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#18: Why Worship? 5 Ministry Vital Signs pt.1
85 Plays7 days ago
Show Notes
In this first of five episodes speaking into the Five Ministry Vital Signs, Rich is joined by student pastor Ryan Brown and worship leader Jimmy Gillespie to unpack a foundational question for every ministry leader: Why does worship matter?
Together, they explore how worship is far more than just a musical set before a message—it is a spiritual catalyst that prepares hearts for an encounter with God and shapes the culture of a healthy ministry.
Together, they unpack how worship prepares the heart for an encounter with God, unifies the ministry, and sets the spiritual thermostat before the message begins.
Through practical insights and real ministry experience, the discussion goes into the critical connection between worship and teaching, the importance of unity between leaders, and how worship helps reveal the spiritual temperature of a room. The conversation also dives into how to cultivate authentic worship in student ministries—regardless of resources—while emphasizing the balance between spirit and truth.
If you want to cultivate a ministry where worship is more than music—where it becomes a lifestyle that forms disciples from the inside out—this episode will encourage, equip, and ignite your vision.
Resources Mentioned
Next Gen Matters – https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.com
Email for Ryan Brown (Waymaker Church) ryan.brown@waymaker.church
Email for Jimmie Gillespie (Waymaker Church) jimmiegillespie@gmail.com
Subscribe for NGM Thursday Tools email
Watch this episode on YouTube
The Bible (Scripture references in order: Psalm 24; Romans 12:1-2; Psalms 33, 34; Judges 13)
Timestamps
00:00 – Why worship sets the tone before teaching
01:00 – Overview of the “5 W’s” of healthy ministry
05:00 – Unity between worship and the message
08:30 – How worship reveals the spiritual temperature of students
14:00 – Worship as more than music (Romans 12 perspective)
20:00 – The role of worship in student development and discipleship
27:00 – Dreaming of authentic, lifestyle worship in students
37:00 – Practical application: personal, modeled, and taught worship
Recommended
Transcript
The Importance of Preparation in Sermon Delivery
00:00:01
NextGen Matters
Hey leader, I want you to think back to the last sermon or the last lesson that you delivered, that you taught. Take yourself back to the days before the delivery and then the day before and even those hours before right up until you get up to speak.
00:00:17
NextGen Matters
You know, think about it. You have been pouring your heart into God, preparing this lesson, this sermon, this talk. You've been studying, you've been preparing, you've been praying over the lesson. You are pumped, you are jazzed, you are stoked, you are energized, you're ready to bring it.
00:00:32
NextGen Matters
But before you get up to speak, what typically will make or break your lesson time is what goes on right before you get up to go. And for most of us, that beforehand time is a set we call worship.
Vital Signs for Ministry Leaders
00:00:48
NextGen Matters
So today's episode asks the simple question, why worship? Hey friend, welcome to the Next Gen Matters podcast, a show for ministry leaders seeking to move beyond overwhelm and move into leading with clarity, confidence, and consistency.
00:01:04
NextGen Matters
You know, there's a reason that I have ah worship as the first of the five W's and as these five vital signs we're walking through. Last episode, I did a flyover to all five, and this is the first of the next five episodes. We're going to take a deeper dive through using subject matter experts in each of these five areas to walk us through what they're doing in their ministries to accentuate and to create a healthy ministry culture within each of these five W's. And the first one, of course, is worship.
00:01:36
NextGen Matters
Now, want us to think like this. Psalm 24. Psalm 24 speaks about those who ascend into the hill of the Lord, which meant to go up to Jerusalem to worship.
00:01:48
NextGen Matters
And then as they're ascending up to Jerusalem, they were preparing their hearts for worship in Jerusalem at the temple as they were singing. As they were singing, that's why when you read Psalms, it'll say, so many of these Psalms will say a song of ascent.
00:02:04
NextGen Matters
They were preparing their hearts for worship. King David knew that worshiping from a pure heart prepared you for an experience with God. Genuine worship prepares the heart.
Roles and Worship in Ministry
00:02:18
NextGen Matters
So today i have the student pastor and also the church worship leader as my guests. They're both from our church here in Forest Virginia Waymaker Church, my son Ryan Brown, and also my friend Jimmy Gillespie.
00:02:34
NextGen Matters
Again, they both serve ah together in the church. Ryan is the student ministries director, and jimmy Jimmy is one of our church ministry leaders when it comes to worship. Also, he's in the youth ministry, let's say, that rotation of leading worship to our students. so I thought, what better opportunity to have you listen to someone who's, yes, boots on the ground in the student world, but also, yes, boots on the ground who's someone whose heart, and i truly mean that, whose heart is worship.
