Steve Villafane Unites South Florida Worship Leaders

Steve Villafane is one passionate 20 years-old.  In a short time he has already been a worship director for 5 years, helped plant The Lighthouse Church in Miramar, and created an online community of over 130 worship leaders all around the Florida area. And to him, this is only the beginning. 

Steve has led worship at Christ the Rock Community Church in Cooper City for years, starting with instruments like bass, acoustic, electric, and ultimately leading entire worship lineups and coordinating multiple worship teams. His recent project, however, has opened up a lot of doors to connect with church musicians all over the state. I had the chance to speak with Steve as he shared his heart for uniting worship leaders by means of a Facebook community, "Worship Leaders United."

"In November God began calling me to create a network of worship leaders. It wasn't until I went to Passion in Atlanta in January, however, when He made it very clear to me that the Church has to be united. The Church, not just individual churches." Villafane said. 

 The Facebook page, which began as a means to introduce worship leaders to each other, has since exploded into a forum for Worship Leaders to discuss weekly song selection, ask tough questions, and connect with others who share the same heart for the Lord.

"So many worship ministries suffer because they aren't able to connect...now we can solve things together. I saw all these Facebook pages drawing attention to stupid things. Why not use it to unite worship leaders in the area?" Villafane said.

 Since it's conception, the Worship Leaders page has become a forum for questions about philosophy of ministry: use of secular music in services, monetary compensation for worship leaders, and performance mindset. Although it has stirred up some active debates on the page, Steve isn't too worried.

"The group was created to discuss ideas, differing views...when worship leaders join the group they need to come in with the mentality of, 'This is my brother or sister in christ.'  Respect who they are, what they do, and drop the differences, as long as they are all scriptural."

 Though he is unsure of where it all will lead, Steve is happy to be a part of the bigger picture.

"I believe that no one wants to be a part of the divided church. Christ died for the Church, not just one church. I want to be a part of the Church." 

-Adrian

STUFF TO CHECK OUT:


The Lighthouse Church in Miramar