Sometimes I lead the worship band and sometimes I play in the band. Both are important roles and have specific responsibilities to do them well. As both a leader and a player/singer, here are my ten most important rules as a team member:
1. I will be available at least twice per month and answer worship department emails/texts within 24 hours
- I find that players need to play a minimum of twice per month to stay in the flow of the worship and maintain good relationships with the leader(s) and team members.
- As someone who has scheduled worship teams for years, prompt replies by the team members is greatly appreciated. Also, it is a good habit to be prompt in all your communication. It is a form of discipline and respect.
2. I will listen to, practise and memorize the songs for Sunday
- Most musicians learn by listening. I always spend the .99 cents to $1.29 to download the songs on iTunes and make a playlist to listen in my house and car. Listening will teach you things that charts never will. I also use the PlanningCenter.com app and media player for my phone
- I will take time to practice the new songs for the team and briefly review the older songs. I want to be excellent in my service to the Lord. Wether I get paid or not, I’m playing for the ‘King of kings’. God rewards faithfulness and excellence.
- I will play according to the style of the music that is driven by the church’s vision/mission instead of simply imposing my personal tastes into the music.
- I will memorize the music. Memorizing songs allows me to get past the music and worship God freely. Most worship songs are not hard to memorize. Here is my post on helping you to memorize.
3. I will show up prepared and on time for rehearsal
- Leaders and other team members really appreciate when all the team has done their homework. When the drummer and bass player know the grooves, tempos and breaks, it makes the rehearsal go so much smoother. When the lead guitar and keyboard players have learned the introductions and lead lines, it saves so much time for the rest of the group.
- I will bring a pencil to highlight problem parts, changes and incorrect charts.
- When team members all show up on time, it shows respect and value for the whole team. It promotes unity and makes the rehearsals go much smoother.
4. I will show respect and love for my fellow team members and leader
- The second greatest commandment is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. When team members show love and respect for each other, rehearsals, worship and life in general is much better.
- If team members get direction that they don’t like. It’s important that they don’t take it personally, agree to disagree and submit – just like professionals do in the studio.
- Being a leader can be tough. When you give respect and are patient with your leader, God sees and rewards that attitude and heart.
5. I will not noodle on my instrument when the leader is speaking
- Having great rehearsal habits is important. The time to practise your individual part is when you are on your own.
- You show respect for the leader and the rest of the team when you learn to listen at the appropriate times.
6. I will worship as I play my instrument and endeavour to be a great worshipper on and off the stage
- The purpose of a worship band is to worship God and lead the congregation to do the same. If you are just playing or singing then you are not fulfilling your responsibilities. Get past the music and worship God and lead by example.
- A sign that you are an authentic worshipper is that you are the same on and off the stage. People see you on and off the stage. Be authentic!
7. I will attend church and give whether I am playing or not
- Great team worship team members know the importance of regular church attendance. We all need to be great congregational members before we can become great worship team members.
- Supporting your local church means more than playing your instrument and/or singing. Giving of your time and finances really shows where your heart is.
8. I will practice my singing and/or instrument regularly
- Great worship team members are better this year then they were last year.
- Great team members work on growing by practicing regularly, taking lessons and watching and learning from great worship videos.
9. I will wear the appropriate clothes for the dress code
- I never want my clothes to be a distraction to our worship times.
- My general advice is to develop a dress code that is modest and culturally relevant to your congregation.
10. I will grow in my love for the Lord and live a godly lifestyle
- This is the last commandment but it is the most important. Loving God with your whole heart and life is the core of worship.
- Living a life that is pleasing to God opens up the door for God’s blessing on your life. Don’t allow sin to ruin that. Repent and get back on track!
- Great worship team members are more than volunteers. They are serving in worship ministry because of the calling and gifting of God in their lives.
Question: What points have I missed? Are you a great worship team member? What areas can you improve on?
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I would like to be added to your email list. Thanks!
Hi NaQuia.. if you click on the mail icon on the right of the home page (or any page).. it will direct you to being added to the email list..
Great material. Thank you for your service. 🙂
Always love your posts, Mark. Enjoying the book as well. I was part of the International Worship Institute with LaMar Boschman back in the day. Wish our paths had crossed!
Thanks Roger.. I look forward to meeting you someday!
Hi there, I’m having a challenge where my Pastor has chosen an extra worship team and now we have two. The 1st team has members with ages of 19 to 28 and the 2nd team is above 30. The styles are different as well, traditional and contemporary, I’m the leader of the younger group and I want us to be one team, there is division already, please advise, how do i go about this matter?
I would give you three suggestions to start with.
1. Talk to your pastor about it and get his perspective.
2. Talk to the leader of the second team and work on a plan to end any division.
3. Pray and ask the Lord to give you wisdom.
Sounds like the old worship wars – Traditional or Contemporary. I hated it, we finally had a pastor that made us go to one service. Contemporary instruments with contemporary music but we try to work in an old hymn every week. It’s worked out. Mix in the music. NO NOT sing contemporary in the first part then traditional in the 2nd half. People will either come late or leave early. Believe me I’ve seen it.
I like this and i wouldn’t like to miss your lessons God bless you.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Hi Mark, thank you for this post! This will be great to share. I would only add one thing, similar to #6, and maybe it should be #1…I will be a worshiper. Jn 4:23 For the hour is come and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. If we are worshipers first in our own life, it will naturally be an outflow of our personal life when we are (leading) worship with a team, as the leader or musician.
Good insight!
I liked your articles and I thank God that you shared with us.
it was very helpful.
Great counsel for worship leaders
Thank you so much for this lesson. How I wish I had learned of these lessons earlier.. They would have helped me to be a great worshipper of God!
I think developing a good and always growing base of Bible knowledge about God by always being in a study or studying personally helps us as worship band members sing or play from the depth of our heart and mind, rather than the emotions being generated in the room.
Hi Linda.. thanks for your comment..
Knowing God thru His Word is so important..
I also think that when passionate lovers of the Lord worship together.. emotions are a natural outcome..
Hi Mark,
Thank you for sharing an excellent article.
For #2 I will listen to, practice, and memorize the songs for Sunday
In my church, we have a flip side: we rehearse Thursday evening, and our new worship director consistently posts the music for the week Wednesday night. This makes it tough to be ready for rehearsal; life, work, and family compete with practice time.
We have spoken with the director asking to have him post the music earlier so we can get ready, but he says he is also busy. The saving grace is that we are pretty tight and usually pull it off.
It’s tough to get your list at the last minute.. that makes Thursday rehearsals a little rough for new songs… but you still have till Sunday to get it right!
I love serving God through singing,but there is a spirit of fear in me,whenever am given chance to minister,i fail to produce nice melodies that glorify the lord,it has given me aq big set back,some times i feel like giving up on being a worshipper but i love it deply. what can i do to overcome the spirit of fear and also produce nice melodies
God loves it when we sing to Him. But, most of us do better in private than in public. Never give up on your private worship. If God wants to expand that to a public platform, wait on Him to do it.