Anybody who has ever seen Hillsong's worship leader Jonathan Douglas, JD for short, can attest to the fact that he is one of the most energetic and passionate worship leaders in their team.
But those who know him personally can also say that his passion transcends the stage. He has a sincere love for Jesus Christ, and every chance he gets, he shares the gospel with those around him.
When Hillsong's Jad Gillies asked JD where he gets his energy to lead service, JD answered that he is a naturally lively person.
"Firstly, if anyone tries to lead by copying someone else's style exactly, it's obvious. I'm really energetic, crazy and dance a lot on platform, because I think it's a reflection of who I genuinely am," he shared on their blog. "Don't get me wrong, I love crawling into my house and being an introvert as well – that's how I recharge – but otherwise I'm pretty loud, hopefully fun, and energetic as a person. Maybe God highlights that side of my personality when I lead worship."
JD added that he always gets excited to lead service, but his secret to leading with passion and energy isn't really a secret. "Just remind yourself of God's goodness," he said. "It's unbelievable how good God is – how He loves who I am regardless of anything, and how He came to save all of us while we were filthy sinners and didn't deserve it."
He said he does not have to dwell on this for too long before he gets excited and cannot wait to share this revelation with others.
Oftentimes, JD shows his excitement through song and dance.
But he wants to remind people that an effective church service is more than just its physical movements.
"When we talk about how we want people to look alive and have energy, we aren't asking for spins and jumps, we just want people to stop for a second and realise how big the God is that we are serving and praising," he said.