00:03:00
NextGen Matters
So gentlemen, I say welcome. Thank you. Honored to be here. Let's do it. Good see you again, son. Good to see you. Well, last episode, I explained... You're not going call me son. I can call you son, but I'd be lying. Last episode, explained what I believe are these five essential markers, or call the vital signs of a healthy student ministry, a healthy ministry as a whole.
00:03:20
NextGen Matters
And that is worship word, welcome, witness, and then work. So as mentioned the last episode, we as leaders need to create the culture to bring these five areas into fruition or into life.
00:03:32
NextGen Matters
But the students need to own those areas. If it's truly going to, let's say, happen, all right? And this can only come from the Holy Spirit, forming Christ into our students and shaping the culture of your ministry from the inside out. We can bring it. You know, we can create grace, great in this case, in this context, worship sets, bank and practice. Excellent. You can do everything. You can pray, just seek God and ask his favor.
00:04:00
NextGen Matters
the students could still just stand there with their arms folded or just sit there and think, I'm not going to sing. Or they create it as a singing time and not a worship time. So this is what we we're going to really dive into in this conversation. Before we jump in, I want to say this.
Creating Culture and Momentum in Ministry
00:04:17
NextGen Matters
Leaders create the ministry culture.
00:04:20
NextGen Matters
The spirit creates life change. The students create the momentum. The ministry is now operating in a spiritually fit condition. So with no further ado, here we go. Let's talk worship, y'all. Ryan, quick question for you. As someone who is the spiritual leader, the shepherd, the spiritual leader of the ministry, all right, and also the one who usually is the speaking or the teaching person, what role does worship play in the meetings lesson?
00:04:53
NextGen Matters
So much. um You just referenced Psalm 24. That's what I literally just preached on this past Wednesday. and I know I used it. I did. It was like, that's awesome. I've used that in the podcast.
00:05:07
NextGen Matters
Yeah. So to answer your question, I think I go back to the wrestle intention that i I had with some of the... the people who are leading worship last Tuesday and Wednesday, we got into space and I said, Hey, I think the Lord's shifted. You know what I'm going preach on. I'm going to go from actually this Psalm. going to do Psalm 24.
00:05:25
NextGen Matters
And so we just kind of looked at the set list and in full grace and compassion on their end and through the, you know, just wisdom in the spirit just saying, Hey, like, actually I think thematically yeah these songs would make more sense. Is that fine? And I know that kind of answers probably more of a broad range,
00:05:40
NextGen Matters
of different questions of like leadership capacity and and qualities and for people to be able to do that. But I think the speaker to even know, hey, the Lord has this message, not just for me, but also for these people to then say, hey, worship team, can you help usher that in as well through song, through praise, through him to then lead into the message? And I think that's where there has to be unity between worship team and the the, you know, the person who's delivering the message and even who's going to, maybe if it's someone leading prayer before that, like, Hey, what scripture are you going pray? Um, obviously follow the Holy spirit, but like, do you have a scripture in mind? You may, uh, like declare decree over the students. So I think that's where you have to have unity in that team.
00:06:27
NextGen Matters
Um, not saying that the Lord can't work in a song that doesn't maybe thematically fit with the exact message, but I think you always see, uh, God just even moved more powerfully when it does all just when a student goes, oh my goodness, they must have like that. That fits that yeah clicks.
00:06:48
NextGen Matters
So there has to be some intentionality and work. But to answer your question, why worship matters? I mean, you you are setting the the the thermostat in the room to say, hey, like.
00:06:59
NextGen Matters
just as a game is setting the gauge of, Hey, this can be a place where you belong before you believe, and you can have fun and and you can experience a glimpse of the fruit of the spirit, which is joy, right? Like that is the heart position of why we should have a game is for you to experience that. And to know that God is not a kill joy, but he, he actually just kills what is trying to destroy joy out of your life. Right. So it's like, that's why we bring in the element and level of game.
00:07:28
NextGen Matters
And then why do we bring in the element and level of worship?
Unity and Spiritual Tone in Worship
00:07:30
NextGen Matters
It's to then center our hearts and position our mind on who King Jesus is and for what he has. So let's get let's get real with this. so let's say you look out and as a worshiper yourself, right? So you look out and you see the students are, and just don't mean singing loud.
00:07:52
NextGen Matters
I mean, you look around you're, It's it's impassioned. They Is that fire you up or I mean, or the opposite? You know, you can like do this is going be flat. You you as the communicator in those 10 to 25 minutes, however long, you know, people have the worship set for before you go preach, you know what your students if you're you're asking the Holy Spirit and use wisdom and discernment, you basically know where your students are at spiritual that night through and because of worship to say, hey, right now they're feeling apathetic, they're feeling They're in a state of lukewarmness. And now I get to help in a loving way, correct and rebuke that in the name of Jesus or hey, they're they're on fire and they're zealous and and they're going after the heart of God and I get to encourage and um empower them through that. And I think that is also the importance of worship before the message.
