Practical Music Ministry

Serving God Through Sight, Sound, and Song

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Christian vs. Secular Music: The Great Debate

I read a blog post by respected Christian artist and songwriter Michael Gungor that really got me to thinking.

Sometimes I find the argument over Christian music vs. secular music completely frustrating. I am a Christian. I believe in the teachings of Jesus and in traditional Judeo-Christian values. I’m also a musician and music creator who is involved in the music industry. More than just being a creator or artist, music is my livelihood. While I love it, it’s just like going to the office for any other 9-5 job for me. Music is my job. So I’m deeply bothered by the ignorance of folks who say that any music that doesn’t say “Jesus” or “God” in the lyric (not to mention having guitars or drums) is inherently of the Devil.

Again, being an “artistic creator”, I write music of all sorts. I do write songs about God and faith, but I also write love songs, songs about life, songs about addictions, songs about sports, instrumentals for television, and so on. To say that the creations which aren’t overtly Christian themed are unholy is likened to saying that a painter who creates a painting of a landscape is inspired by Satan. Even more, it’s like saying an architect who doesn’t build exclusively churches should be shunned. Now, nobody ever gets up in arms over a painter who doesn’t solely paint pictures of Jesus or an architect who builds a hotel. Nobody brands the children’s author a sinner. (News Flash: We’re all Sinners! Story at eleven.) Yet, somehow, we as musical creators who don’t insert the name of “Jesus” or “God” into each creation are branded as “secular” and fervently preached against. Unfortunately, the same is true, even if the content of the song has a positive message.

While music and art does have the power to influence, for many people just a job. It’s something that they enjoy. It’s something that they do well. Yet, music isn’t the only career choice that influences people. Take, for instance, a public speaker. If he’s not a preacher, is his job frowned upon? Let’s look at a teacher. If she teaches English, math, or social studies, is her job or teachings scorned? Does her job alone make her unholy? Peter was a fisherman. Luke was a doctor. Going even further, Matthew was a tax collector, the most despised profession of his day. They were still used by God. In fact, Jesus was a carpenter. Did he only build churches?

Each of us has a role. We all have something we’re good at. We as creators and entertainers can use our gifts to help others, uplift others, to make people smile, or to make someone think. God gives us all gifts and talents. Just because we use those gifts in one particular manner over another doesn’t mean that we aren’t glorifying God. It surely doesn’t mean that we’re evil.

…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

If I inspire someone with a song about overcoming adversity, or if a love song eases the pain of someone who has lost a love, does God frown upon that? Jesus taught that the good Samaritan nursed the beaten man back to health, he didn’t simply drop him off at church.

**Solomon wrote a song about how much he loved a woman. It’s in the Bible. Ironic, huh?**

So, the next time your child brings you home a picture of your house with a tree, clouds, and a smiley-faced sun that warms your heart, before you put it on your refrigerator, ask yourself if it’s a picture of Jesus or a church. Then look at the creation and the heart of the creator. When you reach for the magnet anyway, think about us musicians and songwriters. We’re no different.

How do you feel about “secular” music?

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on May 21, 2010

filed in Uncategorized

What Do We Do When We Don’t “Feel It”?

Each week, a member of our praise team is in charge of Sunday morning Bible study between services. When I first read the email saying that it was my turn, my first thought was, “I don’t feel like doing bible study this week.” I’ve had a lot of stressful stuff going on. My allergies are on overdrive, and I don’t even feel like going to church. This week was just not the week. Then, later on, I thought about it and came to the conclusion that it simply doesn’t matter how I feel. It’s not about me anyway. So, today, I pose this question:

“What do we do when we don’t ‘feel it’?

We’re all human. Often we’re fine, but sometimes we get down. Sometimes we get upset. Sometimes we have doubt. Sometimes we’re tired. Other times we just feel plain lousy. I made a comment to our worship pastor last week that the band was rockin’ and I was really “feeling it” in worship for the past couple of weeks. Does that mean if I don’t feel anything that worship was bad?

That lead me to another epiphany. Worship being good or bad is really only determined by one factor: Our amount of personal surrender to the will of God. I shouldn’t be there to feel anything. It’s not about a feeling. It’s about putting aside our own feelings and honoring God through service and worship. In fact, I wonder if God honors our worship even more if we suck it up, go, worship, and serve especially when we don’t feel like it.

