Worship Series - Part 5

                              The Heart & Art of Church Music

                                                           by Pastor Mike Wilson 

            Music is one of the most misunderstood ministries in any local church. This is due mainly to the varied roles music plays in secular society, ones that we have too often allowed to colour our own attitudes as well. Out in the secular world music serves five main purposes:

1. To entertain the participants and listeners.
2. To fill silence with background sound so that people don’t feel alone.
3. To provide an outlet for the talents and creative urges of musicians, so that they can feel adored and appreciated.
4. To provide heroes for the public to “worship.”
5. To make money for the musicians, promoters, and publishers.

            Obviously, none of these is a worthy motivation for ministry in the church. They are all self-serving and/or greed driven. In the Body of Christ everything we do should be for the purpose of building-up the Body, edifying believers, winning the lost, equipping the saints, and bringing glory to God rather than to ourselves. We seem to grasp this concept in other areas, such a preaching, teaching, and leading, but we often lose it when it comes to music.

            The tools and building blocks of music such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre are all gifts from God. He Himself is the Chief Musician. The world did not invent music. Humans merely discovered what God has given us for our enjoyment and for His glory. In the church, music holds a special purpose that has little or nothing to do with the purposes it serves in the world. In the context of the church and the worship experience music is a “bus” which carries people and their praise-offerings into the throne room of God Himself. Music is a vehicle, a conduit. It is like a telephone line that carries messages both directions—from us to God and from God to us. However, the thing I really want to emphasize is that music is not an end, but a means to the end of helping the congregation be better able to worship God in Spirit and in truth.

            Dr. J. Vernon McGee once remarked that when the devil fell, he landed in the choir loft. What he was saying was that all too often music in the church stirs up controversy, jealousy, and discontent. This owes in part to the fact that musicians themselves are often temperamental people and not always easy to work with. But even if they were all perfect and awesomely spiritual, they would still be up against an impossible challenge because they cannot please everyone. Generational differences, style preferences, tastes in volume level, etc. all make it difficult to scratch where everybody itches, at least at the same time.

            Moreover, the music ministry sometimes attracts people for the wrong reasons. Every church music director knows that not every volunteer is a great catch. Some people want to sing or play up front but cannot carry a tune in a pail, cannot stay on pitch, and cannot even hear when they are “off.” They do not let that stop them, however, but forge ahead to make up in volume what they lack in quality. In this life sincerity counts for some things, but music ministry is not one of them. Yet if he/she is persistent in asking to sing or play it becomes a very delicate matter for the worship leader to explain to them that their talents are evidently in other areas.

            On the other hand, there are those who have some talent, but their motivation is all goofed-up. They have a star complex, or just want to see what it feels like to be up front with everyone watching them. They want to sing or play to be praised of men, which is a selfish motive and fits better in a karaoke bar.

            Music ministry is a balance of HEART and ART. Art refers to the technical side—i.e., a basic skill level for starters, and enough talent to improve over time. The heart refers to the motivation of the person. Anything other than a humble servant spirit and a deep desire to help God’s people experience God’s presence is an inadequate and unworthy motivation.

            What many people do not understand is that the smaller the ensemble, the more important it is that each member be able to sing on key and carry his/her own part. A large choir can absorb a couple of Monotone Marvins or One-note Noras and still manage to function. In a small worship team, however, a person like this fouls up everything because their sound cannot be hidden. On top of that, they throw everyone else off too. Someone will occasionally approach me to ask why we do not ask Sister So-and-so or Brother What’s-his-name to sing or play. A few times I have even heard of people complaining that the Worship Team is a closed, exclusive club. However, nothing is further from the truth. We want and need more musicians. On the other hand, like with other high-visibility ministries in the church, we need to be sure that a person measures up both in heart and art.

            Here is how we do that. If you want to be a part of the Worship Team, there is a three-part process you will be asked to endure. First, there is an interview to find out why you want to sing or play. This is simply for the purpose of understanding your motivations. You will also be asked to describe what kind of relationship you have with the Lord. Church music is all about one’s testimony, worship, and our communication of spiritual truths. If your Christian life is in a shambles, then you really are not in a position to exhort others through music to do what you yourself are not practicing. That would be hypocritical. In that case, you would not be suitable for the Worship Team, even if you are a professional musician who sings, plays, composes, arranges, and conducts. 

