Do's and don'ts in recruiting praise team and choir members.

Being effective in a job or duty has everything to do with having the needed qualification to perform. In Churches, a great deal of what happens during worship in regards to the praise team or choir basically starts from the recruiting process. In building of the temple in the Book of Chronicles, much emphasis was given on skill and a history of musical tradition, which shows the ability of the musicians to perform or carry out the duty.(2 Chron 34:12, 1 Chron 25:7, 26:8).

I know, some of us have heard of the saying “God does not call the qualified but qualifies the called”. There are professions that would not permit half-baked individuals to be at the helm of affairs. Like piloting a plane or performing a surgery just to mention a few.

What makes the music ministry require much scrutiny in recruiting membership is the physical and spiritual role it plays in people’s lives.

In as much opportunity should be provided for training the basic requirements that fulfills qualification should not be ignored.

Amazing worship services are usually those that have the manifest presence of God’s Spirit. 

Having a wonderful praise team or choir to usher in the congregation to worship should definitely be the desire of any worship meeting.

5 questions never to ask while recruiting praise team or choir members

1.     Have you ever sinned before? – Some have gone to ask when the individual did what and with whom? We all have sinned and were sinners saved by grace. It should not be about the person’s past but where the person is and steps taken to live the life God have called us.

2.     Do you have an album or performed in a major concert? - Albums are not good measurement of a person’s ability. There are many songwriters that don’t have an album.

3.     Do you obey authority or your leader? The answer would always be a yes because they want to join the group.

4.     Can you play or sing and get people shouting, jumping, clapping and screaming?- A genuine desire to want to be a blessing should be looked for instead.

5.     We make monthly donations of $50 hope you can pay that?  For reasons best known to conscience, that’s not a good welcome note. It makes the new comer feel his/her money is needed first.

6 questions to ask-

1.     Do you have other commitments elsewhere? Most issues come from commitments because most musicians get themselves involved with more than one group.

2.     Are you single or married?- This helps in knowing how to handle issues involving relationships.

3.     What do you plan to achieve or contribute?- The individual must come in with a goal In mind either that of wanting to improve or contribute.

4.     Have you participated in any praise team or choir prior to desiring to join us?-This would help in determining the experience level of the individual.

5.      Do you have an understanding of what it means to minister through music?- The whole concept of music in the church is ministering the gospel of Christ.

6.      Are you born again?

These are some questions in addition to many that I believe would help in acquiring and preparing worshipers for the task ahead of them.

Training for Worshipers: Is it Necessary?

Worship as a lifestyle and worship as an obligation (duty) are two distinct but closely related attributes. Music in the church is an act of worship unto God in which the worshiper lifts up his/her heart, voice and body as a sacrifice (Rom 12:1).

A worshiper is naturally expected to live a life driven by worship. A worshiper that leads people into worship is also expected to understand the dynamics of worship, now I am not making reference to the art form, but the life (Spirit) in it.

I have been to various churches where the praise team has individuals that really want to serve God through worship by being in the praise team of choir, but those individuals are really having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that singing or playing might not just be their gifting and calling.

This has created a situation where there are two kinds of music ministers or worshipers.

1- Those that have a heart for worship and want to serve God through singing and playing instruments, but cannot due to a poor sound interpretation skill and a poor rhythmic feel.

2-Those that are gifted and interested in performing (singing and playing), but careless about the lifestyle that worship demands.

In both situation hope cannot and should not be lost.

I believe that training is necessary for worshipers because it introduces them to the concept of worship in understanding that excellence is required, commitment cannot be overlooked, and living the worship lifestyle makes the worship experience worthwhile. 

What should be done to encourage proper and effective training for worshipers?

1.Genuine interest in the life of those involved with worship from the church or leaders of the praise team or choir- They should not be seen as hirelings or the church’s property.

2. A proper evaluation system which examines the effectiveness of the ministration of the praise team or choir: Song effectiveness can be known through testimonies.

3. Musical training should be taken seriously by inviting musical professionals: Bad music during worship waters down the effectiveness of any ministration. 

What has been your experience with training for worship team or choir members?

Eight things prayers and fasting would do and not do for a praise team or choir.

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It's easy to sometimes alternate functions by thinking, prayers would cover up for what rehearsing is supposed to handle and also believe rehearsals would give the anointing a team or choir needs for worship without praying.

A praise team or choir is as anointed to the level in which it prays and fasts and vice versa.

Four things prayers and fasting would do for a praise team of choir

1- It will bring unity (Eph 4:3)- There is a bond that is developed when praying and fasting is practiced in a group. People begin to learn about, and understand each other more.

2- It will build up the Spiritual lives of Individuals (Jud 1:20) - Maturity as believers also includes Spiritual maturity. This is essential because helps the individual grow in the things of God.

3- Knowing the mind of God for each moment- In certain situations the Spirit of God can decide to change the order of songs or arrangement already planned. It takes sensitive individuals to know what God is saying at that moment.

4- Confidence- There is a Joy that comes from knowing “this ministration is for God’s glory” and “He is here in our midst as we minister”(Phi 1:6, Acts 28:31, Prov 14:26).