I’m reminded of Abraham. He was asked by God to sacrifice his own son,–not merely give him up, but to literally sacrifice him–his only legitimate son, promised by God, and miraculously delivered by a barren wife. I’m pretty sure Abraham didn’t feel like serving God that day. But he was willing anyway, and God honored his setting aside of his own feelings.

Then there’s Job. Job lost everything he had, everyone he loved, and even his own health. Yet he honored the very God who allowed it all to happen. (How many times have we not wanted to serve when we feel like God has turned away from our plight?) Yet Job, no matter how it made him feel, served and worshiped anyway. God honored that worship by restoring him to his former state, then increasing it tenfold.

And, above all, there’s Jesus. He knew the road ahead of him. He knew he would be brutally tortured. He knew he would bear the consequences of actions he didn’t deserve. He knew he would die a criminal’s death as a sinless man. That tells me it’s not a sin to “not feel like it”, as Jesus prayed that he would be spared the bitterness of his calling. He didn’t feel like suffering and dying. Still, he put his own feelings aside and said, “Whatever you want, Father.”

So, this week, your worship service may be like Pentecost, or it may just be the still, small voice. Either way, worship isn’t about the goosebumps we get from a song, it’s about how we get over ourselves, surrender, and serve…even when we don’t feel like it.

Share your thoughts with us. Do you ever not “feel it”? What do you do?

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on April 12, 2010

filed in Uncategorized, Worship

tagged feelings, surrender, Worship

Do You Embrace Every Opportunity to Improve?

We’ve seen the situation so many times before: music ministries want to “take it to the next level”. However, it seems like “the Next Level” is a dream or a lofty goal that’s never quite achieved. We pay it lip service with the best of intentions, knowing full well what is said about good intentions. Still, why do we find ourselves unable to pull our music teams out of a rut and improve?

People, in general, aren’t fond of change. If things have been adequately working for a while, we’re afraid to leave the safety of our rut. Perhaps we’re afraid of whose feelings may be hurt when the team’s members are pressed for growth and improvement. Maybe it is the sympathy for those individuals who may get left behind as the team improves. It could be the fear that certain members may step down, or, equally likely, it may be the fear of having to ask a member to step down. All of the aforementioned factors are the enemies of growth and improvement, but there’s one, to me, that stands above them all: not embracing opportunities to learn, grow, and improve.

Learning is the key to growth and improvement, and opportunities for learning are closer than you might think. Your community college might hold music classes. The local university may hold guest lectures or seminars on music production. A larger church might hold a music conference or seminar on a variety of music ministry-related topics. Your own church may even bring in an expert in the field of sound, production, or music. Don’t pass up these opportunities to learn! Be observant, and seek out learning opportunities for your team. Armed with new information, new skills, and new ideas, you’re primed to take your ministry to the next level.

Despite the risk of sounding preachy, I’m going to assert a personal belief here:

Your level of commitment to your ministry determines your growth.

If you want a “tell” of someone who is not committed to his/her ministry, look at whether or not that member embraces opportunities to learn. Learning leads to new skills. New skills lead to preparation. Preparation leads to improvement. Improvement leads to growth.

Here’s an example. I was once asked by a church to lead a series of ten two-hour classes, covering topics related to the music ministry (sound, multimedia, team-building, music production, music theory, copyright, etc.). The church had been saying how they “wanted to take their music ministry to the next level”. Although the class was also offered to “newbies”, people interested in joining the music team, and other area people from outside that particular church, I still thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some experience and information that would help that particular church to indeed “take it to the next level”.

While the number of attendees wasn’t terrible for a church that size, I did notice something. The class was populated mostly by members of other churches and some of my former students. That church’s own music ministry was practically unrepresented! When I approached the worship leader about how strange this was to me, his reply is still something I don’t think I’ll ever quite understand. He said, “I just don’t feel right making attendance mandatory.” (That comment seemed particularly contradictory, since the church was doing a mandatory leadership training for its volunteers.)

I had no idea what to say. I was completely floored. For a team to admittedly desire to “take it to the next level”, yet blow off an easy opportunity to gain valuable experiential information was something I just couldn’t wrap my mind around. It was just so counter-intuitive.

