Wonders and signs…

Glad and generous hearts. Devotion. Awe. Have you ever read Acts 2:42-47 and longed for the exact things being described? As a young worship pastor, I read these words and felt an immediate, intense connection to the passage. I thought to myself, “if ever I had the chance to lead a worship team, this would be my template.”

• 42 They devoted themselves to the teaching, fellowship, and the breaking of bread.

• 43 Awe came upon every soul.

• 44 They were together and had all things in common.

• 46 …received with glad and generous hearts.

• 47 (praised) God and had favor with all people.

This has to be the dream for any person in ministry, right? Deep devotion, continued connection to the Holy Spirit, and a sense of family.

I believe many young worship pastors are sold out to this vision of kingdom-work, from being a part of a unified body, to being a part of helping to create moments of awe and connection with God but struggle with the realities of ministry. Unfortunately, church-politics, musical differences, and generally the intricacies of people expressing and being themselves can divide worship teams fast.

So how do we combat these things and still maintain a sense of continued awe for the long run?

If there’s one thing that the Acts 2 Church can teach us, it’s that any good we do as a team is a result of the Holy Spirit’s presence and our recognition and surrender to him. These early church starters had no formal training of leadership, nor a manual or blog forum to ask questions to. As leaders, their success depended solely on a reliance of the Holy Spirits’ work. Today should be no different for us. So, invite Him in! To every practice, rehearsal, dinner, gathering, and prayer. Our worship and meetings mean little without Him.

Finally, utilize these verses in Acts as a blueprint to follow. Encourage each other to be devoted to God’s word. Maintain a sense of awe by taking an extra moment out of your rehearsal to focus on God’s goodness. Be together as often as you can, share a meal, and find common ground with your volunteers. These things will transform a worship team from a group of strangers into a family of believers.