00:08:41
NextGen Matters
is you as the communicator and speaker, you get to almost sit back and watch, okay, God, this is what's happening. And I will speak into this because I don't want say that and then seem hypocritical in the stance of, um I think there's a level of both. So me as a communicator, you will see me in the the student room for at least the first song, maybe two.
00:09:04
NextGen Matters
And then I'm going to go back and I'm going on my own go spiritually prepare and pray to the Lord and pray over those students. So you won't see me the entire time in worship as a communicator, but there has to be a glimpse of, hey, this is what's going on in the room and I want to see it and not just hide out, you know, in the closet or wherever you are before the message. I think there has to be a layer of of both. yeah.
00:09:26
NextGen Matters
Yeah. Let me ask you, because from the I'm not going to say adult side, because when we continue to say the adult service, the students don't think they belong. So let me say that the worship service, the the church service from the from broader. Yes. From the from the Sunday morning worship service. Yeah.
00:09:48
NextGen Matters
You're set. You prepared, Daniel, et cetera. When you guys prepare that and then you're a lot times the lead vocalists as far as playing guitar, et cetera. How do you see it as the great handoff to the one speaking that day?
00:10:02
NextGen Matters
Yeah, I think, well, first of all, you know, it's such a honor to be able to step into that role um as a worshiper. it's such an honor to be able to step out there and say, i get to lead our church to encounter God's presence today, whether it be, uh,
00:10:26
NextGen Matters
yeah at Way Youth on Wednesday night or Midway on a Sunday morning or out here in this auditorium with the broader family here at our church. What an honor. But I think a core understanding of what we're doing is what I try to keep center for myself. And that is whether we have five minutes or 20 minutes or an hour, our hope right now is to say our focus and our attention is on you, God.
00:10:58
NextGen Matters
It's on you, Jesus. And we welcome and invite your Holy Spirit right now to invade this place. But I think here's the key for me.
00:11:09
NextGen Matters
No matter what, because that time of opening up the scriptures and preaching and teaching, it's going to be so powerful. But we're not there yet. And right now we're saying we want an experience in the presence of God.
00:11:24
NextGen Matters
And we actually believe that he wants that for us. But I think at the core of all of that, we're called to sing these songs that the angels sing, right?
00:11:34
NextGen Matters
Like we're called to step into these songs. I love that Isaiah six throne room, like holy, holy, holy is the Lord. But angels long to look into the way we get to sing it, right?
00:11:48
NextGen Matters
They long to look into the way we get to sing it because we get to sing it from a son and a daughter's perspective. Right. We get to sing it. Which is the mystery. The Hebrew speaks of them. oh They don't get it. they don't See, they don't get grace.
00:12:02
NextGen Matters
They had one shot. They had one vote. They had one time. And a third went that way. Yeah. And two thirds stayed loyal. They don't understand grace because we have had time after time after time. That's it.
00:12:14
NextGen Matters
Over and over and over again. and we're adopted.
Worship: Beyond Music to a Life Posture
00:12:17
NextGen Matters
Come on. They're angelos, they're angels. We're sons and daughters. we' We're invited to the table. Right. And so we get to come in in this radical, you know, turn of events.
00:12:31
NextGen Matters
And we get welcomed, not just at the table, but in his heart. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. and he says i want you to pour your heart out right now i want you to hold nothing back and so when you talk about the progression of our service because like let's you know i've been in other countries i've led worship in in different on different continents and there's a different way we put our services together but the traditional way that we're used to kind of here in our setting There's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing exactly right with that. it's not like this is the only way you can do it.
00:13:09
NextGen Matters
But man, I love the way we enter in together. And we say, we are going to get in the presence of God. Is he here? Yes. But our acknowledgement of that and our desire to to move into that space and put our heart in a posture of receiving yeah is everything. And so when we do kind of transition into, hey, we're going to let the scriptures now be taught or preached. right What better thing to do than to just be caught up in the presence of the God who who says you're my son you're my daughter
00:13:40
NextGen Matters
And I love you.
00:13:42
NextGen Matters
and And this is where I think that sometimes people define worship as an act of, let me say, music slash singing.
00:13:52
NextGen Matters
And something I read this morning in my my own time with the Lord was the classic story of Samson. Yes, I'm in the book of Judges, which can really depress you. And I've done the chronological long enough. I actually know what tomorrow's is at the end of Judges. And it's a really nasty, violent story. It's like, oh, I get to read this again. Anyway, but you don't talk about it, right?
