Express Your Interest

Most churches make it easy to get started in their music ministries, and musicians are always in demand. Most worship leaders are looking for musicians with experience, but if you express a strong interest, chances are you can find a place to start even if you are a beginner. Look on the church’s website for a staff directory to contact the staff member in charge of music.

Take Lessons

One of the fastest ways to learn guitar for any purpose is to take lessons. Fortunately, modern worship music is very straightforward. Even with three or four chords under your belt you can begin to take on many of the songs in your church’s repertoire. Contact a local music store, or better yet, one of the guitarists on the worship team to get started.

Join a Worship Team

If you are new to the guitar, serving in a children’s ministry or a bible study can be a good place to start. Ask about sitting in through some rehearsals until you are up to speed. You can play unplugged if necessary, then once your skill level has increased, you can plug in and join the band. While you are practicing on your own, try playing along with CDs of worship music. Once you can keep up with the recordings you will be ready to join the worship team.

Serving in a worship team can be a great opportunity to give of yourself, build relationships and grow as a musician. Just get started and you will likely find music ministry to be a life-giving and rewarding experience.

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This saying comes from a banner that hangs next to the band set-up at our church. It’s absolutely true. What you play and what you sing are your prayer as well as your witness. What you convey when you play church guitar says more about you than words could ever say.

Whether you are learning to play church guitar right now, or if you are adapting “secular” guitar playing to fit into sacred music, you are not very far away from performing the music you love. Many of the old Spirituals, such as “Michael Row the Boat Ashore”, as well as the hymns, such as “Amazing Grace” have very easy chord structures and the music is simple to play and/or sing. There is not a lot of adapting that needs to take place with these old and simple songs; if you have played Folk, Rhythm and Blues, or early Rock and Roll, you have played variations of these songs for years.

The biggest adaptation you need to put in place, if you are already a guitar player, is that a church guitar needs to be a little quieter. If you play electric guitar, you will want to put away the reverb and “heavier” settings for now. Church songs are played slower and quieter, in nearly every application. Happy songs still have a level of respect that the adapting musicians need to understand.

If you are joining an already formed group, you will easily be able to feel the group’s “groove”; what style of songs they like to play, their favorite songs, etc. If you are forming a group of church guitars for the first time, there needs to be some understanding of each other before you can start strumming. What, for example, is the level of emotion for this band? Some folks love to jump and shout for the Lord, others are more reserved. Who leads, and the style of leadership, is something that needs to be understood from the beginning.

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Exposed:

Even though a praise band is a group, there is usually only one person playing each instrument and maybe a couple a singers, but even the singers usually are singing different harmonies. So, everyone in the band is exposed. There is no cover from other musicians. If the base player hits the wrong notes, then it’s very obvious. If the drummer can’t keep a steady beat, not only is that usually apparent to the congregation, but it usually makes the rest of the band mess up as well. So, unlike the choirs of the past, with a band, it’s not so easy to not care if someone can’t sing or play well.

The Big Problem:

Church people are “nice”. That’s not necessarily true for everyone, but as a whole, church people tend to not want to hurt people’s feelings. My question is whether that’s really being “nice”. Personally, I don’t think allowing someone to humiliate themselves in public is very nice. I have a theory that most of the people who try out for American Idol who stink try out because people at their church told them they were good and should try out. Perhaps in some cases congregation members who have not music training may not realize how bad a performance is because they don’t have the trained, critical ear of a musician, but I think in most cases, the people are just trying to be “nice”. Maybe what they are really doing is trying to avoid their own discomfort, but you can be honest about a person’s lack of musical ability without being mean.

The Other Big Problem:

Musicians are arrogant, stubborn, and opinionated. Just kidding…or am I? A while back we had an issue with some of the musicians in my church. I was talking to a friend about it and he said they have an expression in their church, “They’re an artist.” It’s not an insult, but more of an understanding. True artists tend to be passionate and very personal about their art. So, they can come off seeming arrogant, stubborn, or very opinionated. Whatever you want to call it, the passion can cause for some difficult issues. The truth is that most church music programs (and drama programs) have issues because of this, more so than other ministries of the church.

Two Perspectives:

So, let’s say that as a band leader, you have overcome the need to be “nice” and have realized you can actually tell someone when they aren’t very good. When do you do that? Sure, if you have a congregation of 1000, you probably have several good musicians for every instrument. You could probably even hold auditions. However, if you have a congregation of 100, your options are limited. You may not have people experienced with certain instruments or musical accessories. From my experience, your decision of who can be in the band (based on skill) depends on your perspective of what the band is for:

1. One perspective is that the band is leading worship and with the congregation in mind, the goal is to have as much quality to the music as possible.

2. Another perspective is that the band plays the role of an outreach or a way for members to be involved in the church. The goal is to include people.

These are two opposing perspectives. With the first perspective, if someone isn’t very good, they will not be allowed to play in the band. The band may even do without some instruments or singers in order to make sure that all those involved are skilled and the music is good. It’s an exclusive group. With the second perspective, being an inclusive group is the goal, so people who have little musical skill or experience are allowed to join the group. The music quality may suffer (and probably will), but people get to be involved and feel more a part of the church.

