WORSHIP TEAMS SEMINAR Bethesda Pentecostal Church April 2, 2011
WHO ARE YOU? WHO AM I? WHAT IS WORSHIP? WHAT IS THE GREATEST WORSHIP GATHERING YOU HAVE EVER BEEN A PART OF? WHAT WOULD ULTIMATE WORSHIP MINISTRY LOOK LIKE?
What is worship? English word worship means attribute worth Gerrit Gustafson Worship is the act and attitude of wholeheartedly giving ourselves to God, spirit, soul, and body. Worship is simply the expression of our love for God, which Jesus said, should involve all our heart, mind and physical strength. (Mark 12:30) Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. 45 minutes of singing vs. totality of life Throughout the OT/NT worship is first priority: First commandment Deut. 5:6-7 Jesus response as most important commandment - Mark 12:30
What is worship? Worship though is not a one-way street; a two-way communication between believers and God real worship provides opportunities for God and God s people to express their love for each other Worship Wars contemporary vs. traditional; Music divides worship unites ; if we perpetuate the war we have missed the true meaning of worship The Final Litmus Test: Transformation - There must be a bite to worship; worship must cost something or it is meaningless; true worship involves sacrifice; the act of offering something meaningful and valuable Sally Morgenthaler Our worship of God either affirms or contradicts our message about God. Unbelievers will draw lasting conclusions about the veracity and uniqueness of God based on what they see or do not see happening in our weekly church services. (Worship Evangelism)
Quotable Quotes
Goals Of Worship Ministry To develop worshippers both on the worship teams and in the church To utilize the many giftings that are found in the church (identifying giftings, developing giftings) To be good stewards of our time and talents (to be more efficient and intentional in our preparations) To strive for excellence in our presentation (technology, production, music) To be relevant in our worship styles across the generations (to strive for balance in our worship) To help foster an atmosphere for Holy Spirit anointed worship (to prepare hearts for the ministry of the Word, to be in tune to what God is doing in each service, to teach Biblical truth)
The Three C s of Ministry (Principles of Ministry Leadership)
Who We Are Ministry Honesty
CHARACTER: Who We Are - Ministry Honesty Character has been defined as who you are when no one is looking; The most important part of ministry; God is more interested in who you are becoming than what you are doing for Him May my lifesong sing to You! - Your lifestyle outside the ministry context must reflect a strong Christian character and the goals and values of your church and faith Guard your personal walk with Christ. You are on frontline ministry. The enemy loves to take down those in the spotlight so he can discredit the Gospel. As singers, musicians and technicians we must be extra diligent to maintain our spiritual life. Singing or playing for the Lord is not just PERFORMANCE----it is an opportunity for worship, ministry and witness... be prepared in practice and prayer; always seek to minister to God and one another; Ministering in music is not a RIGHT----it is a PRIVILEGE
The Heart of Worship: Genesis 4:1-7 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man." 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
Genesis 4:1-7 Adam & Eve became the proud parents of Cain and Abel Abel grew into a HERDER while Cain became a FARMER; both were industrious, hard workers, with an appreciation for God Cain and Abel inherit a spiritual legacy and they are recorded as bringing their offerings of worship to God; Abel brought fat portions from the firstborn of his flocks; Cain brought fruit of the soil as his offering God steps on the scene and is pleased with Abel s offering but not with Cain s; God and Cain communicate but Cain leaves the encounter bitter, jealous and angry; his anger towards God manifests itself tragically when Cain turns on his brother
Genesis 4:8
The Heart of Worship What kind of offering was acceptable to God? animal or plant? O.T. allowed for non-blood sacrifices; a fruit or a vegetable offering was neither superior nor inferior to an animal offering as both were first fruit offerings The silence of the passage speaks loudly; since there seems to be no outward difference the problem was more likely internal one; the problem wasn't in the gift but in the heart behind the gift! Something in Cain s heart hindered his offering; HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? The darkness in his heart to began to surface immediately: anger to God, jealousy of his bother, anger towards his brother, the planning of murder and eventually the carrying out of a murder. Cain s question: What s wrong my offering? He missed the point; he couldn't see beyond the rejected offering to see the reason why his offering was rejected.
Is the danger of coming to the presence of God? IMMINENT ATTACKS on leaders and worshippers! IMMUNITY TO SIN is possible when we get close to the presence of God and refuse its character altering power we start to become immune and each time to gets easier to not change!
God is not moved or impressed with our worship until our hearts are moved and impressed by Him. (Kelly Sparks) Matthew 15:8 These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Why is HEART WORSHIP so important? (the heart of Pentecostal Worship) Holiness to the Lord Holy Spirit conviction Heavenly Preparation
The Heart Of Worship Matt Redman When the music fades, alll is stripped away, and I simply come; Longing just to bring something that's of worth that will bless Your heart. I'll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself Is not what You have required. You search much deeper within, through the way things appear; You're looking into my heart. King of endless worth, no one could express how much You deserve. Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is Yours, ev'ry single breath. I'm coming back to the heart of worship, And it's all about You, all about You, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it, When it's all about You, all about You, Jesus. 1997 Kingsway's Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 227301
How We Work With Others ministry unity
The final hours of Jesus teach us important ministry lessons as we see him in prayer
John 17:20-23 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
1 Cor. 12 19 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of... 20What we have is one body with many parts, each Its proper size and In its proper place. No part is important on its own. 27 You are Christ s body-that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything.
