At one time or another, every church gets in a pinch and needs a musician to come sit in. Regular worship team members might be on vacation, suddenly ill or just unavailable, so they bring in someone from another church. These opportunities are sometimes paid and sometimes are just volunteer-based. Whatever the situation is, sitting in at another church is a great opportunity to build new relationships, gain experience, and participate in the church body on a bigger level (and yes, even make a bit of money, too). Here are 5 pointers to be the best sit in worship musician you can be.
1. Get Informed
The key to really excel as a sit in musician is to be informed. Contact the worship leader, and grab as much information as possible. Write the information down so you don’t forget. Here are some key questions to ask:
- When is rehearsal?
- Do you practice another day of the week in addition to Sunday Morning?
- When do I need to be there?
- What is the set list?
- Do you have charts/audio/lyrics that I can access online?
- Can you add me to your Planning Center/WorshipPlanning/WorshipNext account?
- Do you run in-ear monitors or floor wedges?
- Are you able to run guitar amps? (It’s very important to work this out ahead of time to avoid frustrations on both ends)
- What’s the dress code for the service?
Also, if there is pay involved, it’s a good idea to square that away with the worship leader ahead of time. Some churches require you to fill out a W9 form before they can cut you a check, and many churches prefer to mail out their checks, so you might want to give out your address ahead of time to expedite the process.
2. Prepare
This is absolutely the most important part of sitting in. Nothing can be more frustrating for a worship leader bringing someone in than having them be sloppy and unprepared (especially if you’re being paid). Get the set list as soon as possible, and practice thoroughly before you show up for rehearsal. Make sure you are practicing the right song and the right version (there are at least 4 songs titled “You are Good”, and you don’t want to show up playing the wrong one). Pay attention to the guitar parts, roadmap and dynamics. Get your tone set before hand. Put the songs into a playlist on your iPod and listen to them while you’re in the car. Try transposing and practicing songs just in case something like that happens when you show up for practice. Show up early. By taking the time to prepare for the service, you are valuing their time as well as their ministry.
3. Learn the House Rules
Remember going over to your friend’s house after school when you were a kid? Chances are, the ‘house rules’ there were a little bit different than your house. The culture of a church differs from place to place in the same way. For example, it’s possible that the church where you’re sitting in dresses a little nicer (or maybe more casual) than your home church. This is another area when being informed can help you a lot, so dress appropriately for the church you’re heading to. Also, find out what’s expected of you when you’re not onstage. Don’t assume you’re work is done and that you can take off once you walk off stage. You may need to go back up at the end of the service. Some churches have a “green room” where musicians hang out in-between services. Find out if the worship leader will be back there during service or if he prefers the worship team to sit in service. Good etiquette goes a long way in being a guest at a church.
4. Ask Questions
Hopefully this sit in experience is more than just a paycheck for you. Sitting in at another church is like getting a behind the scenes/VIP/backstage pass to the way that church runs. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions and get ideas that you can bring back to your own church culture. So if you get a chance to pick the worship leader’s brain, take it. Ask them how they pick songs, what they do to engage the congregation, how they like to run rehearsals and why, what is working, what is not working, etc. Don’t just stop with worship related questions, either. Find out about the church too. How long has the church been there? Who’s the senior pastor? What do they do for youth/missions/outreach/etc.? Regardless of the church, there is always something you can learn from being there, so take the opportunity.
5. Build Relationships
Sitting in at a church is a great opportunity to build relationships in your community. Networking is an important part of ministry, and it gives us an opportunity to build each other up. The “silo mentality” of isolating churches instead of networking together for kingdom work is toxic to the body of Christ. Sitting in at a church gives you the ability to connect with other worship leaders in your community.
Finally, if you’re planning on sitting in at other churches often, It’s probably a good idea to have a conversation with the worship leader at your church. It’s important to honor your commitments where God has planted you, and giving your worship leader a heads up lets them know that you’re not about to pack up and go. These 5 pointers allow you to maximize your effectiveness both in your home church and anywhere the Lord might lead you.
