LAKEPOINT CHURCH WORSHIP & CREATIVE HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 LAKEPOINT CHURCH WORSHIP & CREATIVE HANDBOOK

2 INTRODUCTION Thank you for being a part of Lakepoint Church s Worship and Production Team! It is a privilege and an honor to have you as a member of this like-minded community of creatives and worshipers. I believe that the story God is writing for our church, our team, and even for you is this -- there is more! Ephesians 3:20 (MSG) tells us, God can do anything, you know -- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! I believe that there is more that God wants to do, and you and I have the incredible opportunity to be a part of it. In the following pages you ll read all about the mission of Lakepoint Church, the values of our team, and the culture of excellence that we strive to maintain on Worship and Production. My encouragement to you is to own this mission, be a champion of these values, and pursue excellence in all that you do. This is not just a handbook on operating procedures and expectations. Rather, my hope is that this booklet will help you catch the vision for our team. I pray that you ll find yourself ready to jump in, knowing that serving God is the adventure of a lifetime. Let s come alongside the more that God wants to do, and I think you ll be pleasantly surprised when you see what God can do through you! Matt Timmons Creative Pastor

3 MISSION Everything that we do comes back to this: Helping people connect with Jesus in everyday life through everyday relationship. Our church s mission is our mission. We take ownership of it, knowing that what we are a part of is far bigger than the part we play. We create distraction-free environments that enable people to connect with Jesus in a meaningful way through praise and worship. We believe that when people are able to come together and focus their attention on the Lord, we get to see a glimpse of Heaven on earth -- hearts transformed, breakthroughs found, and lives changed forever. VALUES We value the mission over the method Songs, technology, and methodology will always change. Our mission never will. We re all in and all together God does not utilize the gifts and talents of just a few, but the sacrifice of many. We are united under the vision of our leadership. We sweat the small stuff People notice the details and so do we. God gave us nothing but his best, so we do the same. We never settle for good enough and refuse to compromise on our spirit of excellence. What we are a part of is far bigger than the part we play It is not about us or our platform. It is always, only about Jesus. There is no room for ego, pride or arrogance on our team. We serve others, not ourselves Jesus came to serve, not to be served and we live the same way. We are never more like Jesus than when we serve. We know that serving is far less about what God wants from us and more about what he wants for us.

4 WHAT ARE YOU SIGNING UP FOR? Volunteering in any capacity can come with it s fair share of responsibility, but in Worship and Production roles that responsibility is magnified. Platform ministries are highly visible, and that means that you will often be the target of other s scrutiny. While this is certainly inconvenient and unfair, we look at it as a reminder to ourselves to live above reproach. Production ministries can be highly stressful as the production team is tasked with making our Sunday services happen. While not necessarily as visible as the platform ministries, production teams are just as critical to ensuring that our time of praise and worship is distraction-free. AVAILABILITY Life gets busy and time slips away from us all, so we will always honor your time and commitment. It is important to remember that there is spiritual significance to what we do. As such, we believe it is important to model regular involvement. We ask that team members be available to serve at least two Sundays each month and attend no less than 75% of our monthly Team Night training and development nights. In an effort to honor your time, we will not schedule unnecessary meetings or rehearsals. This means that the meetings and rehearsals that you are invited to participate in are important, and we ask that you make them a priority in your schedule. REHEARSAL Rehearsasl are scheduled for the Thursday immediately preceding Sunday. Please bring in-ear monitors, any printed music you may need for reference, your instrument (if applicable), and any other miscellaneous items or equipment you may need. In an effort to be respectful and honoring of each other s time, here are some important guidelines for rehearsal flows: 1. Arrive as early as you need to in order to begin line-checks at 7PM. If you have much to set up, arrive with ample time to finish setting up before 7. If you are finished early, help other team members where needed. 2. Line check is the audio engineer s time. Please be patient and only play when asked to. Adjust levels and tone appropriately when asked.

