Music Team Qualifications

This first list is the qualifications that are necessary to be a part of our church music ministry team.

1. Committed member of this church (and/or their children) — We are open to receiving special music from those who are not committed to this body of believers but the regular, ongoing and leadership nature of this ministry requires a strong commitment to the people and leadership of this church.
If the people are firmly committed to the church their faithfulness to the worship ministry will be much stronger. I once heard Terry Kinard make a statement which really sums this up. “Music ministry is not the right of the talented but the privilege extended to the committed.”

2. Spiritual maturity — As stated earlier, this is a leadership type ministry and, hence, is ordinarily not a place for new or immature Christians.
Like it or not, everyone involved in the worship ministry is seen by the congregation as a sort of leader. Putting new or immature Christians in this role is not a good idea.

3. Musical expertise — The musicians and vocalists need to be skilled enough to follow a service which is “led by the Spirit of God.” We don’t want to limit what God will do simply because we can’t handle it musically.
The worship leader should be willing to take the lead in this (i.e., having the necessary musical proficiency) but this is definitely for everyone involved. Please note that the level of proficiency will vary greatly from church to church depending on the size of the congregation, resources available, etc.

4. Time commitment — Practice sessions, Sunday morning preparation and ministry are mandatory. In addition, there are seminars, special retreats, and more.
Understanding the full spectrum of time involvement beforehand can alleviate many explanations later.

5. Support of family — It is important that the individual’s immediate family members are willing to accept the necessary time commitment and be a support to the individual.
Never be afraid to exclude someone from the music ministry because their family is not fully in favor of their participation. If their family is not supporting them they will probably eventually drop out anyway.

6. Ability to flow with the team — Some people are very gifted musicians and/or vocalists, but for one reason or another (vocal range, musical style, etc.) they have trouble flowing with the team. These individuals are highly encouraged to share their musical gifts in other ways (home fellowship worship, musical specials, etc.) with the body.

Just because someone is proficient with their instrument or voice does not make them automatically a top candidate for the worship ministry team. Working and blending with others must be a major consideration.

Ultimately, the director of worship ministries makes the final decision as to who is or is not a part of the music ministry team after carefully weighing input from the other members of the music team and the church leadership.