Now, I’m sure there are some people who would say I was personally offended. What really offended me had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with the fact that people just won’t commit to the ministries they volunteered for. That’s what offended me. You simply can’t expect growth if you can’t count on people to commit to, and live up to, what they’re called to do.

I know that embracing learning opportunities, study, practice, and rehearsal is a commitment of time. I also know people have other things to do. Still, without these time commitments, how can one expect improvement and growth? Where people spend (or refuse to spend) their time and money will show you where their commitments lie. When a man told Jesus that he would follow him after he attended his father’s funeral, Jesus said “Let the dead bury the dead” (Matthew 8:22). Jesus expects us to live up to our commitments 100 percent, particularly if we volunteered for them. Jesus also said in Luke 9:62 that if we put our hand to the plow to do his work and even turn to look behind us, we aren’t fit for his kingdom. That’s commitment.

Are we fully committing ourselves by embracing every opportunity to improve?

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on March 17, 2010

filed in Growing your Ministry, Uncategorized

tagged commitment, growth, learning

Could your church benefit from a digital audio mixing console?

Recently, more and more churches are making the switch from analog consoles to digital consoles. They offer distinct advantages over their analog counterparts. For experienced engineers, or for churches with more complex needs, a digital console, such as the Yamaha 01V, may make for a wise transition. Here’s a look at the advantages of going digital:

They’re more compact. By keeping everything in the digital domain, rotary knobs can serve more than one purpose, thereby eliminating the typical channel strip. Also, users are able to switch between “banks” of channels, thus collapsing a 32 channel console down to only 8 channel faders. A traditional 32-channel or 40 channel analog mixing console may take up anywhere from four to six feet of desk space, while a fully-featured digital console of the same channel capacity may only have a footprint of only two feet.
They’re expandable. In the analog world, if you need more channels, you’re forced to buy a bigger console. Need more digital channels? Just pop in an addition I/O (input/output) card to increase your channel capacity.
They offer more effects options. Multi-band parametric EQ with adjustable Q is virtually standard on most digital mixers. Dynamics effects such as compression/limiting, expansion/gate are also common. Some even have time-based effects, like reverb and delay. These features can eliminate the need for a rack full of outboard signal processing gear.
Mixes can be saved and recalled. This fact alone is an incredible aspect to a church setting. Because sound teams often rotate sound techs from week to week, traditional analog consoles lack the ability to keep a consistent mix week in and week out. The save and recall feature of digital consoles instantly alleviates this setback. Mixes, effects, and settings stay consistent on a weekly basis, and every service can have the same “starting point”. Mix recall is incredibly handy if, for instance, the youth band leads a service on Wednesdays, there’s a traditional service at 9:00 am on Sunday, followed by a contemporary service at 11:00am. Settings can be changed as quickly and as easily as you can press a button.

Check out this article from ProSound Web’s Church Sound blog, where they make a pull-no-punches comparison of analog and digital consoles.

Has your church made the switch to digital? Share your experience with us!

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on February 19, 2010

filed in Tech Stuff, Uncategorized

tagged analog console, digital console, mixer, mixing console

Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry (part 7 – listening)

In this our final post in our seven-part series, Striving to Grow, we’re going to address one of the major issues I think face praise teams from a musical standpoint. While we’ve already dealt with the problem of stagnant musicianship in part one of the series, our efforts are in vain if band members don’t learn to listen to one another.

Listening is key. A praise team that doesn’t listen to its other members is nothing more than a stage full of soloists. Often, younger musicians will come up with cool parts that don’t necessarily fit within the context of the music, or worse, conflict with other parts. People become partial to their “creations” and don’t want to change their parts so as to fit. This situation is a simple result of members not listening to each other, which is a very ignorant and selfish way to be a member of a group.

There are several situations that arise as a result of non-listening. Parts compete or conflict. Music doesn’t sound full because several instruments are playing in the same range. Sound techs have difficulty mixing effectively because of lack of blend. Instrumental fills or solos overlap vocals. Vocals don’t blend or harmonize appropriately and end up doubling each other’s parts. Instrument “tone” doesn’t fit in with other instruments. The list goes on. However, above all, a general sense of “sloppiness” is created.

