Why Do Worship Leaders Need to Invest Themselves Into Learning More? (Podcast) - a podcast by NLW International

Dwayne Moore: Hello everyone, I’m Dwayne Moore. Welcome to the Worship Q&A podcast. Each week we try to answer questions that worship leaders are asking. Today I am sitting in the office of one of my dear friends, Hector Jeminez?

Hector Jeminez: Hector Gabriel Jeminez.

Dwayne Moore: Jeminez, oh see I wrecked his name.

Hector Jeminez: Oh, it’s all good.

Dwayne Moore: Okay, but Hector, I’m going to let you introduce yourself and tell us what your role is here, but we are at California Baptist University. And man, you trusted me and invited me in here, and this Alabama boy among a bunch of Californians. And you know what? I think he actually understood what I said. My southern drawl didn’t mess you up too bad. But we are so honored to have you now with our podcast. Hector, why don’t you tell us again about your family, and tell us what you do here at CBU.

Hector Jeminez: I am a full time faculty here in the school of music, and director of our brand new worship arts in ministry program. I’m also chapel worship leader for our student body. A little bit about my family, I have a wife of six years, her name is Jessica. And twin baby girls who are now two, Sarai and Eden.

Dwayne Moore: Sarai and Eden?

Hector Jeminez: Sarai and Eden, yeah. They’re awesome.

Dwayne Moore: Oh I know, you showed me a picture man, so cool. Unpack that a little bit more about, this is a new program. How new is it?

Hector Jeminez: We just started it in the fall of 2017. So we’re midway through our spring semester. Our first cohort of students started with 35 students, students who are hungry and wanting to go change the world for the kingdom as worship leaders and worship pastors.

Dwayne Moore: Well I have the privilege of meeting some of them today. And just a little bit of time to hang out with them, and I’d agree with you, you got some sharp ones. The question that I want us to put out there for you to help us understand today is, because I think we need to help people understand, why is it important, not just to be able to play a guitar and have that presence on a stage. Why does a leader need to come to a school, or to invest themselves in learning more? That may seem like an obvious question, but unfortunately I’m seeing that that’s not happening as much as I feel like it should, and I’d like to see what you think about that.

Hector Jeminez: Like no other time in history, there is a need for quality worship pastors and worship leaders that understand the complexities that are coming along with the 21st century. Everything that’s integrated with technology. Now we see our country as it’s growing in diversity, we have different cultures represented in our church congregations, that we need to be sharp and aware of what’s going on to be able to shift with the changes and move with that. Like you I’m sure, I graduated college with a general music degree. There were a lot of things I learned on the fly in church ministry, and so the benefit of a program like this is for students to come and learn the mistakes before they get out in the world.

Dwayne Moore: Oh I love that, okay. Now that’s, okay learning before they go out there, because definitely that is a tough place to learn mistakes, because people aren’t as forgiving in the churches as they can be in this environment.

Hector Jeminez: So our degree, we base it on four principles. The first is, we want to produce students with pastoral hearts, and pastoral leadership. It’s more about people, less about music. I know it sounds funny coming from a school of music, but it is, a pastoral heart is about people, not just music. Second of course is technology. With technology changing so quickly,

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