In our last post we talked about showing the members of our worship teams some appreciation and encouragement. This topic may seem like one that doesn’t need much discussion, but with all of the logistics that go into planning, rehearsing, and then leading a worship service, our team members can easily get left behind. Below is a list of ten ideas that can be applied to your team.
1. Breakfast on Sunday
This may be one of the easiest ways to show some love to your team. Sunday mornings can be extremely long with your team needing to be at the church before anyone else even wakes up! A little food and water can go a long way. We try to keep our office stocked with waters and breakfast bars. At one time we even had a deal with our local diner who provided all of the early morning volunteers with breakfast burritos!
2. Being in God’s Word
We all know how important it is to be in God’s Word throughout the week. Our Sunday worship shouldn’t be our only worship, it should be an overflow of our worship and praise all week long. If your church has small groups, or bible study groups, encourage your volunteers to participate in one of them. Consider inviting your team and their spouses to a study group intended just for the worship ministry. Your group can meet after practice, on a different week night, or even during one of your Sunday services after worship. Where to start? The book of Hebrews is great to study as a team, reading about the parallels of old covenant worship and sacrifice with those of the new covenant.
3. Pray for them & WITH them
Praying for those you serve with is important but so is praying WITH them. Whether it’s taking time on a Sunday morning before anyone turns on a computer or picks up a mic, or staying a little long at practice, take some time to sit together as a team and pray. Pray for your church, for each other, for your leadership, and for your community.
4. Forward positive comments
When there are times a congregant sends you a positive email about the worship service or someone on staff gives you some encouragement about last week’s songs, pass it on!
5. Gatherings with families
With the amount of time most worship teams spend together it’s important to go out of our way to include our families. At least two times a year, maybe a Christmas party or a summer BBQ, gather your team and their families for some food and conversation. Last Christmas at my church we called the entire Worship Department and their families together. We ate, the kids ran around, and we were able to laugh and enjoy each other without any other agenda.
6. Worship Conferences
This suggestion may not work for everyone in your team based on your church’s budget and those of your team. However, even if you can send one or two people a year to a Worship Conference, it’s worth it! Your volunteer will feel appreciated that you value them enough to invest in their growth. Most people return from these conferences more than encouraged, they’re fired up! What a great energy to add back into your team. CCLI has a list of worship conferences that you can search here, http://www.ccli.com/conferences/conferences.aspx
7. A note of thanks
When was the last time you just said thank you? Send an email, a text, or even dial their number and let them know you’re grateful for their service.
8. Share the good news
“Remember when I asked you guys to stay until the end of third service so we could play during the invitation? Ten people accepted Christ that day!” How exciting and inspiring to hear what the Lord is doing in your church. Communicate great news like this to your team. You and they will have even more reasons to praise and worship the Lord on Sunday morning.
9. Song Suggestions
How do you handle song suggestions from your team? Have you created an environment where your volunteers are excited to tell you new song ideas? Do you have a reputation for shutting down ideas as soon as you hear them?
Challenge yourself to create an atmosphere where your team feels open enough to suggest some new songs.
Actually listen to them, more than once. They won’t all be “hit out of the park” great suggestions, but when you choose to use one, it can be a huge encouragement. Hey, you may even learn something.
10. Time Off=No Burn Out
This last one can easily be forgotten. Showing respect and love to your team includes loving them enough to give them some time off. Even the most passionate member of your team needs some time off, whether or not they realize it. What this actually looks like for each person will be different, but ensuring that your members still have time to attend church with their family and go out of town for the weekend will prevent the dreaded “burn out”. If you have a large team this isn’t difficult for you, but if you only have one drummer, you may need to schedule an acoustic service once in a while.
Take some time this week and make it a priority to show some love and respect to your team. Encourage them to continue serving the Lord where he has gifted them. Express your appreciation for their commitment and service. Can you begin by just doing one of these suggested ideas? Are you already doing most of these? Are there some ideas you can start doing today? Perhaps there are others you started, but have neglected to continue lately. Do you have other ways you show your team some love? Leave a comment below and let us know what works for your team.