A worship leader is crucial to creating effective worship. A worship leader with both professional musical skills and spiritual maturity can shape the atmosphere and guide the congregants into worship.
Christian life revolves around public worship, and the impact of worship on one’s soul depends on both the preparation of the church and the individual. Much of the conversation around church preparation focuses on form and musical style.
Through observations of worship across different regions and conversations with believers, it is clear that older adults can be deeply engaged in modern worship, while younger people can also immerse themselves in traditional hymns or folk-style praise songs. The benefits of worship lie in the quality of the worship team, especially the level of skill and spiritual maturity of the worship leader.
Among the qualities pastors emphasize when selecting and training worship leaders, being filled with the Holy Spirit consistently ranks as the top priority.
During my visits, I was particularly impressed by two grassroots worship leaders.
One of them, a forty-year-old Christian man leading a youth fellowship in Shangrao, Jiangxi, relies not on professional abilities such as timbre, pitch, and intonation, but entrusts the worship sectors to young musicians who have graduate from music schools. The moment he draws people into worship is his confession led by the Holy Spirit.
When worship leaders intersperse spoken words with songs, it can help believers understand and engage with the hymns. But some leaders, though leading the congregation to respond to God with passion, struggle to move their hearts. The difference lies in whether they are Spirit-led at the moment. If the excitement is merely human-driven rather than Spirit-driven, it fails to resonate.
Another worship leader was a young brother who leads worship at a church in Guiyang during Saturday evening services. Guided by the Spirit, he adjusts instruments and rhythms according to the atmosphere, sometimes using the piano as the main accompaniment, at other times playing the erhu. He shifts from soft singing to loud repetition according to the spiritual atmosphere. When he speaks, kneels, and calls passionately, believers do not feel it is a performance, nor do they feel compelled to respond, as everything is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Whether in Chinese churches or in Western churches, pastors acknowledge that musical talent is not the primary criterion when selecting worship leaders. Yet, spirituality and professionalism are not mutually exclusive. Churches should strive to find worship leaders who possess both spiritual maturity and professional expertise.
During my visits to churches in Ningbo, there was a strong emphasis on the spirituality. Two churches there both had a large number of young attendees and preferred modern praise music accompanied by professional pianists, guitarists, and drummers. Before services, believers could be seen in prayerful preparation.
However, in one church, the worship leader often sang songs an octave lower, forgot lyrics when singing with closed eyes, or abruptly issued emotional calls to congregants. Though she is clearly a trusted pastor, her performance compromised the worship experience that evening. In contrast, the worship leader at the other church was both spiritually mature and professionally skilled; her adept singing maintained the flow of worship even in challenging and high-pitched parts, allowing hymns to linger in each person’s heart.
Musical expertise goes beyond singing ability; it also involves coordinating, harmonizing, and playing instruments. I once attended a Sunday worship where the drumbeat could have gradually built the narrative and emotional intensity of the main verse, culminating in a powerful climax. However, the worship leader frequently lagged behind, forcing the drummer to adjust, resulting in a fragmented rhythm. The intended climactic point that should have heightened the congregation’s experience turned into an awkward pause, diminishing the hymn's potential effect.
A spiritually mature worship leader understands the importance of their role and, for the benefit of the church and believers, continuously improves their professional skills. In other words, growth in musical professionalism is also the Holy Spirit’s transformative work within the individual.
基督徒的生活围绕公共崇拜展开，而一场崇拜对一个人心灵的影响取决于教会和个人预备两方面的努力。许多关于教会预备的讨论集中在形式和音乐风格上，选择传统圣诗还是现代音乐是个热门话题。但笔者参与各地实地礼拜的观察和与信徒的交流却发现，中老年人在现代敬拜中也可以非常投入；而年轻一代也会沉浸在传统圣诗或乡土小调赞美中。区别在于敬拜团队，尤其是敬拜主领的水平。
敬拜主领对产生一场“有效的”诗歌敬拜至关重要，具有专业音乐素养和灵性素养的敬拜主领能有效塑造氛围，带领会众进入敬拜。所有牧长给出挑选和培养敬拜主领的建议中，居于首位的基本都是这个人一定要被圣灵充满。
笔者走访中，对两位基层教会的敬拜主领印象深刻。
江西上饶一个青年团契的负责人，四十岁左右的弟兄。他所依靠的不是音色、音高、音调等专业能力，而是将专业的事情交由身边从音乐高校毕业的年轻人和乐团。但强有力地带人进入敬拜的瞬间无疑是他被圣灵感动而发的告白引导。
主领人在赞美中穿插话语能帮助信徒理解和进入诗歌。但不同的人说出口效果也不相同，有些主领人则即使再情绪激动、呼召引导，也难以在会众心中激起波澜。区别在于，他们当下有没有被圣灵引导，他们如此的激动是出于人而不是出于神。
贵阳一教会周六晚聚会带领敬拜的一位年轻弟兄，在敬拜中被圣灵引导。他通过感知现场氛围，调动乐器和节奏，有时以钢琴为主要伴奏乐器；有时则突出二胡，轻声吟唱、高声重复等都依现场流淌的属灵氛围。当他们分享、跪下、高声呼召，信徒不觉得他们在表演；不感到自己“被迫使”一定要附和，因为一切都在圣灵的包裹之中。
不论是条件相对受限的中国教会，还是在新教更长足发展的西方社会，当牧长遴选敬拜主领时都会承认，音乐才干决不是主要的考量标准。
