Over the years, I've had some people come up and ask me what my program or method of rehearsal is long before I even became Worship Director at Building Bridges Ministries. I've had the privilege to be part of many worship teams from different Churches, each with its own culture, ministry thrust and world view. I've been with worship teams who provide transportation, food and even love gifts for their music ministers and I've been with worship teams who take everything out of their own pocket. I've played with teams that have a rigorous, structured and methodical rehearsal and I've experienced teams that seem to just jam the songs and leave it to "the Holy Spirit".
Just as each church has it's own target group to reach out to, there comes the different logistical and administrative challenges. When the majority of ministers come from a specific group, that greatly influences rehearsal time, rehearsal culture and sometimes even the "sound" of the music team.
Going back to the question a lot of people ask me, this is my answer: No, I don't have one program of method of rehearsal. I always adapt it to the team and the church the team is ministering under.
But what I do adhere to are some principles and guidelines that I prayerfully and hopefully get everybody to see the importance of, and also inculcate. These pointers keep me focused on what are the imperatives for the team.
1. A Growing Relationship with Jesus
Everybody falls short and everybody sins. Nobody is perfect. But we are all works of progress in Christ, and the operative word is "progress". Granted that how fast we mature and grow in our walk isn't all at the same speed and depth, but what's important is that there is a growing relationship with Jesus.
If you feel that a member in your team is stuck in a rut, maybe that's a tell tale sign for you to start walking closer with that person. Sometimes we need good people around us to help us get through the roughest of patches of our lives.
2. Humility & Community
This is a crucial aspect that I feel a music minister must have. Submitting to authority, being teachable and also correcting others out of love fall in to these two overlapping aspects. I put these two together on purpose because one can be humble but not have a group of people to walk with, then it is possible that what is taught may fall short of what is truly needed for that particular minister to grow as a person, minister and musician; and one may have a community but not correct or build up one another in humility and love. Being a community also means hanging out together, getting to know each other and being accountable to one another.
A lot of a team's trust is built outside of rehearsals. The factors that affect a team's musicality will almost always be extra-musical in nature.
3. Commitment & Discipline
At the end of the day, the team will need to grow together as a team. And that calls for commitment for all of those who are part of that team. Every member of the team needs to be disciplined. That means rehearsing during rehearsal and practicing during practice time (yes, there is a difference!).
Rehearsal is when the team comes together to rehearse the songs for the service you will be playing for. That means nailing the arrangements and getting the groove et al. Practicing is something you should do when you're alone. That's when you smooth out some of the rough edges of your playing technique and style. Practice is also crucial to nail the rudimentary skills (think scales, arpeggios & dynamics) of your instrument. You practice alone so that when you come together, rehearsal is a lot faster and efficient.
4. Remember that its Not About Us
We should always remember that as music ministers, we minister alongside the pastoral team and the church leadership. Not just because we are musicians we have all creative and artistic license to choose the songs we want to play, or we determine what the appropriate volume level is.
We are here to point people towards Jesus Christ. Not towards how high we can hit the note or how complex our sense of time and rhythm is. It isn't about your $$$ tone or how well you can keep the groove down. It is about reminding people about who God is and what He has done for us, in us and through us.
At the end of the day, it isn't just about our sound or music. Yes, we must play excellently and skillfully unto the Lord because He deserves nothing best. Yes, we should also come out with our own voice as a team, but we also need to make sure that the people who have gathered to worship the Lord are reminded of His goodness, His grace and His love. Sometimes, in order to do that, we have to cut back on what we want.
Of course what I've shared are the things that I use as foundations for the rest of what methodology I build around the team that I lead. The actual details of how the rehearsals go are different per team. I hope that these four things that I've shared can help you also as you establish and develop, or even refine and improve your own team's rehearsal culture.
Shalom.
-M-