What’s The Right Approach?

So, which of the two approaches to the church music is best? I don’t know. I think its decision you have to make for your church. Church’s with smaller congregations may not have much choice if they want to have a band. They may just have to take what they can get. So, your congregation situation may determine which approach you take. Whichever approach you decide on, there are two things you should not do.

1. Don’t let your decision to have your band be more inclusive be because you just don’t have the spine to tell someone they aren’t very good. Make the decision before you start the band and be honest with each other.

2. Don’t let arrogance creep into the group. There’s no room for the “I’m not playing if they are in the group” attitudes. You can be a skilled musician and be humble.

There is also one thing you should do. Always remember that this is a service for the Lord and keep a servant’s heart. Servant doesn’t mean pushover or spineless, but it is a humble attitude and a desire to provide the best you can do.

Francis Beaudry is currently the conductor of two orchestras. He is a writer and arranger and has published musical works for choir and orchestra. In addition he is the president of TheMaxZone.net, an online musical accessories superstore offering instrument accessories, musical accessories, and more.

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If you want to have the best odds for finding the right musicians for your church services, follow the guidelines I am sharing here.

1) When recruiting, make all your requirements clear.

Church music in this day and age ranges from the contemporary styles (which require the musicians to fill-in-the blanks) to the traditional styles (which require the musicians to be able to read notation). Don’t assume that the people in your church know or understand what you need. Always spell out your requirements.

This also inspires confidence. People prefer to work with leaders who know clearly what they want and can communicate it to others. They are more likely to respond to your recruitment efforts if you take the effort to spell out what are the expectations you have for the role.

2) Ask your musicians who they’d like to invite to serve in your church.

Musicians tend to feel more comfortable talking with other musicians. Think about it, you may have the right person visiting your church or quietly warming a pew in your church. This person will usually make themselves known to the ‘official’ church musicians first before approaching the other people in the church leadership.

So make sure the musicians already working with you know that you are on the look-out for more help, so they can help you look out as well as recommend people they think are suitable.

3) Have a back-up plan.

What will you do if you can’t find the right person or the right people? If your church uses a contemporary style of music for worship, you may be able to train up adequate musicians in the span of 2-3 months. If you practice a more traditional style you may want to look for parents with kids taking classical music lessons. They require a lot less work in terms of music training (most of it is already done for you).

The most important thing is to NOT be desperate. If you are desperate, you’ll be tempted to recruit people without the correct skill set or the right attitude. They can be a headache to deal with at that point. No one benefits from this situation at all.

Conclusion: In the end, recruiting a church musician is very much a sales job. You are trying to sell an opportunity to serve God and grow in maturity by actively engaging with God’s people, and you want the right people to buy that opportunity with their talents and time. Always ask yourself this question: if I was a property agent trying to sell a house, would I be able to sell a house with the quality of effort I am putting into recruiting a church musician?

If the answer is no, then don’t be surprised if you don’t get the kind of people you want to serve God with. Following the guidelines in this article will give you the best odds of finding suitable people, people who will serve God with you, and be a blessing to his people. And that’s what we all want, right?

Junjie is a worship leader, musician and trainer with more than 14 years of experience in a wide range of church settings. To find out more about his training and to sign up for his free e-course on worship ministry, go to http://www.invisibleworshipmusician.com

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There are four principles deduced from the New Testament worship which, if applied, will help produce a God-honouring music and worship ministry. These are found in Colossians 3:16,17 and they include the memorandum or message of music; means of music; medium or matrix of music and the motive of the musician.

MEMORANDUM OF MUSIC

The message of church or sacred music must be solidly based on the Word of God (Col. 3:16a). Musicians should be filled with an understanding of the Word of God and then communicate a biblically based text though their music. God’s Word must not only fill our hearts but must permeate the lyrics of the songs we use to worship God as well. Thus, in evaluating music for use in church, we must ask ourselves, ‘is the text of this song consistent with Biblical truth?’ The theology of suffering, for instance, is reflected in song. In the 1970s, most choruses sung emphasized personal confession of one’s faith in Christ and the willingness to take up the cross and identify in the fellowship of His suffering. Today, many messages identify suffering and sin or lack of faith. The chorus ‘Mi a nor go sufa, a nor go beg for bread; God of mirakul, na my Papa O” (”I will neither suffer nor beg for bread because the God of Miracles is my Father”) is very popular. It must be emphasized that even though it would be wrong to crave for or go in search of opportunities to suffer, biblical theology supports the view point that a Christian is a spiritual athlete and suffering is an inescapable part of the training programme.

Another important aspect of this principle involves the quality of God’s Word in the musician (’richly dwell in you’). The Word of God must inhabit and become a part of our being. It should be the controlling aspect of every Christian musician’s disposition. The world teaches musicians to do their thing (aspire for acceptance) and to strive to be ‘great musicians’. For the Christian, however, the Word of God should be his regulation.