但是，灵性与专业，这又并非二选一的问题，两者有其优先性。但各地教会尤其是县城及以上地区的教会，应该找到一位专业和灵性兼备的主日崇拜敬拜主领人。
笔者走访中，宁波地区教会对牧者与信徒灵性的关注较为突出。两个堂点的年轻人都很多，音乐风格偏向现代赞美；都有专业的钢琴、吉他、架子鼓伴奏，会前都能看到信徒在祷告预备。但敬拜当中，其中一个教会的主领人却时不时把歌曲唱成低八度；闭眼唱歌时忘记歌词，或者忽然言辞激动地呼吁信徒。能看出她是受本地教会信赖的一位牧者，但站在带领的位置，却实在破坏了当晚的敬拜果效。另外一个堂点的主领人在灵性成熟之余，也有专业的演唱才能；在有些诗歌音调过高而会众难以跟唱的部分，她游刃有余的歌声萦绕会场，让敬拜在每个人的心里持续发生作用。
音乐素养除了演唱水平之外，还包括调度、配合、团结乐器演奏的能力。笔者曾参加一场主日敬拜，本身架子鼓的节奏，能让主歌的叙事和情绪层层铺垫，积累渲染在高潮爆发。但那场敬拜的主领人却时常拖拍子以至于架子鼓为等待和配合导致节奏支离破碎。本身是渲染气氛影响会众的音乐高潮点，却因为拖拍子让主歌和副歌间多了一股诡异的停顿；完全没有了赞美诗原本可以实现的效果。
一个灵性成熟的主领人会因着明白自身位置的重要性；为了教会和信徒的益处，不断精进自己的专业。换句话说，音乐专业的成长进步本身也是一个人被圣灵激励而发生转变的体现。
【观察】有效的诗歌敬拜需要主领人具备两个基本素质——灵性与专业
A worship leader is crucial to creating effective worship. A worship leader with both professional musical skills and spiritual maturity can shape the atmosphere and guide the congregants into worship.
Christian life revolves around public worship, and the impact of worship on one’s soul depends on both the preparation of the church and the individual. Much of the conversation around church preparation focuses on form and musical style.
Through observations of worship across different regions and conversations with believers, it is clear that older adults can be deeply engaged in modern worship, while younger people can also immerse themselves in traditional hymns or folk-style praise songs. The benefits of worship lie in the quality of the worship team, especially the level of skill and spiritual maturity of the worship leader.
Among the qualities pastors emphasize when selecting and training worship leaders, being filled with the Holy Spirit consistently ranks as the top priority.
During my visits, I was particularly impressed by two grassroots worship leaders.
One of them, a forty-year-old Christian man leading a youth fellowship in Shangrao, Jiangxi, relies not on professional abilities such as timbre, pitch, and intonation, but entrusts the worship sectors to young musicians who have graduate from music schools. The moment he draws people into worship is his confession led by the Holy Spirit.
When worship leaders intersperse spoken words with songs, it can help believers understand and engage with the hymns. But some leaders, though leading the congregation to respond to God with passion, struggle to move their hearts. The difference lies in whether they are Spirit-led at the moment. If the excitement is merely human-driven rather than Spirit-driven, it fails to resonate.
Another worship leader was a young brother who leads worship at a church in Guiyang during Saturday evening services. Guided by the Spirit, he adjusts instruments and rhythms according to the atmosphere, sometimes using the piano as the main accompaniment, at other times playing the erhu. He shifts from soft singing to loud repetition according to the spiritual atmosphere. When he speaks, kneels, and calls passionately, believers do not feel it is a performance, nor do they feel compelled to respond, as everything is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Whether in Chinese churches or in Western churches, pastors acknowledge that musical talent is not the primary criterion when selecting worship leaders. Yet, spirituality and professionalism are not mutually exclusive. Churches should strive to find worship leaders who possess both spiritual maturity and professional expertise.
During my visits to churches in Ningbo, there was a strong emphasis on the spirituality. Two churches there both had a large number of young attendees and preferred modern praise music accompanied by professional pianists, guitarists, and drummers. Before services, believers could be seen in prayerful preparation.
However, in one church, the worship leader often sang songs an octave lower, forgot lyrics when singing with closed eyes, or abruptly issued emotional calls to congregants. Though she is clearly a trusted pastor, her performance compromised the worship experience that evening. In contrast, the worship leader at the other church was both spiritually mature and professionally skilled; her adept singing maintained the flow of worship even in challenging and high-pitched parts, allowing hymns to linger in each person’s heart.
Musical expertise goes beyond singing ability; it also involves coordinating, harmonizing, and playing instruments. I once attended a Sunday worship where the drumbeat could have gradually built the narrative and emotional intensity of the main verse, culminating in a powerful climax. However, the worship leader frequently lagged behind, forcing the drummer to adjust, resulting in a fragmented rhythm. The intended climactic point that should have heightened the congregation’s experience turned into an awkward pause, diminishing the hymn's potential effect.
A spiritually mature worship leader understands the importance of their role and, for the benefit of the church and believers, continuously improves their professional skills. In other words, growth in musical professionalism is also the Holy Spirit’s transformative work within the individual.
Worship Leaders Need Both Spirituality and Professionalism