5 3. Hacking (or playing between songs or otherwise quiet moments) is an enormous distraction. Leave the extra jamming and riffs at home. Unless asked by the audio engineer or worship leader to work out a part, you should not play outside of a song run-through. 4. Be prepared! Songs are chosen and schedules out by the month, by the second week of the prior month. This leaves, at a minimum, 2-3 weeks of preparation time. In addition, the catalogue of songs we choose from are changed gradually by rotating songs in and out-- this means that you will almost never have to learn more than one new song each month. All of this is intended to allow you the best environment to prepare. By Thursday rehearsal you should be familiar with arrangements, parts, chord progressions, and lyrics. Charts and music stands should only be required for emergency reference. SUNDAYS Sunday morning call times are as follows: Musicians: 7:45 AM. Musicians are expected to be ready to play by 8:00. If you require any extra time to set up or tune, please arrive earlier. Vocalists: 7:55 AM. Vocalists will receive their microphones and in-ear packs (if applicable) upon arrival. If you are a vocalist who is also playing an instrument, please refer to the musician call time. Production: 7:45 AM. Production team members should arrive and prepare their areas of responsibility so as to begin rehearsal at 8:00. Sunday morning routine: 7:00 - Church opens 7:45 - Audio and musicians arrive and set up for sound check 8:00 - Line check 8:10 - Ears check (run part of one song and break for ears adjustments) 8:15 - Team prayer 8:20 - Transition talk through 8:25 - Full run through 9:00 - Final check (play first few sections of the first song) 9:15 - Stage clear 9:20 - Production talk through (band/vocals do not need to attend) 9:30 - Team rally 9:50 - Team prayer/communion (when applicable) in the green room 10:00 - Service start

6 ATTITUDE Team members should demonstrate a clear passion for the Lord and for the Church. It is a privilege to do what we do! Remember that on this team you carry with you the mission of Lakepoint Church. We are helping people have a meaningful connection with Jesus, and our attitude should reflect that reality. As team members, we are the pacesetters for our church, and we are called to set an example in speech, love, faith, and purity (1 Tim 4:12). This can be a sensitive subject because we all process and display emotions differently. To that end, the following are some of the standards we hope to see in all of our team members: 1. Coachability -- Can you receive correction from a leader with grace? Any time a leader coaches us, be it in an area of skill, attitude or otherwise, remember that it is done in love. Our aim is never to embarrass or upset. In fact, team leaders commit to only offering correction or coaching in private. 2. Unity -- Can you enthusiastically do something that you might otherwise do another way? We may be asked to do a task or play a part on the team that otherwise rages against personal preference. In that case, it is important to remember that we value the mission over the method. We may need to check preference at the door so that we can come together in unity and support the mission. 3. Fun -- Church was meant to be enjoyed, not endured! Though we understand the inherent responsibility in our areas of service, we should be able to have fun in the process. When we enjoy what we do, our enthusiasm is contagious! ACCOUNTABILITY Being a part of the Worship and Production Teams means accountability to the leadership of Lakepoint Church. This also means that Lakepoint leadership is accountable to you! Team leadership is committed to seeing you grow in your faith, your family, and your leadership potential. Our aim is to help you make the most of every opportunity. We believe that serving is far less about what God wants from you and so much more about what he wants for you (Eph 5:16-17).

7 STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE We are committed to building a culture of excellence. People notice the details, and so do we. We refuse to settle for good enough when God s will for us great (Eph 3:20). The following are a few of the areas that we highlight in our pursuit of excellence. An important note regarding excellence: It permeates our culture. God did not withhold his best from us, so we have a mandate to bring our best to him. However, excellence does not mean perfection. Perfection is consumed with and preoccupied by mistakes. It is unhealthy and toxic to a culture of excellence. Excellence means to take ownership of one s role, and it is marked by preparedness and grace for mistakes. ROSTERING Teams are rostered by the month, and roster requests are sent out by the 15th of the prior month. During the first week of each month, a blockout request will go out over . Please be sure to either block out the dates that you are unavailable or select I have no new blockouts. This helps with ensuring we are able to roster people appropriately and that all key positions are filled. Because we strive to roster early, we ask that you always either confirm or decline the invitation as early as possible. Please note that if you have not confirmed or declined the invitation within two weeks of the date you have been rostered, you will be removed from that week s roster. Though this may seem harsh, it is important to honor our teammates and ensure that the position is filled with enough notice to learn the songs or prepare the area of production. We are committed to excellence in our rostering, and we achieve that through early invitations, and quick replies!

8 ATTIRE Appropriate platform attire and appropriate production attire differ. Production attire standards are as follows: - Dress in a manner that is appropriate to the service. Casual clothes are fine, but remember that you are still representing your team and that people still look to you as leaders. - Choose your footwear carefully. Close-toed shoes are preferred. Production team members often deal with equipment that can be heavy, and will often go back and forth between the production booth and the stage. - Modest is hottest Platform attire standards are as follows: - We prefer neutral colors and try to avoid bright and busy patterns. Large logos are also not ideal. These look great, but the aim is to create a distraction-free environment. - Refrain from graphic tees at all times. - Please refrain from wearing shorts, flip-flops, or otherwise casual wear. We honor the fact that we are on platform, and while we appreciate personal expression and style, we also want to present ourselves professionally. - Short skirts or dresses are also generally inappropriate. Again, while these may be in style or look good, we are aiming at a professional look and trying to minimize distraction. - These standards may be modified on some Sundays. For instance, we may dress down for an outdoor service, or ask for a more polished, dressed-up look for an Easter or Christmas production. The key here is flexibility! STAGE PRESENCE This is often a sensitive subject, as people tend to have very personal styles of praise and worship. However, platform musicians and singers set the example for the rest of the church to follow. Generally speaking, you are the lid on the church s level of engagement and excitement during praise and worship. The following are our standards of excellence for stage presence for all of our platform singers and musicians: - Show your enthusiasm! Smile and clap during upbeat praise songs! - Move with the groove! Try to avoid standing stock still on your mark. You are assigned a specific area of the stage, but you have the freedom to move in your area: use it to its full potential! - Sing along! Musicians not on a mic are still encouraged to sing along when possible. Some instruments require more focus than others, so there is certainly