Whether or not we like to admit it, the production quality of the music we hear on the radio and on CDs is so high that we can tell the difference between a good sounding band and a bad–even mediocre–one. While most listeners can’t pinpoint why, they are able to discern that there is a difference in quality. Most churchgoers excuse this because we’re “making a joyful noise” or “using our gifts for the Lord”, but that does not mean that we shouldn’t make a concerted effort to bring our best offering to God.

Here are elements to listen for to improve the musicality of your praise team:

Kick drum and bass relationship: Perhaps nothing slops up a band quicker than a bassist who doesn’t work with the drummer. There is a distinct relationship between the kick drum and bass in music. In fact, the two should really act like one instrument (one to push air, and one to supply pitch). They should strive to be tightly “locked together”, playing the same pattern (or, at the very least, a complementary one). They should not, however, be playing wildly different patterns.
Vocal blend: I’m sure all would agree that proper pitch control and harmonization skills are a must for vocalists, but vocal blend is also very important. Vocals, too, should sound like one instrument. Singers should listen to each other, so that their vowel sounds are consistent and that their consonant sounds occur together.
Octave ranges: When it comes to working with a band, the band leader, as well as the musicians themselves, have to think like a producer. Each instrument must be placed in its own octave range. For instance, if a guitarist is playing big chords down in the open position, then a keyboardist should play in a higher octave. This placement ensures that instruments don’t “mask” each other and allows each instrument to be heard more easily. Therefore, it makes your mixing engineer’s job easier, because he doesn’t have to struggle to make sure each competing instrument is heard. It also makes better use of the frequency spectrum, making the sound more pleasing and interesting to the listener. To get a feel for how this process is done, critically listen to any mainstream music and take note of how the instruments are placed within the various octave ranges.
Dynamics and contrast: Dynamics refers to the variation of intensities within a song. All sections of a song should not have the same level of intensity. A chorus is typically a step up on the itensity ladder from a verse. The song should get stronger feeling, or “open up” more during a chorus. Bridges are typically the most intense sections of a song, Although, they don’t have to be. They can be the quietest sections, but they provide the most significant contrast. Dynamic intensity can be achieved with volume, intensity of playing, range, and density (how many instruments are playing at once).
Density: Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of younger musicians to grasp is that of density. Not every instrument has to be playing all of the time. Sometimes, it’s prudent for certain instruments to not play during certain sections of a song. For example, you wouldn’t necessarily need a heavily distorted guitar during a quiet, intimate moment of a song. You could also look at density as the number of notes being played together. An acoustic guitarist who is strumming has a different sound than if he was playing arpeggios. Each sound has its own place. Again, it’s the contrast that helps to make music interesting.

Learning to listen to each other removes a world of obstacles and enhances the overall musicality of your praise team. If you’d like more information, many of these principles can be found in our ebook Recording Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Producing Music in the chapter “Thinking Like a Producer”. You can also see the article “Taking your Worship Band to the Next Level” on MusicIsMyBiz.com.

See other posts in the series Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on February 15, 2010

filed in Growing your Ministry, Uncategorized

tagged growth, listening

Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry (part 6 – distractions)

In my seminars and classes, I propose my philosophy about music ministry and what it means to be a worship leader. I’ve developed what I refer to as the Prime Directive of the Worship Leader. I believe that our job as worship leaders is

To, by example, lead others in the worship of God, while removing all distractions that may hinder that worship.

While our first job is to lead others, our work is in vain if there are too many distractions keeping others from fully engaging in worship. We’re not merely leaders, we’re also facilitators. So we are to make every effort to remove any distraction that disengages someone else from his/her focus on God.

Distractions can be viewed as stumbling blocks, inhibiting or disconnecting people from worship. 2 Corinthians 6:3 says this of the way we should conduct our ministry,

“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.”

So, what are some potential distractions?

Poor musicianship, wrong notes, and mistakes
Spelling errors on the presentation slides
Distracting presentation slide backgrounds
Forgetting lyrics
Lack of preparation
Poor acoustics (echo, ringing, etc.)
Unintelligible vocals (due to bad mix or poor EQ)
Too much effects (reverb, delay, etc.)
Poor mix in general
Too many lighting effects
Inadequate lighting (hot spots, dead spots, team members left in the dark, etc.)
Poor quality video (low resolution video and audio)
Ushers moving people during worship
Grossly mismatched attire of praise team
Acknowledging mistakes (facial expressions, gestures, etc.)

