“The Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace….” Voices rang out as we closed the Sunday morning service.
A hush had fallen over the congregation. Some stood with lifted hands. Others wiped tears. The moment felt especially meaningful.
When Worship Director Jadon Newsome gets up to lead the musical portion of FBC-Mebane’s worship service each Sunday morning, he’s interested in leading the congregation to those significant moments. He wants to help others connect with God.
Of course, he has all the routine tasks of a church worship director on his plate, too. Picking out the songs. Choosing the order to sing them in. Deciding who’ll sing them. Leading practice each week, and then actually leading on Sunday morning.
Newsome’s heart in all of it is focusing 100% on Christ and letting the Spirit lead.
Answering the Call To Lead Church Worship
His journey to church worship director started way back when. “My dad was a worship leader for pretty much my whole life, until a few years ago,” he says.
So, Newsome grew up going to church every Sunday, every Wednesday, and a couple days throughout the week for practice. “I started playing when I was seven,” he explains. “I learned the bass first, and then I taught myself how to play guitar. I taught myself how to play the keyboard, and I led in the elementary school, middle school, and high school at Lamb’s Chapel — not leader roles, but I played in the band. I also played at Grace Church.”
When he joined the staff at FBC-Mebane, he unexpectedly walked into a room full of people he knew. “I knew Sammy from school and sports, and I knew Dakota from a church that I previously had led at with him,” Newsome says. “I played with Drew (the guy who plays drums) in high school. I played with Artie at a bunch of different churches. Jimmy’s wife, Rhonda, was my kindergarten or second grade teacher… and then Jennifer Williams was also one of my teachers.”
Seeing so many familiar faces at the church made the transition an easy one.
A Style of Worship That Feels Unscripted
Newsome’s experience growing up with a worship leading dad influenced his unique approach to leading worship. In the modern church world, many leaders have gone to a production-based feel on Sunday mornings. But he likes to keep things more natural.
“I have more of an older head on my shoulders,” he adds. “I know a lot of churches are going in the super production route nowadays, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s just not my style. I like to keep it pretty authentic, pretty natural and let the Spirit lead where he wants to take us.”
In addition to keeping things authentic, Newsome also wants congregants to feel at ease, emphasizing that worship is between the worshipper and God. “It’s a connection between you and the Lord through the Holy Spirit,” he says. “It’s not for anybody else. It doesn’t matter what other people think about the way you worship. Doesn’t matter what your worship looks like. As long as it’s from the heart.”
And there are no expectations. “I don’t think the Lord expects anything out of us except whatever we have, and if all we have is 1% to give, that’s what He wants from us,” he explains. “If 1% is what we have, and we give 1%, then it’s 100% for him.”
Making Room for What God Wants to Do Through Church Worship
The question of how to prepare for Sunday morning worship is a prominent one in a world full of distractions. “Keep your mind as clear as you can and go in focused on Him and Him only,” Newsome shares. “Satan’s got this world by the throat, and if your mind’s not in the right place, and you’re not focused on what you’re there for, then you’ll be distracted easily, and you won’t get anything from it. You won’t be 100%.”
Newsome’s excited for the future and what’s ahead for the younger generation he sees as hungry for the intimacy of authentic worship. “I think there’s a revival coming soon,” he says. “For the people in middle school and high school and the people coming up right now, their eyes are starting to open a little bit and they’re wanting the intimacy, the free-flowing worship, and the quiet moments.”
“May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations. And your family and your children. And their children, and their children…”
