Meet Bob #4 - Right Relationships

Meet Bob 3 - Maintaining Healthy Tensions Meet Bob Part 2 - What is our task? Meet Bob part 1

11th December 2008

This year I’ve taken on the teaching of a new A level called Critical Thinking – the study of reasoned argument. As we were selecting pupils for the course, I set them a few mind games to see who could think on their feet and present a considered argument.

One question I asked them was this: if we were to move the school building to the other side of the town, but keep the pupils and staff here, where would the school be? Heated debate ensued, as pupils deliberated about what constituted the essence of the school.

Then one girl nailed it. She had sat listening as her fellow pupils threw their ideas out. Then in a gap in the conversation, she said simply: ‘Where would the school be? No-where, because a school without pupils is just a building, but pupils without a school, that’s just a crowd.’ I thought to myself: You’re definitely on the course! What a great answer!

Where is Glenabbey?
If we were to ask the question about a church rather than a school, then the debate should be much shorter. At least, it would if we were to stick the biblical definition of what a church is. According to scripture, church is not a building, but a people. Wherever the people of God meet, be it in an ornate cathedral or a secretly in a house in church where persecution is common, the church is the people, not the building. To be a Christian is to become a member of the family of God.

What has this to do with worship leading? A huge amount, because we don’t so much lead worship (which can lead us to ignore those around us as we seek after the experience of ‘worship’); rather we lead people as we worship God.

As leaders, we are to care for the people we’re leading. We are to seek, with God’s help, to develop a pastoral heart of compassion for the people we stand in front of as we lead. How quickly do we fall into a spirit of self-pity and even judgmentalism if the people we’re leading don’t seem to respond? Am I really experiencing indignation on God’s behalf, or am I just annoyed that they’re not responding to me?

As leaders, we also function as part of a team. There are the other musicians in our band of course, but then there’s the church leadership, whether that’s a minister, a pastor or a group of elders. To lead worship in a church setting is to be engaged in the nitty gritty of human relationships.

In this last of our videos of Bob Kauflin, he addresses this very issue: how can we conduct our relationships in such a way that honours God. He asks some very searching and important questions that help us examine our heart’s attitude towards others.



Hear Paul’s prayer for the church in Rome:

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 15:5-6)


I hope these short videos have given you a taste for Bob's book, Worship Matters, in which he unpacks biblically and practically the truths he's introduced in these videos. I really can't recommend it highly enough. And while you're waiting for his book to arrive, why not check out his blog here too.
Alistair Hamill