This week, strive to remove any and all distractions from your worship services. What other things can we remove so that others can fully engage in worshiping God?

See other posts in the series Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on February 13, 2010

filed in Growing your Ministry, Uncategorized

tagged distractions, growth

Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry (part 5 – Time Wasters)

Are time wasters killing your ministry’s effectiveness?

As with anything, time wasters are effectiveness killers. Time wasters cut into our preparedness, and, as we mentioned in part three of our series, lack of preparation clouds our purpose.

There’s a “trickle down” effect when it comes to time wasters and preparation–a cause and effect relationship. Much like workers on a conveyor belt, if one person falls down on his/her job, there’s inevitably a backup created. Here’s an example scenario, let’s say someone is having a conversation with the sound tech while he should be preparing for the final sound check/rehearsal for the morning service. By the time the band arrives, unaddressed sound issues delay the band’s rehearsal. The band becomes frazzled, so they’re no longer focused on worship. In hopes to finish their run-through, they hold the doors to the sanctuary, thereby making the congregants antsy or impatient, negatively influencing the worship of some. The pastor sees this negative vibe from the congregants, thereby increasing his concern and drawing his focus away from his purpose. One single incidence has hampered the entire service.

While it may sound extreme or exaggerated, situations like this do happen, and they happen considerably more frequently than we would like to admit. Here are some points to consider to keep your machine running smoothly:

Develop a schedule and stick to it. It’s not enough to only know when the doors open and the service starts. Set a schedule for specific things like equipment tests, line level checks, sound check with band, rehearsal, doors open, service begins.
Reinforce roles and jobs. Once jobs and roles have been established, it’s important the people take those jobs seriously. Not serving your role or function delays other team members. In fact, someone their job may be completely reliant on whether or not someone else does his/her job.
Know the difference between practice and rehearsal. Practice is what each member does on his/her own time. Rehearsal is the time where the band comes together to work on the band’s sound. Rehearsal is not the time for individuals to learn parts or work on difficult ones. Rather, rehearsal is the time to make sure that all of the parts each member learned at home work together in a unified way.
Rehearsal/sound check is not social time. When band or tech crew members arrive for sound check or rehearsal, they have a job to do. I know it sounds callous to say that members shouldn’t chit-chat, but socializing eats into someone else’s time. It hampers someone else’s job and is a detriment to the efficiency of the group.
Keep equipment maintained. Rehearsal is not the time to find out a particular piece of equipment isn’t functioning properly. I completely understand unfortunate surprises happen. However, certain things should be check and addressed prior to rehearsal time, and even prior to sound check. Technical and sound crews should be among the first people to arrive. They should check all equipment, batteries, cables, and signals before the band even arrives. That way, if there is an unfortunate surprise, then there may be time to make other arrangements.

What time wasters plague your team? How did you deal with them? Comment and let us know.

See other posts in the series Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on February 12, 2010

filed in Uncategorized

tagged efficiency, growth, time wasters

Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry (part 4 – Breaking Assumptions)

Are assumptions holding back your worship team?

Our last post we talked about being able to fully worship by sending our technical mind on autopilot. In the fourth post in our series, Striving to Grow, we’re going to discuss Breaking Assumptions.

Being a part of the music industry outside of the music ministry, I can tell you that nothing is left to chance or up for interpretation. People go out of their way to make sure they know exactly what they are expected to do and exactly what they’ll get in return. The ones that don’t know end up with a lot of headaches and heartache. Contracts, in the business world, ensure that each party is aware of his/her expectations. Rarely do I do any dealings that don’t involve a contract before I begin work.

Many people shy away from contracts, as they are often viewed as shady and purposely misleading. While many people word contracts to where they can only be read by a lawyer, not all of contracts have to be that way. They can just be a basic outline or explanation of each members function that is agreed to by signature. Don’t look at contracts as demeaning, or as if someone doesn’t trust you. Matthew 5:33-37 and James 5:12 stress the importance of keeping your word, but, unfortunately, peoples’ words or handshakes don’t always hold the same meaning that they used to, even in the church. So, contracts just remove all room for assumptions and doubt as to each person’s responsibilities.

