Worship Philosophy:
Joel Willoughby, New Life Worship Pastor
First of all, as a Christian, I believe that my whole life should be an act of worship, not just the praise songs I sing on a Sunday morning. (Our worship is a lifestyle that grows out of our relationship with Christ).
Songs of praise in the context of a church service are important for the corporate worship of a church family. I believe that a worship leaders role is to lead the songs of praise in a way that would inspire worship ‘in spirit and in truth’ from the congregation. I also believe that the songs of praise should set the tone for the message, and that they should complement the scripture readings for the day. That way the congregation is already thinking about the themes that are going to be touched on; their spirits are ready and their minds are open to the word of God. The music should be led as artfully and skillfully as possible, but in a way that does not attract too much attention to oneself.
There are many different styles of worship and a number of different models and ways to craft a worship service. My preferred style of worship is upbeat, while also being meditative and intimate. The model of worship that I usually employ is ‘blended worship’. This employs a mix of choruses (new & old) and hymns.
Leading worship is something that I slowly grew into, but also something that I feel I was created for. I love leading a congregation into the presence of God, and I try to be as sensitive as possible to the leading of the Holy Spirit while choosing the songs. I strive to pick songs that will correspond with the given scripture readings for the service, and with the theme of the sermon. My role is to be as invisible as possible while working towards a service that gives glory to God and magnifies his word. This is stated by Jesus in the book of John:
A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4 v. 23-24).
The Psalms are some of the most loved scriptures for me, and I find myself returning to them again and again for inspiration. Psalm 100 simply states:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 40 also states:
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (Verses 1-3).
The Psalms present a model of worship that is authentic both in good times and bad. They present vibrant praise, but also intimate laments and honest prayers to God. I believe that our worship needs to be balanced in such a way that will reflect who God is - as He meets us in the midst of the realities of this life. These are some of the things that guide me in my own personal worship, as well as when I’m preparing a set of songs for a service of corporate worship.
Here at New Life, I can sense that we’re getting to the place where the praise & worship doesn’t rely on just ONE person, but it’s something that is shared by all the teams. I can sense that we’re getting to the place where style and song choices don’t matter quite as much…but worship that is led by the Spirit truly does matter...
Personally, I like the different styles and personalities on all the different teams - and I think that the church appreciates them as well. We all lead a little differently and that is OK! I don’t want everyone to be leading a worship service exactly the same way. I think all the teams here are doing a great job and I’m glad to be a part of things here!
Something to keep in mind is that we also have a Saturday night service now - so that is another opportunity to be a part of the worship here at New Life – especially if you can’t make it on a Sunday morning. I would encourage you to be a part of our worship here at New Life!
- Joel Willoughby
First of all, as a Christian, I believe that my whole life should be an act of worship, not just the praise songs I sing on a Sunday morning. (Our worship is a lifestyle that grows out of our relationship with Christ).
Songs of praise in the context of a church service are important for the corporate worship of a church family. I believe that a worship leaders role is to lead the songs of praise in a way that would inspire worship ‘in spirit and in truth’ from the congregation. I also believe that the songs of praise should set the tone for the message, and that they should complement the scripture readings for the day. That way the congregation is already thinking about the themes that are going to be touched on; their spirits are ready and their minds are open to the word of God. The music should be led as artfully and skillfully as possible, but in a way that does not attract too much attention to oneself.
There are many different styles of worship and a number of different models and ways to craft a worship service. My preferred style of worship is upbeat, while also being meditative and intimate. The model of worship that I usually employ is ‘blended worship’. This employs a mix of choruses (new & old) and hymns.
Leading worship is something that I slowly grew into, but also something that I feel I was created for. I love leading a congregation into the presence of God, and I try to be as sensitive as possible to the leading of the Holy Spirit while choosing the songs. I strive to pick songs that will correspond with the given scripture readings for the service, and with the theme of the sermon. My role is to be as invisible as possible while working towards a service that gives glory to God and magnifies his word. This is stated by Jesus in the book of John:
A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4 v. 23-24).
The Psalms are some of the most loved scriptures for me, and I find myself returning to them again and again for inspiration. Psalm 100 simply states:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 40 also states:
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (Verses 1-3).
The Psalms present a model of worship that is authentic both in good times and bad. They present vibrant praise, but also intimate laments and honest prayers to God. I believe that our worship needs to be balanced in such a way that will reflect who God is - as He meets us in the midst of the realities of this life. These are some of the things that guide me in my own personal worship, as well as when I’m preparing a set of songs for a service of corporate worship.
Here at New Life, I can sense that we’re getting to the place where the praise & worship doesn’t rely on just ONE person, but it’s something that is shared by all the teams. I can sense that we’re getting to the place where style and song choices don’t matter quite as much…but worship that is led by the Spirit truly does matter...
Personally, I like the different styles and personalities on all the different teams - and I think that the church appreciates them as well. We all lead a little differently and that is OK! I don’t want everyone to be leading a worship service exactly the same way. I think all the teams here are doing a great job and I’m glad to be a part of things here!
Something to keep in mind is that we also have a Saturday night service now - so that is another opportunity to be a part of the worship here at New Life – especially if you can’t make it on a Sunday morning. I would encourage you to be a part of our worship here at New Life!
- Joel Willoughby
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