00:14:12
NextGen Matters
Chop, chop. So anyway, Samson. yeah Before Samson and Delilah was Samson's mom and dad. And how it speaks that the angel of the Lord came and visited them.
00:14:26
NextGen Matters
That's a Christophany. And I'm not just saying that. that that When you look at that, and I saw it again, the the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came again, and they recognized that he was God.
00:14:39
NextGen Matters
They recognized he was God because they were shocked and awe. They were like, are we going to die? Because they knew they'd seen God. And they said, what is your name? And he said, it's too high for you. It's crazy. its like He wasn't ready to unleash his name on them yet.
00:14:54
NextGen Matters
But he said, but I want you want you to do this, to create this altar, bring these sacrifices, and worship yeah and guys there was no singing so I want I want us all to remember we've got to communicate to our students worship is not just yeah ah something we do with you know three guitars a drum set and a keyboard yeah right um is Romans 12 1 & 2 that's right it's the heart attitude is the heart posture of every if we could begin to see everything we do is an act of worship to the Lord
00:15:29
NextGen Matters
But I love the fact of when we can come in community, and hear the voices around us, we can't can't even get our head around what heaven's going to be like with millions of voices exalting worship to the Lamb who was slain. and I think if I could you know and please if i can interject here, I think that, first of all, what you're saying is 100% the heartbeat of worship is that worship is everything. Like Romans 12, 1, like my whole life laid down as a sacrifice.
00:16:00
NextGen Matters
That is my pleasing worship to the Father. And we are commanded throughout the pages of Scripture to lift up songs, and you know ah intimate songs and celebratory songs of worship and thanksgiving to the Lord, to minister to Him and then to be ministered to by Him.
00:16:20
NextGen Matters
And so when when we are living a life, even us as the leaders, when we're living a life that is like, Lord, my life is laid down in worship to you. then how much more beautiful is our song?
00:16:34
NextGen Matters
Yes. Well, it's like Jesus and Matthew. It's what comes from the mouth is birthed into the heart. yeah And so whatever you're worshiping and having affections in your heart will present itself through your mouth. good And so if you're worshiping God in your heart, it's going to then present itself through your mouth.
00:16:49
NextGen Matters
Same with anything else. you're worshiping March Madness, using this as an example, because how often can I be checking this again? We're recording this in March. We're the guests talking brackets. If you're watching on YouTube, These are my bodyguards.
00:17:01
NextGen Matters
If you're not watching YouTube, check it out. But, you know, if you're if you're just constantly, constantly, constantly being affected and having those desires of like, oh, March Madness, ESPN, check my bracket, check my bracket. Then, of course, that's all you're going to talk about because it's been in your heart. It's been in your mind. in So it's the same thing. Absolutely.
00:17:17
NextGen Matters
So, Ryan, let me ask you from the student ministry side. being that shepherd, that leader. What role does worship play in the life of your ministry? I'm not talking a worship set before you speak.
Creative Worship with Limited Resources
00:17:28
NextGen Matters
I'm talking broad, 30,000 foot view.
00:17:30
NextGen Matters
What role does worship play in the life of, in your case, with your the middle school and high school students here in the church? Mm-hmm.
00:17:40
NextGen Matters
Yeah, I've been, in this is going to answer your question, but I'm also being mindful of multiple different types of audiences. And so some of them, they they they're thinking, man, I'm i'm starting to listen to this and I don't even have a worship team that plays on sure Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings. So what can this practically look like? do And I just want to speak into that. I've been in a ministry context like that where that's been the case. And and so we get to use our God-given gifts and abilities say, how can we then, uh,
00:18:06
NextGen Matters
bring a layer and level of worship that's intimate that's maybe not through a worship team leading us and and that's where you just can get creative and and if it's like you know prayer prompts and someone's leading you through that man that is equally just as worship worshipful as as a team of 10 you know from stage leading you with a big led wall in other words and if you don't have the personnel don't think you can't. Correct. Right. Okay. So let me go back to before you were born in the first few years of your life.
00:18:37
NextGen Matters
We were using CDs, compact discs. I've had to use that with YouTube. um Yep. And this was way back before PowerPoint. There were pro presenter. There was transparencies. And we would actually, and our youth trailer back in the day, if you remember that youth trailer way back, um we would sing worship songs back. This is 90s, you know, Wes King. And there a whole bunch of,
00:19:00
NextGen Matters
Third day, a bunch of you know artists that were really doing but then cutting edge worship stuff. Yeah. Right. And we would play those and our students would just sing as loud as anything. and We'd have some folks up front kind of facilitating as far as leading.