In the music biz, bands have inter-member agreements, which state each member’s stake in the band, the decision making process, commitment obligations, what happens when a member leaves, etc. Worship bands should consider having those same types of agreements. Here are some of the issues that can be addressed within a contract:

The vision, purpose, and mission of the ministry. This can just be a basic description of how the ministry’s philosophy and function, so that each member has a clear picture of what he/she is entering into.
Decision making and leadership. Clearly define who is in charge of leading the band and making decisions. Do you function as a democracy with majority vote? Is there a band leader in charge of making decisions? Who serves as tie breaker in event of an equal vote? How should ideas be presented to the group? How much time is dedicated to the idea and decision making process? Answering these questions leaves no room for assumptions with team members.
Image and conduct. Groups have a certain image to uphold, even more so when dealing with a worship team. Each team member is a reflection of the parent ministry, both inside the church and outside the church’s walls. Don’t just specify how team members are supposed to behave, but identify specific conduct that is unbecoming of your team members. Leave nothing to up to interpretation or assumption. Then, make sure to let members know what the consequence is for unbecoming conduct.
Commitment obligations. Team members need to know what their time commitment will be up front. Let them know your weekly schedule of service and rehearsal times. Then address other potential questions and issues. For instance, if a member misses rehearsal, does he/she still get to participate for the service? How many rehearsals/services can a member miss in a row? Is there a such thing as an excused/unexcused absense or extenuating circumstance?
Contribution. This applies to obvious issues like whether a member is required to supply his/her own equipment for rehearsals and services, or if the church will supply adequate gear. But, it could also deal with issues like a member’s contribution of talents. What happens if a member falls behind the rest of the group in terms of musicianship, thus bringing down the overall quality of the group? What if a member is consistently unprepared? Identify your expectations and the consequences for not meeting them.
Royalty or revenue split. Does performance revenue get equally split amongst band members? Does a percentage come off the top to go back into the ministry account/fund? How are royalties split for copyrights if a band writes its own music? Does the technical crew get an equal portion split of performance revenue or a flat fee? Especially when it comes to money, be extremely clear.
Member exits. Identify what happens when a band member resigns or is fired. Is there a buy-out required of the ministry if the member has invested finances, equipment, or intellectual property? Conversely, if the ministry invested finances or equipment for (or on behalf of) the member, is there a buy-out required on the part of the member? Is there an “open door” if the member wishes to return in the future? Is the member entitled to a portion of future sales from merchandise he/she helped to create? Unfortunately, even in the Christian music world, lawsuits happen. These questions will help to protect your ministry.

These are some of the most common and detrimental issues that a band or ministry team must settle. By having members sign an agreement upon entering a group, there is little room for excuses when it comes to problem areas. The members know what the ministry expects and what happens when those expectations are not met. Although it’s never easy to “let someone go” from a group, it’s more justified when they’ve signed an agreement. The important thing is to stand behind your convictions and your contract!

Does your band, group, or ministry have a contract or agreement? Are there any points on yours that weren’t covered? Comment and let us know!

See other posts in the series Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on February 10, 2010

filed in Growing your Ministry, Uncategorized

tagged assumptions, contracts, member agreements

Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry (part 3 – Autopilot)

Is lack of preparation clouding your team’s purpose?

We’re continuing our series on Striving to Grow. Yesterday, we talked about a unified mindset. Today, we’re going learn how to worship on autopilot.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not stressing that we just “go through the motions” when it comes to our worship. On the other hand, I am asserting that we can’t truly worship until we are on autopilot.

The human brain can only really consciously focus on one dominant task at a time. If we are focused on too many technical details, or on our own insecurities, then how can we surrender our whole selves to worship? Yes, our service and the utilization of our gift as an offering is an act of worship. However, we can’t give God our first fruits, the full surrender of ourselves in worship, if our technical minds aren’t able to go on autopilot.

So, then, how do we send our technical mind on autopilot so we can fully surrender?

Preparation.

Lack of preparation clouds our purpose. If we are unprepared, whether through lack of rehearsal, sound issues, etc., then our thoughts are solely dedicated to merely “getting through” a service without falling apart. Hence, our purpose is clouded. We must be so prepared that we can suppress our technical minds so that we can truly connect with God.