Four things prayers and fasting would not do for a praise team or choir.

1-It would not make the Praise team or choir perform well.- Performance is always a product of hard work. There would always be the need to learn a song well before singing or playing or else there would be so many mistakes.

2- It would not feed the needy amongst them (Jam 2:16)- The needy would always require food and financial support to take care of their needs.

3- Prayers would not substitute for a good music director (1 Chron 15:22)- A music director needs to be skillful ad trained in aspects of music for efficiency and effectiveness.

4- Prayers would not take the place of studying the word of God (2 Tim 2:15)- This helps in writing scriptural accurate songs and also knowing how to pray the word of God (promises and peace) into our lives.

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How much emphases have you applied to prayers and fasting where you are? 

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7 qualities a musical director of a praise team or choir should not have.

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Music director=Praise team/choir=Praise and Worship.

The musical director or choir director’s office is vital to the performance of any praise team or choir, consequently affecting the worship lifestyle and the spiritual atmosphere of any given church.

This requires a careful and prayerful selection when it comes to individuals that should fill in that position.  There are seven qualities, a music or choir director should not have.

- Immaturity- (Eccle 10:16) “Woe to the city whose king is a child”. There is always a big issue when a leader talks and thinks like a child.

- Unspiritual- Music for the church is a Spiritual act of worship and should be handled by qualified individuals that understand the way of the Spirit of God.

- Poor musical Understanding- (1 Chron 15:22) The office of the music or choir director should not be politically driven. Individuals with good understanding of music should be given a chance to work.

-  Busied Schedule- (Jam1:8) Being effective and unavailable usually makes the work slower and undesirable. It’s better to be effective and available.  

- Quick to Anger- Most directors need anger management classes because this is one of the silent reasons some members leave teams and choirs they would have been a blessing to.

- Personal Vision- The director needs to work within the confines of the bigger vision of the ministry. Problems usually occur when personal agenda’s are pursued. Such people should be avoided

- Smart Less-   A good music/choir director should have the experience or technical proficiency to know what to do in any given situation.

 Praise teams and Choirs need to be driven and handled by qualified individuals not individuals that believe they can just because they sing or play an instrument photo credit: Leo Reynolds via photopin cc

5 ways of handling conflict in a praise team or choir

The other day I was in a cafeteria eating and I overheard some ladies that belong to a gospel choir talking about a member of their choir who performed at a concert, about how they should have done a better job.

Have you ever dealt with a situation where some musicians feel they should be the ones playing instead of the other person? Or where singers feel they should be chosen to lead the praise or sing the solos to a song?

Somehow it creates a tense atmosphere within the praise team or choir though no one wants to speak about it.

What to do!

Clear definition of roles among singers and musicians- Some people have the ability to play several instruments. There should be proper coordination to avoid a situation where people would be moving from one instrument to the other at their own will.

Avoid showing preferences- Everyone should be given equal treatment, it increases the need to commit. Many times inequality in the way people are treated generates strife and envy.

Having good and capable leadership- The leader should be a person that is to a great extent, beyond reproach and should not be part of the problem or conflict.

Unbiased pastoral interference- In handling conflicts, a holistic look at the issue involved would help to create a balanced judgment. Not being quick to point accusing fingers saves a lot of heartaches.

Even distribution of roles among musicians and singers- It adds variety to praise and worship songs when different singers and players are given opportunity to minister.

Praying for one another- most people go through a lot of issues they have not been able to and/or cannot share. Most outward expressions are reflections of the state of our minds.

Conflicts will always try to arise where there are two or more people gathered, primarily because we would differ in ideas and thoughts concerning issues.

A good friend of mine said it better “It does not really matter who leads, the goal is to get the job done good (by the whole team)”. It calls for teamwork!

There is no limit to the effectiveness of our praise and worship when we better understand how to deal with avoidable conflicts.

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Effective and blissful worship experience

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The worship experience is one in which so much is expected due to it’s sacredness and meaning. Knowing what to do when it comes to preparing for worship usually prevents lots of undesirable occurrences during worship services: whether it is the worship leader not singing in the correct key to the instrumentalists not playing along with the singers.

It really does not take much to turn off the congregation from worshiping, and when that happens, the whole essence of the worship is lost. A vibrant and heartfelt worship experience is still possible if the right singer and the right songs are deployed.

The right singer- The right singer represents a collection of several characteristics, which include

a-    Maturity- (Both Spiritual and Musical) this will be needful because worship is a spiritual activity that requires a good sense of musical understanding.

b-    Knowledgeable- In the word and mysteries of God.

c-     Good communication- Be able to teach new songs and communicate appropriately with the congregation.

 The right song- There is always everything good and okay in singing the right songs that are relevant and understandable. Knowing where the congregation is and what it requires in terms of song choice makes worship memorable. Spiritual songs being released spontaneously make the worship experience great.

Dealing with commitment issues among music ministers in the church.

