocation. I went on to seminary and have been at Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi for eight years,” said Redus.
Like Kris, several of the leaders who presented have been leading worship from a young age.
Katie Kresge, minister of music at Christ Church in Cedar Park, grew up in church.
“I grew up in the church as a pastor’s kid, so I was singing in the church from childhood. But it wasn’t until I was a sophomore in high school when I started getting the opportunity to lead worship in our student band,” said Kresge
The summer after Kresge’s junior year he felt God leading him into worship ministry.
“I felt God leading me, and I had many loved ones who knew me well to affirm that calling on my life,” added Kresge.
Many of the worship leaders who taught during the lab began leading worship at their home churches.
Corey Ash, music minister at Crestview Baptist Church in Georgetown, began his story at the age of 18 in his home church.
“My first experience in leading worship was at 18 years old. We had a music minister leave our church right in the summertime. My dad, who was the pastor, asked if I would fill in until they found someone,” said Ash.
While most of the worship leaders who taught at HPU’s Worship Leader Lab grew up leading worship, some did not start until later in life.
Zach Neese, care pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, said, “I didn’t want to lead worship when I first got saved. I wasn’t saved in a church, so I would just go into my bedroom and meet with God and the Spirit of the Lord would show up in my room. When I first got saved, I didn’t like the church and I didn’t like Christians. Finally, some of my Christian friends brought me to church. It took me a while to get to a place where I was comfortable in that environment. One day, a small group of my friends asked if I would lead them in worship. I was so self-conscious about them looking at me that I made them turn around and face the back wall while I led worship. They didn’t sing any of the songs I was leading, and I broke two strings on my guitar, so I was really frustrated. But after, people kept coming up to me and telling me how much they enjoyed it. I started leading in small groups, and opportunity led to opportunity.”
Each of the worship leaders who taught at the Worship Leader Lab brought a unique perspective and practical advice for leading worship.
“A huge thing is truly caring for your people,” Redus said. “Choose your songs and build your worship sets wisely. Allow God to put on your heart the needs in the lives of your people and what they need to sing. Musically, it’s important to present that in a clear, exciting, and dynamic way, but also to step back and not make it about yourself.”
“You will be tempted to seek a life of being known by many.
“But all of that is empty striving. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), and He will give you everything you need. I’ve known far too many worship leaders in my somewhat short career that wanted fame or recognition more than Christ himself. I’m guilty of it myself, at times, if I’m honest. And many of these friends are either no longer in ministry or, even worse, not walking with God at all. I’m not saying these things happened solely because they wanted to be famous, but I am saying that we need to keep our eyes on Him. He is the end, not the means to another end,” said Kresge.
A prominent theme throughout the week was leading yourself in worship, a discipline that was reflected in the advice of several worship leaders.
“Have personal worship! Be yourself, don’t try to pattern yourself after anyone else. God made YOU be YOU. If He’s called you to a specific task, He’s already created you specifically for that calling and task. If you try to be anyone other than yourself, you will quickly find that you are short-circuiting what God has prepared specifically for you,” Ash said.
“My main piece of advice to young worship leaders is to learn to lead yourself in worship before you try to lead anybody else in worship. If you can’t lead you, you can’t lead anyone else. Before I ever stepped into worship leadership, I was leading myself into the presence of God. I would also tell young worship leaders to start small. Lead small groups, it’s a great setting to learn in. There’s a reason that there are baby steps in ministry because that’s where you learn by repetition,” added Neese.
The HPU Worship Leader Lab was an excellent opportunity for students to hone their craft, get hands-on, practical advice from experienced worship leaders, and grow in their calling.
“I think my hopes were surpassed: that students would experience the nuance and intimacy of what it means to be a ‘priest’ in the world. And that while music was the backbone of the course, the profound a-musical element of the worship leader was the quintessential take-away,” said Rosborough.