The message or memorandum of the music (’the Word of God) is also evident in our lives ‘with all wisdom’. This refers to our ability to discern between right and wrong, proper and improper, ethical and unethical in our selection and use of music. The Christian musician needs the wisdom of God to know what song to use, how to minister (and not perform) it, and what innovations (if any) are appropriate in worship.

MEANS OF MUSIC

Music should focus on a two-fold method of ‘teaching and admonishing one another’ (Col.3:16b). To teach means to instruct, explain and direct. Thus, music directed to God should be far more than entertainment or personal enjoyment. It should be a tool for biblical instruction and training. A common song, ‘Read your Bible pray every day if you want to grow’, is a very clear biblical instruction. Many people have been able to remember the books in the Bible as a result of music being applied to this list of sixty six ‘titles’. This is one of the reasons why music is so important in the ministry of Christian education. Music in the church should be more than the prelude to the Bible lessons or sermon. The right kind of music can be used powerfully to teach the truth of God’s Word. Many of the great hymn writers such as Martin Luther, Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley realized the power of music to teach and that was why they wrote hymns rich in doctrinal truths. Music can also be used to help people know the very words of Scriptures, especially those which seem difficult to memorize. Many choristers know the piece, Rejoice in the Lord Always, even before realizing that the entire rendition is recorded in Philippians 4:4-7. ‘Admonish’ means to invite, encourage, shape and mold. A Scriptural music ministry provides opportunity for musicians to encourage, built up, and spiritually nurture fellow believers. Christian musicians have a responsibility to teach and to train people to understand and perform God’s work. All believers are to be involved in the ministry of music regardless of their musical skills. God desires for us to minister to Him and to one another with our sacrifice of music. No one is to be merely a spectator in the music programme of the local church.

MEDIUM OF MUSIC

Paul instructs us to use “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”. This illustrates that there should be variety in church music. A church which only sings only one set would not be fulfilling Scripture according to this passage. Canticles and choruses could fall under psalms. A popular canticle rendered at wedding ceremonies is Beati Omnes or Psalm 128. Everyone who fears God is regarded as blessed and such an individual would eat the work of his or her hands. The wife is pronounced as a fruitful vine and the children like olive plants around the table. Seeing one’s grandchildren is regarded as a blessing. The chorus ‘I will bless the Lord at all times’ is taken from Psalm 34:1-2. The psalmist proclaims that he’d bless God at all times and would boast in Him. David thanks and praises God for deliverance from the Philistines. Other songs are classified as spiritual songs. Probably this would be a convenient portion to classify gospel songs. It is evident that God admonishes to use different kinds of Christian songs to praise the Lord.

MOTIVE OF THE MUSICIAN

The musicians must have the proper motives in their music – “Singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (v.17). Misguided motives and selfish ambitions have hindered many gifted musicians from communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no room in the service of God for musicians with arrogant, self-righteous, condescending, or self-serving attitudes. For our music and worship to be acceptable to God, it must begin in our hearts. God is more concerned about the music in our hearts than that on the lips. God is in the business of changing hearts – molding, strengthening, developing and sanctifying them for His glory. Music is a means of communicating outwardly what God is doing inwardly. The Christian musician should not aim just drawing attention to his own gifts but to bring praise to God. As we minister to God through music, God will minister to us. Many Ministers of Music, music groups, soloists or instrumentalists have been fooled by Satan into thinking that God is impressed with abilities, talents, technology and ego and that He will bless us according to the level of the compliments we receive for our performance. An old saying paraphrased says, ‘the musical talents you possess are God’s gifts to you. How you develop and use those musical talents are your gifts to God’. Do we use musical gifts to glorify the name of the Lord or for personal gain? Do we concentrate on lifting the name of the Lord with a Christ-like life style or do we exhibit lax moral standards and rely on our musical gifts. Amos 6:23-24 clearly warns us to “take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy voils. But let judgment run as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream”.

AUTHOR SIGNATURE
Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

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1. The only hymns that should be sung in worship are the old ones, the ones “we” learned as children. (Note: Was the writer of Psalm 96 wrong? At one time ALL hymns, anthems, and other pieces of music were new.)

2. All church music should be quiet. (Note: Most lovers of traditional hymns would disagree with this. Would singing Joy To The World at a volume barely above a whisper have the same triumphant impact?)

3. The only appropriate church instruments are the pipe organ, the piano on occasion, and the Hammond drawbar – but only in dire circumstances. (Note: Our ancestors in faith used a wide variety of instrumentation to accompany their singing [see Psalm 92 and others]; Christians in most world cultures continue to do the same today. All right, the Martians haven’t caught on, but they’re the exception.)

4. All church music should be serious and classical in style. (Note: Psalm 95? Singing with “a joyful noise” sounds neither serious nor classical.)

5. All church music should be complex, performable by only highly trained musicians. (Note: Our ancestors in faith of African-American traditions composed a powerful body of spirituals that continue to stir and inspire the Christian soul; yet these songs are accessible to people with little musical expertise.)

Rev. James FD Martin is co-pastor of Church of Peace UCC and Bethel UCC, Fond du Lac Churches. He has led worship at not only these Fond du Lac UCC churches, but also many others over his career, spanning three decades.

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