00:19:15
NextGen Matters
But still, we had to use the resources we had, which wasn't a whole lot. but the students were worshiping so don't ever feel correct restricted or i'm not in the major leagues yeah i would rather have that intimate worship that we experience than a band where the students stand there with arms folded i wasn't trying to judge this question but i thought yeah that was important because i do think there's there's potential listeners to to hear this and just look at the title and think it's a really good point yeah yeah I think a lot of us maybe at some point have struggled with that. But so student ministry and worship with that, the the high value, the high importance of it is is your multiple, probably different layers. you're A, you have someone else who is older and more mature than them and in a leadership role, letting them see a lifestyle that is honoring and pleasing to the Lord. And I think that's just another way
00:20:09
NextGen Matters
way for the Lord to use someone in his grace by his blood through a testimony of Jesus to say, hey, this is someone that you can look up to and say, this is a life that they're living that's pleasing to the Lord. And and if it's ah it's a worship pastor or just people who are helping lead worshiping that way, that's just another layer of people that they get to look up to that students, adolescents, they need godly men and godly women to look up to. And that brings that layer.
00:20:36
NextGen Matters
But spiritually for the heart for students, it teaches them how to then grow up and and go into their late adolescent and college and young adult years already knowing how to yes praise and worship but what that heart posture really looks like um if you're not having it modeled in kids ministry and then definitely not in student ministry that's really then hard for them to go out into
00:21:09
NextGen Matters
college and beyond college to then say like oh this is what worship is yeah like neurologically it's really important for them to get that lesson in their adolescent years and kid years now which i know that's why like you even help lead you know worship and wait kids for the kids ministry like that's just as important for them to have worship as it is for anyone else absolutely developmentally um and then yeah just going back to spiritually uh it it just helps them know how to follow christ on a deeper level of not just truth but then also not just
00:21:50
NextGen Matters
spirit and not just like emotionalism.
Balancing Spirit and Truth in Worship
00:21:54
NextGen Matters
you John 4, 32, you worship in both spirit and truth. And ah this is my, this is my tension.
00:22:02
NextGen Matters
And it's a beautiful one to wrestle with that. I say every week to cam, who is our current worship resident. So I don't want them just to be like Bible theological bobbleheads where they just know scripture and that's all they do is just throw it around. And they don't have a ah lifestyle and worship that reflects what they're preaching and saying.
00:22:20
NextGen Matters
But at the same time, I don't want them just to leave from a worship set list yeah and and be emotionally maybe driven and oh like I'm crying and then not know then what to do with it through truth, through the truth of God and having something. to So you need that compliment. And so worship is so vital because you get to bring spirit and truth through the songs and the songs that we sing and then also through the message.
00:22:47
NextGen Matters
All around, worship's just really, it's it's it's important. It sets the table. It it does. it does. And I love like listening to you and like how you try to keep this at the forefront.
00:22:59
NextGen Matters
I love this thought, because we are indeed talking about the musical expression of worship. Yes. I mean, yes, there's, by all means, it should flow from a life of worship. And may that be so in our lives and the lives of our students and our church. But, you know, you think about like Psalm 33, right?
00:23:17
NextGen Matters
Sing and play skillfully to the Lord. You think about just the constant, like David in Psalm 34, his praise will continually be on my lips. Come and magnify.
00:23:30
NextGen Matters
Getting emotional just, it's great. Come and magnify the Lord with me. Man, It is a command in our life to worship the Lord with singing. And it's vulnerable, right? And it's something that I think at a young age. And especially as men.
00:23:47
NextGen Matters
as And that's a whole especially as men other podcast. yeah um But it's a vulnerable thing. Men don't pray and men don't worship. but like But what if we do, Rich?
00:23:58
NextGen Matters
Like what if we do that? What if we lead the way and say no? I will lift my hands high and sing and shout to God because our worship is a response, right? Like it's a response. God, look what you've done for me. I can't contain it.
00:24:18
NextGen Matters
I'm going to shout. I'm going to live my voice if I'm a singer or if I'm not a singer because I'm commanded. It's called the joyful noise. That's right. And it's an overflow. It's an overflow. Man, you've been so good. Psalm 34, a little little bit later, it says this poor man cried and the Lord answered.
00:24:36
NextGen Matters
It's a response. And it's a worthy response that that invites his presence. And then there is no limit to what he can do. All right. um I'm fired up. No, I'm thinking, it you know let's keep going, right? I'm thinking Miriam.
00:24:55
NextGen Matters
right? You know, Moses's older sister, probably the one who was in the bulrushes, right? Miriam led worship. She sang the song to Jehovah and the people responded. And you can see, continually see that he's grumbling, these 40 years of just grumbling, complaining, but there was those moments of, let me say corporate worship, right? yeah um When God's presence comes down in second Chronicles seven, uh, The dedication of the temple with Solomon. I mean, he is literally blown away. i mean, they have everything going. Did you really take the dive on that? though I mean, thousands of, let me say, instrumentalists, yeah right? I mean, thousands in the brass section, thousands of the choral, the choir singers. Yeah.
