HELP FOR WORSHIP LEADERS (PART TWO)

CREATING AND MANAGING A DYNAMIC PRAISE AND WORSHIP TEAM

Creating and managing a dynamic praise and worship team doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and careful thought and planning. Some worship leaders have spent years getting their team to the level they desire. But don’t worry with a few simple steps and planning you will be on your way to creating a vibrant ministry.

Developing your group begins with choosing the right people.

This can be accomplished by creating and implementing a list of qualification and guidelines for those who desire to be a part of the worship ministry. This should be your first step in creating your ministry. Now while at first you may have to be a bit more relaxed and flexible about those chosen, once your ministry is established you can be a little more stringent.

As you create your guidelines make certain you make clear what is to be expected of the team and what they can expect from you. Areas you might want to cover in your guidelines include: A commitment to growing spiritually, attendance and punctuality, frequency of their service, a commitment to being spiritually prepared to minister, support of family, and calling.

For some ideas on qualifications for the worship ministry you might include such topics as: knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, being a committed partner of the Church and to its leadership, and being committed to the Spiritual disciplines of prayer, praise and worship, and personal bible study. These are just a few basic ideas to get you started. And remember you should treat your guidelines and qualifications as a living document meaning that it should and will change and grow as the needs of the church and ministry changes and grows.

As the leader your team needs you to be consistent and organized.

I know that the word organized strikes fear in the minds of many but it is well worth your while to become disciplined in this area. Remember the best leaders lead by example.

First of all make being on time a priority. When you are on time for rehearsals and the services it conveys to the team the importance of time. Not being on time shows a lack of respect for others and a lack of respect for the ministry which God has provided.

It is very important to keep a well-organized team schedule of who is playing and when. This schedule could and should also include sound and video techs. Believe me you will save yourself some moments of panic by keeping a schedule.

Keep the people informed.

This is an absolute must! Whether you do it through an email or hand out or newsletter, keep your people informed of what is going on. Communication is a must for effective leadership. Now you don’t have to give them all the details of everything that goes on, they do need to be clearly informed on anything that will affect them. Trust me though, no matter how well you keep them informed, there will be someone that will come to you and say I never knew about the special practice.

Create a safe caring atmosphere for your team.

Let them know that they are able to be transparent and not be judged amongst the group. Trust is a huge factor that leads to an effective worship ministry. Deep relationships are only built in a safe nonjudgmental trusting environment. As the leader it is your responsibility to create that atmosphere.