Preparing for a praise and worship service is a tough thing in today’s world. The band and the singers are busy. Working on Sunday’s music usually takes second place to almost anything else that comes up during the week.
And let’s face it, 30 minutes before the service works… we don’t need more than that. Besides, we love being spontaneous… we love to flow in the Spirit… right?
I know I’ve made those excuses in the past! And I know many worship leaders hear those same excuses today. So the question is, how do you combat this? How do you pull off the kind of praise service you are looking for without time to prepare?
Let me warn you, this is a process. This is taking time to teach and motivate your band and singers. They need to really “get it.” You can not take the team where you want to go without preparation. But how do you make that happen?
Understanding the role of the band, the singers, and the worship leader is vital for “buy in!” If we believe we are there to “play music,” and that our playing of that music is our only role – we will miss the entire point.
The role of the praise and worship element of any service is not to get together to play music! The praise and worship music is to lay the ground work and till the soil, so that the teaching of the Word of God can land on soil ready to hear. (Christian terms for “focusing the minds and hearts of the congregation on the Creator.”)
Does that make sense? So, before you can really communicate the need for preparation, and before they will hear your cry for help in that way, your band needs to understand their role. (For more about the roles in a band, see Tom’s Band Workshop DVD.)
Take time to teach and to pour into your players and singers. Make sure they are “getting it!” When they totally understand the role they play on Sunday morning, they will begin to prepare in a more diligent fashion.
If they see their role as vital to the spiritual well being of the body or congregation, they might look at their preparation a little differently. But if they think they are simply playing some songs Sunday morning… then it may not matter to them if they are unprepared.
So, take some time and pour into the lives of those you work with. Love them, teach them, and allow the Holy Spirit to work on them. It is only through this process that we will see the results we desire. Forcing them to rehearse or come prepared will not happen by cracking the whip. But it may come by lovingly prodding, teaching and explaining why it is they do what they do!
That preparation will lead to TRUE Holy Spirit spontaneity. Anything else is winging it. And that is a scary way to “lead” in worship!
Do You Actually Know Your Congregation?
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