00:25:42
NextGen Matters
And then, boom, God's Shekinah showed up. That wasn't in the it was on the bingo card that day. That wasn't in the queue that day. God's presence showed up. And they just were like, oh. So you see it throughout, the sense of, yes, we are wired by God. Music is God's gift to us.
00:26:03
NextGen Matters
And ah something I would say over the years with students talking about the power of music, whether negative or positive, music hits the emotion it does that's why every love song you heard with that former know you know a girlfriend lazy boyfriend you know you hear that song still walking through people walk through them all anymore anyway you're walking through a store right target wherever and you hear that song it's throwback like ah and it it your emotions yeah i'll hear a song it reminds me of my mom and my dad There were the Lord now. I mean, it's different things. And I was like, that's why Christmas is so, air quotes, sentimental. Yeah. Because there's certain songs we hear.
00:26:40
NextGen Matters
Now, God can use that emotion. I love, Ryan, how you bring it in. Yes. And spirit with truth. And I'm going move on. We're going to begin to kind of bring this to a close in a minute here.
00:26:53
NextGen Matters
I want to talk Grand Slam. All right Talking some baseball right now. It's March. Spring training's wrapping up this week. If you're recording the MLB starts, let's talk Grand Slam. Okay.
00:27:06
NextGen Matters
If you guys could both dream, um God, this could be very aspirational. Close my eyes and you bring this to pass, right? the vision board. Ryan, sorry with you. Describe for me what you both would love to see. You first.
00:27:20
NextGen Matters
His eyes are closed if you're not paying attention. Or he's sleeping. I'm just having nap in right here. I think he's right. He's worshiping, bro. He's worshiping. Describe for me what you both would love to see within the ministry and within the individual lives of students when it comes to worship. Ryan.
00:27:36
NextGen Matters
I'm...
00:27:38
NextGen Matters
i can say this.
00:27:42
NextGen Matters
what What I appreciate is we're seeing this already happen in the ministries, which is is beautiful. And that's not always been the case of some contexts I've been in of not just students raising their hand and then using those hands in their tongues for something completely different five minutes after. i think that's my dream is like, yeah,
00:28:05
NextGen Matters
those who are lifting their hands and crying out with their mouths they would then not use their mouths and hands for the world that's good right i think that's like that's my dream that's the picture is like those who are worshiping in song would also worship with their life yeah and that would then just catch fire with all those in the room i What would you love to see, not let me say our time, our midweek or a Sunday experience, but when they're on their own, what would you love to see God begin to do in the individual's lives when it comes to worship?
00:28:44
NextGen Matters
I think, I mean, that worship through them receiving it and being led in it weekly would then be only an overflow that they get to participate in on Wednesdays and potentially Sundays of what they're already doing throughout the week. Right.
00:29:05
NextGen Matters
And not that it would, that worship would not be a consumer mindset anymore. would actually be a contributor and they would, ah go into Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings and whenever your gathering is and say, hey, I've already been led by the Spirit and in truth, and now I get to step into this set list, quote, unquote, that this team that God has entrusted and empowered to lead me in, I'm already there too with them. That's good.
00:29:33
NextGen Matters
But I think a lot of times we see, especially in student ministry, it's the worship team basically has to take two songs to catch the room up to that. Yeah. And that can be the the tension spiritually. yeah well you I don't know if you'd add on it. I mean, my heart is stirring all over the place. 100% of what you said. Especially, like, don't use the same hands and the same tongue for blessing and cursing. like yeah yeah Let it be so, Lord.
00:30:03
NextGen Matters
Start with me, Lord, you know? um I think I love this. Jonathan Helser is a worship leader, songwriter that I've i've enjoyed just... being led by over the years. And he says, my job when I get up there is to leave myself out of a job.
00:30:22
NextGen Matters
And whether, no matter what setting I'm in, if if you say, hey, Jimmy, can you stop by with a guitar and these 80 people, these 80 students and just a lead in the middle of the room, whether it's that super unplugged atmosphere, whether it's my living room with a few folks,
00:30:41
NextGen Matters
whether it's a stage with thousands, I just want to work myself out of a job. who And what I mean by that is like they're just going for it. In fact, not only are they singing what I was singing, somebody's just singing a new song to the Lord because their heart is so full.
