Our Team

The church council meets the third Monday of every month. If you have a question and you are unable to speak with one of the representatives in person or over the phone, you can contact the council via email at councilpresident@desertcross.org. 

Part-Time: up to 12 hours/week
Schedule: Sunday mornings + weekly preparation

Desert Cross Lutheran Church (ELCA) is seeking a gifted, relational, and spiritually grounded Worship Leader for our growing Gilbert campus. This part-time role leads Christ-centered Sunday worship while helping develop youth and emerging musicians as active worship leaders.

The Gilbert Campus Worship Leader provides musical and spiritual leadership for Sunday morning worship through piano, vocals, congregational singing, and team coordination. This role serves under the oversight of the Director of Worship & Media Arts, who provides the worship plan and final song selections for the Gilbert campus. The Worship Leader leads, prepares, rehearses, and develops musicians within that established worship plan.

Primary Responsibilities

The Worship Leader will:

• Lead Sunday morning worship vocally and instrumentally, preferably from piano.
• Support a worship style that includes contemporary worship songs, hymns, Lutheran liturgical elements, and seasonal worship expressions.
• Rehearse, encourage, and coordinate volunteer musicians and vocalists.
• Help develop youth and emerging musicians in worship leadership.
• Create welcoming opportunities for students and adults to participate meaningfully in worship.
• Communicate clearly with the Director of Worship & Media Arts, pastors, musicians, and worship volunteers.
• Support occasional special services such as Christmas Eve, Holy Week, Lent, Easter, weddings, funerals, and other worship gatherings.
• Work with sound and media volunteers to help create a smooth and supportive worship environment.
  
  

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who is:

• A strong pianist with confident vocal leadership.
• Comfortable leading both contemporary worship music and traditional hymns.
• Passionate about congregational singing and Christ-centered worship.
• Relational, encouraging, and patient with volunteers and young musicians.
• Excited to mentor youth and help build a sustainable worship ministry.
• Organized, dependable, collaborative, and spiritually mature.
• Familiar with Lutheran worship, liturgy, and hymnody, or willing to learn.
  
  

Qualifications

Required:

• Strong Christian faith and commitment to worship leadership.
• High proficiency on piano.
• Ability to lead worship vocally with confidence and warmth.
• Reliable Sunday morning availability.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Heart for developing youth and volunteer musicians.

Preferred:

• Experience leading worship in a church setting.
• Familiarity with Lutheran theology, liturgy, and the church year.
• Experience working with youth musicians, choirs, worship teams, or intergenerational worship.
• Basic comfort with microphones, sound systems, and worship slides.
  
  

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit to the Director of Worship & Media Arts (jvanrossum@desertcross.org):

• Resume or worship ministry experience summary.
• Brief cover letter describing worship leadership background and interest in youth worship development.
• Links to video or audio examples of worship leading, piano/keyboard playing, or vocal leadership, if available.
• References upon request.

CLICK HERE to view the full job description!