Developing Depth & Dedication on your New Worship Team

Our first moments together as the Urbana 2000 worship team were spent eating brats off the grill, a Wisconsin quasi-delicacy. While we stuffed our faces, we shared how God led each of us to be on the team, as well as our hopes and fears for the year. It was just the beginning of a long journey during which God would deepen our relationships and our dedication to the mission he had given us.

Relational depth

Eat! It’s a great way to kick off the new year. And while you’re at it, begin to get to know one another better.

Worship team members don’t need to be the best of buds, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make Ephesians 4:1-3 your team’s mantra. Verse three tells us to “[make] every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This is how we live worthy of the calling to which we have been called—as Christians and as worship leaders.

1 John 4:21 states it plainly: “those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” We aren’t loving God through our worship if we are unreconciled, jealous or judgmental towards one another on the worship team. As spiritual leaders, our relationships affect the spiritual dynamic in our fellowship groups. As role models, others are taking their cues from us. Our worship will stink (spiritually, and probably technically, too) if we have no love for one another.

Start the year off right by studying together one of the above passages. Our first semester together, the Urbana team studied John 13-21 for its servanthood emphasis. Set the expectation that if there is ever a disagreement it will get talked about as soon as possible. Share hopes and concerns about the year and pray for each other.

“But what if we just don’t click?” We heard this—or some version of it—a lot on our worship team. Differences in personality, values and worship styles can make deep relationships seem impossible. This is where choosing to serve and praying for a “Holy Spirit heart transplant” are crucial. The three women on our team lived together, and their household had its conflicts. I was touched when I heard that one of them had made the others breakfast and washed their feet—as Jesus did for his disciples in John 21 and John 13.

At your first meeting, you may want to watch the Approaching Differences video by 2100 Productions (also known as the “Entry Posture Diagram”). Movies are another way to prompt discussion. Remember the Titans opened up dialogue about racial and cultural differences on our team. Commit to listening to and learning from one another, and over time you may even come to value what at one time you only tolerated.

Dedication to the mission

We play a critical role in our chapters because the function of musical worship is to deepen people’s devotion to God and to a lifestyle of worship. Dedication to this mission is a way that we, as worship leaders, worship God.

Developing our musicianship is one form of dedication. Your team should have clearly-communicated expectations for practice that are realistic but also cause your team to be constantly improving. If you are the leader, instill in your team a sense of why it’s important for them to make time for both group and individual rehearsal.

For sure, developing our musical gifts is an issue of stewardship of our talents and of serving our chapters. But also, God has so much joy for us as we develop our creative gifts that we would be foolish not to do so. Growing as a creative person connects us more deeply with God, the source of all creativity.

Discuss how your individual practicing is going at rehearsals and pray for each other’s practice. Talk occasionally about how team rehearsals are going and share concerns or suggestions.

Dedication grows as people feel personally invested in the mission. On our worship team, each person was responsible for teaching a new song. This meant we needed to bring sheet music (if applicable), an idea for an arrangement and the ability to communicate that arrangement.

Here are some other suggestions for increasing personal investment and thus dedication:

Study Scripture that emphasizes the importance of worship and worship leadership (for example, Exodus 15, Exodus 24, 1 Chronicles 16, 2 Chronicles 20).

Dream together about how you want your chapter’s worship life to grow.

Pray together for your fellowship and campus.

Ask people to bring song suggestions based on what they think the fellowship needs.

Share the responsibility of Scripture reading and prayer during worship times.

Have different people plan the worship order.

Deepening relationships and being dedicated to your mission require effort, but it will pay off in the long run. At the end of our year together, the Urbana worship team shared more than just brats. We shared tears and the joy of knowing God had worked through us to touch others.

—Sundee Frazier and her husband, Matt, led the Urbana 2000 worship team. They now live in Pasadena, CA. Sundee is a free-lance writer.