Worship Team Member Guidelines

New Wine Covenant Church

(Feb'91)

Worship Team Definition

The worship team, meaning those participating in ongoing platform ministry, consists of those persons involved in leading the people in corporate worship.

Although we generally only think of the worship leader and musicians as making up the worship team, it in fact consists of at least the following persons:

Musicians
Drama Team
Worship Leaders
Overhead Projectionists
Banner Bearers
Singers
Hand Signers
Dancers (flags, streamers)
Sound Board Technicians

Dedication To The Lord At New Wine

We believe that God desires us to work out our salvation (Phil. 2:12) within the context of a local body. Among other things, that should involve a desire to believe God to be moving through the leadership. Consequently we believe a member called to be part of the worship team will desire to cooperate with the direction and guidelines leadership offers. (See New Wine Statement of Faith.)

Clear Relationship With Previous Church

Each new member of the worship team should come with the blessing or approval of his former pastor. Problems in this area should be discussed with the senior pastor of New Wine Community. Unresolved relationships with the leadership of a previous congregation can have unwanted ramifications in the new congregation unless those relationships are resolved first.

Home Group Attendance

At New Wine, we believe that Home Groups play a central role in the life of the congregation. Our vision is to build upon relationships rather than on talents and gifts. The home groups serve as one of the primary places where such relationships can be built. It is in the home groups that we, in a concrete way, can work out our salvation. It is there where we can know and be known in a meaningful, personal way. It is there that we are ministered to. It is there where our own gifts make room for themselves and we eventually can be raised up into the various ministries God is preparing us for.

A Worshipper First

The Father seeks true worshippers: those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). As believers, our manner of leading is different that the world's. We lead not by lording it over others but through service. Thus, as it is the purpose of the worship team to lead the people in worship, it is a necessity that the worship team members be able to worship regardless of their place in the church. If a team member cannot worship God, he will be unable to lead others in worship. Being a worshipper first is a prerequisite to being a member of the worship team.

A Servant Second

In the body of Christ we lead by serving. Unless a worship team member is willing to give himself to service, he will be unable to lead others in worship. While not everyone has service as a primary motivational gift, everyone can develop a servant's heart. All Christians should be seeking this heart attitude.

A Team Member Third

Worship team members are just that: Members of a team. Unless they are able to submit themselves to the team leadership, and integrate and work with the other team members, they will hinder rather than help lead people in worship. We do not expect that conflict will never exist. But team members need to be able to allow the maturing process to go on by yielding to others for the sake of unity and direction, forbearing one another in love (Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:13, Eph. 5:21).

A Musician / Technician Fourth

Excellence, not perfection is demanded of worship team members. They must be proficient enough to perform the ministry required of their position. Attitude is as important as aptitude. As Christians we are called to do everything as unto the Lord. In other words, we are to perform to the best of our ability (in excellence). From a performance perspective, excellence is different for someone with one year's experience than for a ten year veteran. However, there shouldn't be any difference in the attitudes of two such individuals.

Must Be Teachable

No matter how long we perform a task, there is always room for improvement.

Members of the worship team must always remain teachable, that we may continually mature in our skills. God is always doing something new, and unless we remain soft and flexible, we will not be able to move with Him (Luke 14:26, Matt. 9:16–17).

Common Vision

A prospective worship team member must be able to share in the vision we have for worship. Unless all team members share a common vision, there will be opportunity for misunderstanding and tension to develop within the team.

For example, if one person has a vision for a rock sound and another desires a black, soul sound or a 50’s sound, disunity will result in misplaced expectations. Integrity's Hosanna! Music bimonthly Praise and Worship tapes are generally the type of music and style we are presently reflecting.

Having said all that, let it be clear that we are praying that the Lord will give us our own particular sound… one He has ordained for us in our Congregation.

Personal Holiness

Personal holiness does not mean legalism. There is no standard to which prospective team members will be compared, except those laid down by Scripture.

Each person, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has his own time table for working out his salvation. But each person should be involved in some basic Scriptural disciplines:

  1. Be in right relationship with the Lord through a daily Bible reading program and daily prayer time with the Lord.
  2. Be in right relationship with fellow believers, team members, and New Wine Leadership.
  3. Make yourself available to and look for pastoral oversight from those approved by leadership at New Wine.
  4. Desire to be free from wilful, un-confessed sin.
  5. Believe that God has called you to the worship team ministry as outlined by New Wine Community.

Prerequisites For Team Member Consideration

  1. A potential team member must be at least 17 years of age.
  2. A potential team member must have read the following books and have submitted a report, verbally or in written form, to his/her pastor for discussion:
    1. Rebirth Of Music, by LaMar Boschman.
    2. Exploring Worship, by Bob Sorge.
    3. The Prophetic Song, by LaMar Boschman.
    4. Leadership, Greatness, and Servanthood, by Philip Greenslade.

    In addition to the above books, the dance team should also read:

    1. Celebration, by Lora Allison.
    2. Rejoice: A Biblical Study of the Dance, by Debbie Roberts.
  3. A potential team member must first regularly attend New Wine Sunday Worship Services for six months prior to platform ministry.
  4. A potential team member must play at rehearsals for a one month try-out period.
  5. After the try-out period, the prospective team member, in conjunction with his pastor, the worship council and the eldership, will make a decision whether or not to accept the prospect as a member of the worship team.

Additional Considerations For Prospective Dance Team Members

There are three levels or dance to be considered:

  1. Devotional.
  2. Congregational.
  3. Presentational.
  1. New dancers should practice dance as an expression of their personal worship and devotion time before the Lord.
  2. New dancers will then be introduced publicly at the congregational level.
  3. New dancers will be released for platform ministry at the presentational level as approved by the dance team leader, pastor, worship council and eldership.

Commitment

We recognize that the commitment required by worship team members involves a sacrificial giving of time and talents. Therefore, prospective team members must have the time needed to give to this ministry without sacrificing necessary time for family and occupation (Luke 14:28–30).

Some specific areas of commitment required for platform ministry include:

  1. Being present and on time for all rehearsals and worship services.
  2. Participation in pre-service prayer.
  3. Musicians and singers must subscribe to the bimonthly Hosanna! Music sheet music.
  4. It is also expected that team members will individually pursue further training through private instruction and/or practice, and through attendance at worship conferences both locally and nationally; such as the Canada Arise Worship Leader's Conferences held yearly.
  5. Be willing to listen to tapes, watch videos or read additional relevant material as it relates to the worship team ministry.

©Copyright 1991, 2011, New Wine Covenant Church, used by permission.
Last updated: 2015/02/14 @ 21:33:57 ( )