00:31:02
NextGen Matters
So that's a big one for me, pretty much in any setting I'm in, is like, how can I just get up here? Sense what you're doing in the room, God. Like, what do you want to hear from us? And then just work myself out of a job. You know, you see me step back from the mic and I'm like, yeah, this is good. See, okay, other quick, right? When y'all do that at different times, in other words, they're leaning into the mic. And then when they lean away from the mic and the instruments come down and you just hear,
00:31:31
NextGen Matters
let me say one voice out there. sure That to me is a powerful moment of worship when the body yeah can hear each other sing. And that's, what hey, let's be honest, that's one of the rips on more contemporary music is it's so loud that we can't hear ourselves, let alone anyone else.
00:31:50
NextGen Matters
And I think we do a healthy balance of what's a contemporary setting. But it ain't a rock and roll show. yeah I mean, I really see that that it's it's crafted in a way that truly elevates the kingship of Jesus and the presence of God the Father. And I love that.
00:32:08
NextGen Matters
But y'all when y'all bring it down, and almost more the acoustic, even quiet, and you let us almost like take the lead yeah as congregants. Yeah. Maybe that's powerful. Sons and daughters. Yeah,
Impact of Worship on Community
00:32:20
NextGen Matters
yeah, yeah. You know, when I think about individual worship, and Brian, you you alluded to it as well, when when students are, any one of us, when we are having a personal life of intimate worship with God, yeah, we got AirPods in, we're listening to worship sets, Spotify, whatever.
00:32:36
NextGen Matters
And I mean, that could be on my lawnmower getting cranked up. Come You know, many times it's happened. I've been on my lawnmower, actually have tears in my eyes. Some song just hits me. Oh yeah, I got, you know, these giant ears running.
00:32:49
NextGen Matters
But those are powerful times. And then if if our people could do that and then come together, and i actually met mentioned this on the last podcast when I did the quick fly with all five.
00:33:00
NextGen Matters
It's almost like if they had individual torches and they all came together, we'd have a bonfire. If people didn't come expecting you to help them get in the worship mood, they already had the heart of worship, stepped into the house.
00:33:14
NextGen Matters
Worship's powerful. Yeah. They could just get the idea of worship can happen anywhere. Yeah. They just have to allow. Right. Right. Oh, my. And be obedient to it and walk into it. And the other thing I would add to it because you asked my my grand slam, so I want to work myself out of a job. right Right. I want to see whether it's students.
00:33:34
NextGen Matters
or grandmas and grandpas. It doesn't matter. Multi-generational, just giving it all for the Lord. And the other thing that comes to my mind is that the fear of man will just drop off of us. So often, and to your point about men, so often we don't express in worship because we're afraid. What is <unk>s he going to think?
00:33:54
NextGen Matters
What is she going to think if I'm just jumping around? and And I'm not saying there's only one way to express and worship, but what I am saying, and I think you would resonate, is that oftentimes the tool of the enemy is to make you think, what do I look like?
00:34:08
NextGen Matters
Instead of like, you know what? God, you're worthy of every offering I have. yeah There are times here in our house here, yeah the church facility,
00:34:20
NextGen Matters
where I'm not singing. I'm just like,
00:34:25
NextGen Matters
my head is bowed and I'm just taking it in. And it's some cool moments. Absolutely. I've watched your son before. Yes, your oldest, 17.
00:34:39
NextGen Matters
I, or 16, 17, I will see him right front of me. should get on his knees. Yeah. Prostrate. didn't say prostate. That's something else. Prostrate. I heard you. Amen.
00:34:52
NextGen Matters
And Noah's heart is such a worshiping heart. And then to see him yesterday, this is a Monday, y'all. Yesterday, helping be on the stage, playing acoustic, not just with us on a student on a Wednesday night, but It was like, okay, there's another generation of worshipers. Let's go. Oh, man, we could continue with this. Getting our students involved in the main body of worship is another powerful thing. It is. So I'm going to keep moving, though. We're going to wrap this up up. Oh, my goodness. I'm going to put Jimmy's email, I'm going to put Ryan's email address. If you ever want reach out to them, please do. Jimmy also has, he and his wife have started a new, basically a collective, but I love this. It's really a discipleship opportunity. You want to mention that
00:35:39
NextGen Matters
Yeah. Yeah. allah I'll hold back some of the bigger dreams. Okay. We're allowing the Lord to craft those, and but there are some big dreams that He's put in our heart. It's called Wind Song, and Wind Song is really at the heart and soul of it, Rachel and I, that's my lovely bride, Rachel. 21 years. 21 years in June.
00:36:02
NextGen Matters
you know i Not her, of course, but I'm an age where Where God is really just emboldening and empowering my heart to to pour back into younger worship leaders. And I love it. It happens organically. But we really, through Winsong, want to take it even through retreats and even future internships, an opportunity to really pour into a next generation of worshipers and worship leaders for for God's house. More to come, but we do gather regularly. And I will say that our regular gatherings that we do, if you want to know about that, just email me. But our regular gatherings are kind of open to anyone. You don't have to be a worship leader.
