Overall, I'd say "yes" – they need to be a vital part of the community there. Then again, I think we have to also answer in regard to how the culture and community are @ NPM. And I can't really comment because I've not had the pleasure of attending services anywhere except for my visits to Browns Bridge (which I really enjoy).

I know for me – there is a whole segment of folks who after 1-1/2 years, still would rather have the old leader, the old way, the old songs, etc. But as I pray and do what I know God is calling me to do, I also seek out ways to connect with this demographic on a deeper, more personal level. For instance, there is a great group of ladies who have this "quilting ministry" (long story), and I always make a point to go in that big room upstairs and say "hi" to them, to hang out a few minutes and just ask questions – who is that quilt for, tell me about the design, what is the significance of that scripture, etc. One day I walked out of the room and felt like the HOly Spirit whispered to me, "Fred, that 5 minutes just earned you some huge trust and response on Sunday AM".

Also – how many worship leaders/bands do you really contract? If it were a rotation of 5 or 6 of them … I think that connection can still be made – let's face it, the majority of people in the congregation there probably wouldn't have "seen" or "had community" with the leader that Sunday, regardless of whether or not they were "on staff" or not, right?

On a different note – I'd love for you to blog and wrestle with this question that I'm constantly wrestling with…. as our environement is similar to NPM's …

How can we lead people into an authentic response of worship, yet maintain a "safe environment" for seekers? I wrestle with that weekly – I believe that if our worship response is authentic, seekers would know that … but I also know that if people were worshiping wildly (like some services I've led throughout the years), that those seekers would probably head for the door … I dunno … wrestle, wrestle.

Great post, and though provoking, for sure!
Happy New Year,
Fred

BTW-love the new design.

I like to be a follower. I like to view the guy on stage as a "professional." Then I'm not constantly distracted by thoughts like: "Do you know how rude he is to people at our Wednesday dinner?" or "Why does he always pick certain songs… I could do it better!" No! He's the leader! So I'll just follow.

For some reason, that's easier for me to do at a place like Buckhead than at a little church with somebody I know leading worship. I'd much prefer being led by a professional who is a bit disconnected from the community than being led by "Joe the Plumber," the guy I talk to everyday, who stands on stage and tries to sing a song or two really timidly.

All I'm saying is that in my personal experience, a degree of separation helps me enter into worship even more. Weird, I know! But that's just me…

I know in our community here in Orlando, the songwriters that are consistently engaged can write songs that are in line with what God is doing in and revealing to us. There's something really powerful in that. In a related way, it's possible for a perceptive leader to engage with a community for a short time and then lead them well.

The question I ask is not so much "are you a member of our church," but rather, "while you're here, are you engaged or removed?"

We have several leaders that come from the cities surrounding orlando to lead at our church. Their location prevents them from being physically present on a consistent basis. But they are our friends. Our hearts are knit together, and we anticipate our times together. This is vastly different from the distant leader who comes in just because they are hired to.

I guess the bottom line question is, "do we care about you, and do you care about us?"

Big church or small, I'd rather have a rotation of consistently awesome leaders than a single really great one who the church relies on *much* to heavily and who has no viable backup.

And does it matter if the they are regular attenders or members? Some would say that it depends on size, but I say again, if God is using that group of leaders be heart piercing machines, if doesn't matter.

But, I guess i feel like every congregation has its own heartbeat and thrives in different circumstances. The only relationship you need in order to worship is with Jesus, not a worship leader. The Spirit can move whether or not a worship leader is an integral part of the church. I can't think of any scripture that states a command on either side, but if you can, let me know?

That said, I have my ideas about how a church I would attend should function. I would rather the leadership be very close nit and accountable, and that includes the worship pastor. As I'm writing this, I'm wondering about another question: do we even need worship leaders at all?