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The issue of commitment among music ministers has been one that has effected the effectiveness and productivity of worship services and personal ministries. Irresponsibility is usually a product of poor commitment to a cause.  Many music ministries have to deal with music ministers that have lukewarm attitudes, some just seem not to be willing to serve.

Reasons for poor commitment may include.

1 Too much engagements- Most music ministers sometimes find it difficult to turn down invitations that interfere with their present place of assignment.

2 A feeling of being despised- When a person's potential is not fully utilized, they feel they are not needed.

3 Inadequate understanding of one’s calling- God’s calling often comes with clarity. A poor understanding of what God desires from us often makes people feel they are being disturbed.

How to handle poor commitments among music ministers.

1 Engaging in personal discussions often help to  know individuals..

2 Musical exercises should be organized to know the strength of individual music ministers in a team or choir.

3 A good working environment should be created by making sure the musicians have all the necessary tools they need.

4 Workshops and seminars can be organized to teach stewardship. Some ministers might just not know what to do.

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What musical growth is and is not for the Music minister, Praise team and Choir-

 

What musical growth is and is not for the Music minister, Praise team and Choir-

Musical growth is an observed process of development that shows an improvement to a desired way of being (singing, ministering or playing).

The musical growth of a praise team or choir is a reflection to the musical growth of the individuals participating in these groups primarily to the skill of the music director (1 Ch 15:22). Which implies “like Music director like Choir”.

Signs of good musical growth for a praise team or choir include,

1 The ability to be creative- Creativity here involves the ability to write your own songs and perform them. This I realize is a major challenge for teams because some feel their songs are not good enough and so rely on the next Christian hit song.

2 Testimonies- Music in the church is a spiritual act. Testimonies or results are proves that musical ministrations are effective. Our songs are supposed to bless hearts.

3 Spiritual singing (1 Cor 14:15)- Spiritual songs are a result of a relationship with the Spirit of God. Where a music minister receives and sings songs spontaneously as he/she is lead during a worship service.

4 A noticeable improvement from what you use to be- It is possible to know if we are better than what we use to be if we take up challenges by doing what we would not normally do.

What musical growth is not?

1 Sophisticated gadgets- Some music ministers gets caught up in the excitement of having good instruments forgetting nice looking instruments is not the same with having a good ministration.

2 Playing and Singing in Mega churches- Small churches are good places to identify and develop your person as a music minister. Mega churches are good places and small churches should not be despised.

3 Singing high notes or playing fast- The ability to improvise on your vocals and play fast on your instrument is good but if not done with the needed discipline might be a disadvantage because the music minister may become too noisy.

4 Winning a gospel music award- Fans voting could sometimes be sentimental and not necessarily prove that the artist is great musically.

5 reasons why music ministers should not compete among each other.

                                                                                                           

     We are all different.- Rom 12:6 , Knowing the uniqueness we each posses may take a while but when finally realize it, we will see how different we are from each other. We don’t all have the same measure of grace and anointing.

     It is not Wise. 2 Cor 10:12 The Scripture is clear about us comparing ourselves to our selves.  It is basically a misunderstanding of the place of vision and purpose. 

    The congregation does not get blessed. The Duty of the music minister is to usher in the people of God to the throne room, It’s sad to know how it has become more about the personality of the music minister than the souls of men. No one wants you to prove a point of how good you are just bless the hearts of men.

      It  creates room for envy and strife. Competition is always a contest for superiority, which often time reveals the ego and pride most people never thought they had. In an atmosphere of envy and strife, there is little or no work done, because no one is truly happy, people are judging, hate becomes a usually experience. 

  

     Wrong Kingdom principle.  We are to spur each other up unto good works. If this is not done in love, it will create an enmity that would destroy the good work already taking place. In the Kingdom, our Joy does not come from knowing we did better than our fellow ministers but by knowing that we did just what God has instructed us to do.

Bad Music Vs The Anointing 1 Ch 28:21

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Is there a relationship between good music and the anointing? Yes!

The flow of the anointing is better experienced when the music is done right and when it sounds good. The music is the medium through which the anointing gets to the people.

Bad singing and bad playing of musical instruments have ways of affecting how a song is delivered to the listener. When music is played, people connect physically and spiritually. When the physical aspect is not done right, it affects the spiritual.

Excellence in music is a product of works not faith. Prayers will not cover up for inadequate or no rehearsals.

This is basically one of the reasons why most song ministrations don’t have the impact that is required. The Music minister must realize that he/she needs to have confidence both musically and prayerfully to be a blessing to the listener.

5 ways to attract musicians to your church

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Having a good sound-Good sound helps the musician enjoy what he/she is doing. If musical instruments are used in a church, they should be good.

Good relationship- Musicians love to work with people they can easily talk to and have access to.

Allocation of quality time for praise and worship- The time assigned for praise and worship shows how important it is to a church.

Take your musician’s well being seriously-Music ministers are first human beings that need to survive and also ministers. A great number of musicians depend on their music for a living.

Advertise the position needed- Why suffer in silence when there are free platforms to advertise for needed positions? ( facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc .Taking advantage of the platforms would help in attracting musicians to opportunities.