9 grace, but especially when you re not playing a specific part of the song- sing it out! STAGE POSITIONING Know the difference between backline and frontline. Musicians should remain in their backline positions with very few exceptions. Vocalists should remain in their frontline position when singing, but move to backline whenever a service host or speaker has taken over the service. When a service host or speaker has taken the service, all eyes should be on them. A good rule of thumb is to always look at the back of their head. Vocalists and worship leaders are no longer the area of focus, and those on stage set the example for the rest of the church in terms of attentiveness. MUSICIANSHIP - Dynamics: The purpose of music is usually to emphasize and support the words being sung. Therefore, a band s ability to play both softly and loudly at the appropriate times has an enormous impact on the quality of our praise and worship. - Range: The entire band utilizes the same frequency spectrum. In order to maximize each member s impact, we want to create space for others. While flowing keys parts are nice, it is sometimes more appropriate to occupy a mid range so that the high guitar part can shine. The same applies vice versa. Leave musical space for your teammates! - Sensitivity: A band s ability to maintain sensitivity to what the Lord is doing in a congregation is critical. The worship leader may feel the need to repeat a song section or even change a song completely depending on the moving of the Holy Spirit. Sensitivity and flexibility are key to a Spirit-led time of worship. - Simplicity: A music team does not exist to showcase musical proficiency; it exists to point people to their Creator and create a distraction-free environment for a congregation to connect with Jesus. This may result in simplifying an arrangement or changing parts. Again flexibility is key.

10 A NOTE ON SONG SELECTION - Song suggestions are always welcome, but remember that the songs added to the catalogue are chosen at a pastoral level. Often a new song is introduced to complement a sermon series or an upcoming season in our church. - A frequent comment is made regarding the size of our song catalogue. In general, our team maintains a rotation of songs that get played most frequently. An additional 5-10 songs are kept on reserve because they are familiar to our church and have been widely accepted by our congregation. The rationale is as follows: 1. Musician and vocalist familiarity. We believe it is better to do a smaller number of songs exceptionally well than to have a deep catalogue of songs that we know poorly. 2. Congregational familiarity. The average Lakepoint Church member attends an average of two services each month. If we do every song in our catalogue once per month, each of our church members will only sing it 6 times in a year. If the goal is congregational participation, this is a poor standard. A good rule of thumb is that for every 8-10 times you ve played a song (including rehearsals and soundchecks), the average church member will sing it one time. When you re sick and tired of a song, our church has just learned it. - We will often change the key of songs to accommodate vocalists. Musical flexibility is absolutely vital. If a part that you learned in a specific key does not work in another, it may be your responsibility to simplify or change what you play to accommodate the key change. We prioritize congregational participation above personal preference every time.

11 DIG A LITTLE DEEPER In 2 Kings 3 we see a story of the kings of Israel and Judah marching off to war. They are moving through the desert and quickly run out of water for their troops and animals. The situation was dire and there seemed like there was no hope, but Elisha comes up with a unique solution. Elisha said, God s word: Dig ditches all over this valley. Here s what will happen you won t hear the wind, you won t see the rain, but this valley is going to fill up with water and your army and your animals will drink their fill. This is easy for God to do. -2 Kings 3:16-17 (MSG) It was up to the men to dig the ditches, but it was up to God to fill them. It was likely hard work to dig those ditches. It was probably a back-breaking, sweat-filled exercise of faith. Yet no matter how hard those men worked, they could never actually fill the wells. The moral of the story is this: the men did everything that they could do to prepare, and left God s job to God. Not only that, but the amount of water they received was directly proportional to how deep they dug their wells. We take a similar approach to our roles on the worship and production team. We will do our jobs to the best of our ability. We will prepare our parts, master our skills, and bring our very best because we know that when we are faithful to what we re called to, God will do what only he can do. God is faithful to meet us at our level of expectation, so let s dig a little deeper and carve a path for the Lord to move in the hearts of our church!