I’m sure you’re thinking “if everything’s so rehearsed, that doesn’t leave God room to move during a service.” On the contrary. If we know our music intimately, know our instrument inside and out, and have nurtured our gifts and talents, then there is, in fact, more freedom. We’re not limited by our own insecurities and inadequacies, or by those of our teammates. Then, if the spirit moves the worship leader to move in a certain direction, we are ready and capable of following.

Part of preparation not only lies in rehearsal, but also in our comfort level as a team. We must be so accustomed to each other–the way each member moves musically or technically–that the team can work as a unit. Getting to that point takes listening, a comfort level with our instrument, and an understanding of music theory (or production skills) in general. It also takes a certain amount of trust that your other team members possess the same. We must also understand that this level of comfort takes time and effort on the part of every member of the ministry team or department.

As you strive to grow, stress the “autopilot mentality”. Take small steps. Stress preparation. Begin to work–really work–as one unit. Then comment and tell us your story!

See other posts in the series Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry

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No Comments by claybutlermusic on February 10, 2010

filed in Growing your Ministry, Uncategorized

tagged autopilot, growth, preparation

Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry (part 2 – Mindset)

In keeping with our series on Striving to Grow, we’re looking at ways to overcome obstacles that hinder our ministry’s growth and effectiveness. In our last post, we discussed dealing with stagnant musicianship. Today, we’re going to deal with the mindset of our team’s members.

In ministry, everyone has a role and a function. Different departments or teams, while they each have their own individual functions, all come together for a common purpose. In other words, they act as one machine. The Bible says that, although we all act individually, we all act as one body (1 Corinthians 12). A hand has a different purpose than a foot, an eye serves a different purpose than an ear, and so on. If one person or department doesn’t serve its function, then the entire machine is made less effective. So, we have to facilitate a common mindset amongst our team’s members.

The church often talks about repentance as it pertains to salvation. While it does mean turning from your old ways, the literal translation means “to change one’s mind”. On our ministry teams, must ensure that all of our members have a similar mindset when it comes to excellence, humility, servitude, and self betterment. I was speaking recently with a worship pastor friend about some ways to improve the quality and functionality of his team. After explaining my philosophy on building a ministry team (and the biblical principles behind them), he replied, “but not everyone on the team has the same mindset as you do.” While I’m neither asserting that I have all the answers, nor that my opinion is the Gospel, a team whose members do not share the same vision will not succeed. It’s not even a team. Such division turns a band into a stage full of soloists.

The word says in Romans 12:2,

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We must be like-minded when it comes to certain questions about our ministry:

How does God expect us to nourish our gifts and talents? (Matthew 25:14-30)
Does God expect my best when it comes to my gift, talent, or service? (Genesis 4:2-5)
Does God expect us to sacrifice our will and wants for the good of His Kingdom? (Mark 1:16-20)
How committed to our calling does God expect us to be? (Luke 9:62)
How committed do we need to be to each member of the group? (1 Thessalonians 5:11-15)
What areas of our life do we need to eliminate to fully serve our calling? (1 Timothy 2:22)

If we can all say that we are in agreement with all those principles, then our mindset is appropriate. If problems arise as mindsets wander, that’s when ministries tend to pull apart. The Word is also very clear as to what our response should be to dissension within a ministry, as in Titus 3:10.

“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.”

These divisions must be dealt with swiftly and firmly for the good of the ministry as a whole. While it’s hard to make those sorts of decisions, we as a ministry can’t afford to not be unified in our mindset, goals, and direction. It’s much easier to define these principles early on than it is to realign (or remove) members that have been a part of the group for any significant length of time.

How do you ensure your team members are like-minded? Comment and share your thoughts.

See other posts in the series Striving to Grow: Overcoming Obstacles in Music Ministry

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1 Comment by claybutlermusic on February 9, 2010

filed in Growing your Ministry, Uncategorized

tagged growth, likeminded, mindset, team building, working as a team

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Serving God Through Sight, Sound, and Song

…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Solomon wrote a song about how much he loved a woman. It’s in the Bible. Ironic, huh?

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**Solomon wrote a song about how much he loved a woman. It’s in the Bible. Ironic, huh?**