            Secondly, we require an audition with the Worship Team Leader. In that audition the focus is going to be on your skills. Can you sing your part on pitch, both alone, and amidst other people singing other parts? Can you read music, at least enough to get by? Does your voice and your singing style fit with the other voices in the group? Can you play your instrument well enough to help rather than hinder?

            Thirdly, if everything is “green lights and go” then you will be asked to come on board for a probationary trial period to see how you fit in. Music is a team-sport, and we are always looking for team players, not free agents. This careful audition/interview process is not meant to terrify anybody but is simply a way of getting the right people, impelled by the right motives, into the right ministry slots. When the system works, the congregation ends up hardly noticing the musicians on Sunday because they get so focused on the Lord. That is our goal. As musicians we must decrease so that He might increase.

            If you have the skills and the heart to minister through music, then give me a call and we will get together to talk. We want and need more musicians. We just want the right ones!

A Biblical Philosophy of Worship Ministry:

1. Worship is primarily for the praise and glory of God. As we come together for worship God is lifted up and enthroned in our midst. However, the Bible also teaches that “the joy of the Lord is our strength” and we know that it is only as we learn to worship in His presence that we can experience such joy and find such strength. Thus, we see that our worship not only blesses God, but it also refreshes and strengthens us in our walk with Him.

2. The Scriptures say that corporate worship, along with everything else we do, should “be done decently and in order.” It should also be done in a way that is both understandable to the non-believer as well as edifying to the believer. The Lord is always seeking those who will worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” God is not looking for a specific technique of worship but is, in fact, looking at the hearts of the worshippers. Our goal as worship leaders is to assist people to worship spontaneously and from the heart. For this reason, we avoid any sort of manipulation. For example, although the raising of the hands is clearly a biblical form of worship, in our day and culture many people find it uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing; thus, we believe it should be left up to the individual to decide whether to raise the hands. We try not to be artificial or gimmicky, pushing people’s buttons or pulling their strings. 

3. Worship Team members should see themselves as worship helpers or facilitators. Our main mission is to create an environment conducive to worship in which people become aware of the Lord’s presence and feel totally free to adore and praise Him. Ours is not primarily a performance ministry, but rather, a helps ministry, assisting the whole congregation to offer up praise, thanksgiving, and worship to an audience of One—God.

4. On the other hand, as Christians worship the Lord in a church service setting, unbelievers who are present should find themselves being lifted and drawn toward Him. A worship celebration service can be a powerful evangelistic tool. We want to so involve people that they find themselves verbalizing the truths of God through the songs. This will plant the seeds in their hearts that the Holy Spirit can then use to bring them to full faith in Christ. In every service, but especially in “seeker-driven” services, we strive to maintain a high-quality level of presentation so as not to detract from the message by amateurism. God always deserves our absolute best, but we are also concerned with quality for the sake of those we are trying to reach. Bad playing and awful singing make it hard for people to concentrate on worship. 

5. Worship Team members therefore need to have at least a fundamental knowledge of musicianship to not hinder the rest of the group. Ability to read music, for example, is certainly a plus. People who desire to join the Worship Team must therefore be willing to undergo a musical evaluation or perhaps an audition to determine if they indeed have the musical qualifications to fit into the team. However, musical ability is not enough. Each of us must also be a life-style worshipper. We cannot take other people where we have never been ourselves. Our worship leading on Sunday should simply be the overflow of our personal times with God throughout the week. Therefore, the Worship Team Leader and/or the Pastor, based on the person’s testimony and walk with the Lord, will also evaluate those wishing to serve in music ministry. If a person does not demonstrate Christian maturity and consistency, he should not be up in front of the congregation mouthing things that are not true for him. In such a case the person will be asked to step out of the music/worship ministry. Diversity in talents, styles, and personalities enriches the ministry but disharmony in every sense of the word is to be avoided.

6. When we speak of the Worship Team we are reminded of the extreme importance of unity in this group. The church music ministry is perhaps the devil’s favorite playground. We can leave no space open for rivalry or ego trips. As team members we must be willing to lay aside our personal agendas or pet ideas. This may mean certain sacrifices so that the group will be unified in its main mission of being a helps ministry to the congregation in worship. We are not looking for Lone Ranger talents who want to be seen of men. We need team players that want to serve God. If it becomes obvious that a member of the Worship Team is promoting some sort of personal agenda and creating disunity, that person will be removed from this ministry.

