10 Tips To Help Worship Teams

What To Expect When Serving On A Worship Team

Yesterday, I answered a question from a younger musician about what to expect when he joins his church’s worship team. He has been playing acoustic guitar for about three years, and his teacher said that one of the best ways to grow musically is to play with other people. So, he reached out to his church and asked if they needed an acoustic guitar player. They gave him an emphatic ‘yes’, and he was in the band!

But this week, it suddenly hit him, and he may have bit off more than he could chew. He didn’t know if he was good enough. And he didn’t really know what to expect joining a band. He wanted to know what was expected of him.

Now, I’ve been a professional guitarist all my adult life and serve as the director of worship at my church, where I’ve been for 25 years. So, I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a perspective on what a Worship Director is looking for in a new musician and some of the expectations of being new in a worship band.

I thought it might be helpful to new and long-time members to help them serve well in their local church.

Advice For The Newbies

Congratulations on being a part of the church band! I think you’ll find great joy joining the team and you’ll grow a lot as a musician! Here are a few tips that may help you to understand what your worship leader is looking for as you become a part of the team. Some are good tips for any band you’d join, and others are specific to being on a worship team. I hope you find some of them helpful.

1 – Be On Time

Show up on time all the time. Even if others don’t. Text if you’re going to be late.

2 – Have A Great Attitude

Always be kindhearted, appreciative, encouraging and positive.

3 – Connect

Connect well with your band mates. Be friendly and make friends. If you let them, these folks can deeply impact your life.

4 – Homework

Do your homework. Come in prepared enough for rehearsal that you could play the service. That will take a lot of time initially. But in about a year you’ll really get the hang of things and it will take less prep. But even then, do your homework. It honors the Lord and your teammates (even if some of them don’t do that). Remember, it’s your musical reputation and service to the Lord at the end of the day. Be memorized for the service. Don’t be locked into a chart.

5 – Grow

Grow in your craft outside of playing for the church. Just learning your parts for church well will be enough initially, but continue to grow and get better on the guitar apart from church.

6 – Be A Good Listener

At first, mostly listen and always be flexible. Not too many opinions or critiques. When you have gained enough respect and credibility you can add input. But be gentle, and always defer to your leader. And if your leader asks you to do something, do your best to do what they ask without pushback.

7 – Learn the Musical Language

Learn the language of the musical style you’re playing, especially if you transition to electric guitar eventually. Music is a language and different styles speak different ‘languages’. Playing rock, jazz, funk or metal at a church gig is like speaking Spanish in France. Learn what the style is and capture it. CCM has a specific approach. Understand what that is.

8 – Remember What It’s All About

You want to play well, but remember what worship music is really all about. It’s about God and worshiping Him. If you’re leading worship and you’re not worshiping God, you’re just doing a gig. But, if you remember Who it is that you’re there to serve and approach it with the awe, respect and humility it deserves, people will enter in with you and it will be a powerful experience for you and them.

9 – Focus On Technique

Remember the technical parts of the music-timing, being in tune, fitting in with the band musically, etc… But,don’t just focus on you. Listen to your bandmates and what they are doing. Also remember to engage with the congregation. Don’t get so focused on what you are doing that you forget others.

10 – Have Fun

Music is a gift from God for our good pleasure and it’s a blast to do! Like it says in the Westminster Confession, we’re to ‘glorify God and enjoy Him forever’. God will always care more about the attitude of your heart than how well you played your part. He’s got Bach and others in heaven making music we can’t even conceive of. The angels are worshiping Him day and night. (Rev. 6:8) We are not going to impress Him with our skills. What He desires is our heart. That is true sacrificial worship. (Rom 12:1-2)

Romans 12:1-2 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Though you should always do your best, at the end of the day, if your heart is in the right place in genuine worship and you have joy doing it, the Lord will love it the way a parent loves when their child draws them a picture. That picture on the refrigerator means more to them than a Monet. To them, it is truly priceless. Because it was done with joy and given in love and it represents their child’s heart and passion. And that’s more precious to them than a perfectly crafted masterpiece to a loving parent. And so it is with our heavenly Father.

There are obviously more things that could be said, but if you keep these in mind, you’ll have a great experience, you’ll grow as a musician, as a person and as a worshiper. Good luck!

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