00:36:42
NextGen Matters
But there are retreats and special events that we're going to be hosting where we do pour into worship leaders in in this particular. So thanks for asking. You're entirely welcome. So leader, if they're...
00:36:54
NextGen Matters
is one thing today that has unmistakably been made clear. It's this.
Prioritizing Worship in Ministry
00:37:02
NextGen Matters
We're all made of worship. While so many fill their worship void with worthless idols, we can bring our students into the majesty of God's presence.
00:37:17
NextGen Matters
Worship prepares the heart for an encounter with God and worship prepares the heart for the word of God. So let's make sure when we put together our music selections, that isn't just fun and entertainment.
00:37:35
NextGen Matters
It isn't just singing. It's Psalm 24. It's ascending into that hill where they would go to Jerusalem to give sacrifices to Jehovah back in the Old Testament era. And now we bring our lives before the Lordship of Jesus. Yeah.
00:37:54
NextGen Matters
and then to hear his word taught and preached, preparing our hearts for worship. So dream with me. I'm gonna do this on all the next of these five podcasts with these Ws, right? Dream with me. A room full of students, all right, who aren't just singing, they are surrendering to his leading.
00:38:14
NextGen Matters
Dream with me students, a room full of students who aren't just performing, they are pursuing his presence. good And dream with me, a room full of students who aren't just watching worship happen, they are participating in worship.
00:38:35
NextGen Matters
Because we want students who enter into his presence with reverence, hunger, and expectancy.
00:38:47
NextGen Matters
And this is why worship matters. This is why worship in these five W's comes first. And this is why spiritually fit ministries always begin at the feet of Jesus.
00:38:59
NextGen Matters
Now, as a quick call to action, I have three. One is going to be on the personal for me, for you.
Teaching and Modeling Worship
00:39:05
NextGen Matters
personalize it, then model it where I need to be demonstrating this, not to be showing off, but to truly lead by example, modeling it. And then the third is how can we teach it to those that we serve? So here's the model, here's the personalizing it.
00:39:21
NextGen Matters
What can you and I do today to spend time? in personal worship. Most of us have headphones, AirPods, whatever. We have all kinds, we have never had more accessibility to music than we do today.
00:39:34
NextGen Matters
Would you just take some time today to unplug that, the culture, and plug in to his presence? Then model it. Make sure that during worship time, like Ryan was saying, you're a worshiper as well.
00:39:49
NextGen Matters
You are personally enjoying, and I'm going to say like this, and visibly engaging in sincere worship because students will look. Notice it. They look to adults. What are the adults doing?
00:40:02
NextGen Matters
yeah You don't need to hold the wall of adults. The wall is good on its own. Join the students in worship. I love watching as we kind of bring the pit you know to the front, right? The students come up, and there's the adults as well. I'm right there too. Let's go.
00:40:15
NextGen Matters
love it. And that's not to show off. but it's imitate me as I imitate Christ and then teach it. So I would challenge you to think about doing a lesson or even a series on worship. Take a few weeks, talk about corporate worship, talk about individual worship.
00:40:33
NextGen Matters
ummen So many scriptures you could spotlight on different times that that worship took place. Yes, through song and yes, through difficult seasons. Acts 16, y'all.
00:40:45
NextGen Matters
Paul and Silas just got the junkie out of them and they they are worshiping. All a sudden, there's a church birth in the town of Philippi. Amazing. Chains breaking doors. Amazing. Let's go. Oh, yeah. Chain breaker. If didn't make a song, I don't
Conclusion: Engaging Fully with Worship
00:41:00
NextGen Matters
know. But take of think about how you could create...
00:41:03
NextGen Matters
Seriously, do a series on that. So that kind of takes us to the close of this topic on worship. I hope it's been an encouragement to you. And thanks for joining me in the Next Gen Matters podcast and my man, Jimmy, and my man, Ryan, my bodyguards. That's right. We got you. Today's minister to you. Reach out to me. I'd love to hear from you.
00:41:21
NextGen Matters
www.britchandnextgenmatters.com is my email address or just drop a comment in the box below. Send this podcast to someone else. If you've not yet subscribed on YouTube, Apple or or Spotify, do or do all three, right? And get this word out to people. We want this to grow. We really do.
00:41:38
NextGen Matters
Every time when I put content get together content it together and every time that I get ready to record, we stop and we desperately pray that God will use this in whatever way possible for the listener to lift you up and to encourage you to continue on another day strong in Him. So thanks for joining me in the Next Gen Matters podcast. Until then, remember, your leadership matters because your ministry matters because the gospel matters.
00:42:08
NextGen Matters
Have a great day.
00:42:10
NextGen Matters
Thank you, gentlemen. Yeah. is it