7. The Worship Team Leader is responsible for working alongside the Pastor in planning and organizing the worship services. This includes thematic planning using congregational music, specials, dramas, and testimonies that complement the Bible teaching. Moreover, the Leader coordinates the rehearsals of the Worship Team. However, it is also the Leader’s job to use team members to their fullest, giving them opportunities to share ideas and use their talents in singing, speaking, and playing. We certainly want to make room for people to grow in their up-front leadership skills. However, as the team stands before the congregation no one should be perceived as “the star.” On-stage leadership is shared so that only One Person is lifted up. However, for the sake of order, accountability, and continuity, the Worship Team Leader is the person responsible to oversee the music/worship ministry. In any kind of organization, the buck has to stop somewhere, and visionary leadership is always essential for any group’s growth and advancement.

8. The Bible says in I Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” In our service for God and in the stewardship of our talents, faithfulness is of utmost importance. Music ministry requires dedication, effort, time, and teamwork. Musicians must be prepared to put in the hours and hard work to do it right. Members need to be faithful in showing up on time for rehearsals and for services. If emergencies arise the Worship Team Leader should be notified without fail. Faithfulness includes showing up for church with a prepared heart before God so that He can use us. Ours is probably the most visible ministry in the church apart from the pastor’s role. It is therefore the one that always seems to draw the most criticism. The Worship Team often gets shot at from both sides—from the traditionalists as well as from the progressives. We must keep our focus on the Lord and be faithful to Him and to His Word, for He is the One we most want to please.

10 Goals for Worship Team Members:

1. A reverent spirit in the worship service. The musicians set the mood and should provide a model of behaviour and deportment for the rest of the congregation.

2. Joyousness in serving. Singing and/or playing are your love-gift contribution to the Lord in the church service, and if it cannot be made with free-flowing joy it should not be done at all.

3. Attentiveness. This is a worthy goal, not only in the worship services where attention should be paid to the pastor as well as the worship leader, but also in rehearsals. A worship leader cannot do good work unless he has the whole attention of the entire music team.

4. Cooperation. Not only must each team member cooperate in following the leader’s suggestions, but also there must be a spirit of cooperation in all extra-musical duties of the group [e.g., setup, tear-down, cleanup, etc.].

5. Punctuality.  The musicians must arrive in plenty of time for both the services and the rehearsals, and must conscientiously stay through the entire allotted time, except for extraordinary reasons.

6. Faithfulness. The worship leader cannot properly function if he cannot rely on team members’ faithful attendance at both rehearsals and services. On rare occasions when musicians must be absent, the worship leader should be notified as far in advance as possible.

7. Teamwork. Not only in singing and playing, but also in the little things that go along with any musical performance, such as standing and sitting, entering and exiting the stage, holding the microphone, handling your instruments, etc., members should act as a team. Moreover, they should pray for one another and recognize that their teamwork on the stage is an extension of their genuine oneness, being truly united in serving the Lord.

8. Inconspicuousness. The blend of voices and instruments and the uniformity of motions are only part of the oneness that makes a good musical team. No single person should stand out conspicuously, drawing attention to himself/herself. The goal is always to make Christ more visible. John the Baptist expressed it well: “He must increase, and I must decrease.” Care should be taken in the choice of clothes, jewellery, and accessories to not draw attention to us. Chewing gum is absolutely banished! In all respects, each team member should be neat and clean, and every effort should be made to keep even the physical mannerisms and facial expressions as inconspicuous as possible.

9. Self-improvement. With the help of the music/worship leader, every member of the worship team should take every opportunity offered to increase his/her knowledge and understanding of music, ability in sight-reading and musical performance, and comprehension of the function of music in the worship service. These skills can be honed through workshops, musicians’ retreats, and worship seminars.

10. Unselfishness. The nine points listed above are really summed up in this last point, which goes even beyond the other nine in suggesting the spirit in which we should serve the congregation and the Lord. As musicians standing before God’s people, our goal must be to point people to the Saviour. A worship service is not a performance, at least not by the world’s definition. Rather, it is a sacrifice, lifted up to the Lord from holy hands and grateful hearts. We provide a vehicle by which the praises of the people can be offered up to Him. There is no place on the worship platform for pride, for the desire to be seen and adored, to showcase our talents and high notes, or to try out our fancy new bass guitar licks.