TEAM SPIRIT Paul s had a high view of the body of Christ, His church and a strong team spirit! To church was: The team that Christ gave His life for! Ephesians 5:25 (NLT) He (Christ) gave up his life for her (the church)... The team that Christ has chosen to work His purposes through! Ephesians 3:10-11 (NLT) God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom The team that Christ Is coming back for! Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
The state or quality of being one. The state or quality of being in accord; harmony. Singleness or constancy of purpose or action.
UNITY IS NOT OPTIONAL
Eph. 4:3-6 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Unity is the essence of: 1. Who God is. 2. What the church is. 3. What ministry is.
UNITY IS NOT OPTIONAL UNITY IS NOT A COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS
1 Cor. 1:10 (MSG) I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. 1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
UNITY IS NOT OPTIONAL (commanded) UNITY IS NOT A COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS (not abstract but concrete) UNITY IS NOT AN INTERNAL AFFAIR (evangelism)
John 17:23 May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 13:35 This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples when they see the love you have for each other."
HOW TO GROW UNITY: Pray for Unity Practice Unity Protect Unity Romans 14:19 So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault.
HOW TO GROW CHEMISTRY: PRAYER Prayer is vital to any ministry. All members should make the upcoming service a continual prayer request for their personal prayer times. The worship team should come together for prayer before each service. What if If you don t pray you don t play became our motto? Are we fooling ourselves into thinking God will anoint our ministry if we do not seek His presence?
HOW TO GROW CHEMISTRY: PROMISES, PROMISES, PROMISES Commitment is key to the success of your Worship Ministry - devotion to your church s vision for worship. Regular church attendance: not only to taking your turn but to church attendance in general. Commitment is more than show up for your scheduled turn. Timeliness for rehearsals or services: Promptness must be your practice. We must be disciplined in being on time for rehearsals and services. One late person keeps everyone waiting. One person out of sync can hinder the whole service.
HOW TO GROW CHEMISTRY: PREPARATION Team encouragement: uplift other band members with positive reinforcement. Do not be critical with one another. No one should see themselves better than anyone else. You are a team! Assist the leader: in the successful leading of the selected worship service. Listen to the instructions. Respect and courtesy must be shown at all times to our leaders! Take pride in the ministry: in the equipment and facilities. Respect what your church s investment. Cleanup & filing music! Conservation is important. Appropriate dress and behavior: do nothing that would distract people from their focus on God.
How We Do Things ministry quality
COMPETENCY There must be a certain level of skill and talent to be involved in worship ministry Our skill level should never be static we should always strive to know more, play better, to be better qualified; Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. The discipline of personal practice is very important and should be a part of every member s ministry. Our goal is not to be professional but to offer the best of ourselves to God Work on your musical skill level Get to know a good number of KEYS, and become comfortable playing in ALL of them (up to 5 flats and 4 sharps)... in this way you will be versatile and effective at key changes Learn your TIME SIGNATURES and BEATS well, so you can play effectively with good timing and purpose
Be on YOUR game Competency Unpacked Don't come to church tired be ready to be a lead worshipper Be SPIRITUALLY prepared Ask God for personal cleansing (like the laver in the temple) Become a vessel for the Holy Spirit to use and flow through Make sure that you heart is pure before God PRACTICE and train If those in music ministry need some basic TRAINING in music, theory, or practical: take the time to get it, if possible... e.g. music theory/ear training/keyboard harmony----and PRACTICE! With the worship teams and musicians regularly... Invest time with them Arrive EARLY to each service... spend some time in prayer both personally and with the worship teams and musicians
Competency Unpacked FOLLOW the leader Keep your EYES on the worship leader at ALL times, so you can follow direction and hand signals efficiently. Always remember that it is the WORSHIP LEADER who is leading----you are ACCOMPANYING LISTEN well LISTEN carefully for the flow/direction that the worship leader gives to the music, as well as to other singers and musicians---- keep steady, purposeful tempo Be SENSITIVE: When to play background music or not - appropriateness & sensitivity is the key; Prayer times soft underscoring with doodling; Altar times/eternal importance - nothing we do as worship teams should hinder the moving of the Holy Spirit. Volume, instructions, use of technology.
QUALITY sound Competency Unpacked Attempt to have a quality overall sound. Be sensitive to your playing/singing level that you are not too loud or too soft. The general rule: if you can t hear the other instruments or vocalists you are too loud. Strive for balance. VARIETY in music Everyone does not have to play through every song. Watch for the dynamics of the song and play accordingly. Adds a greater expression to our music. Be EXPRESSIVE Bring worship to life! Any song can be dead and boring if we make it that way---- people will respond accordingly Use your WHOLE BEING to worship be EXCITED and ENTHUSIASTIC... it will catch on!
Competency Unpacked ENJOY the worship time RELAX Fellowship with Jesus Don t let mistakes fluster you----people expect it to happen Be CONFIDENT... the Holy Spirit will help you in uncertainty; it is His Word, it is His presence and He wants people to be ministered to more than we ever will - He does not sit idly by while we try to do our art - if we carefully and prayerfully prepare to minister His anointing and presence will be ours Be people of the WORD Don t leave the service during preaching; be attentive, take notes, take heed, respond!
PRAY Competency Unpacked Ask God for his anointing and sensitivity leading as you prepare for the worship service Pray for the song service and the worship leader. Pray, pray, pray - if the Son of God during His ministry on earth needed to go before His heavenly father in prayer then how much more do we! Set the EXAMPLE While playing/when you are not scheduled. Don't wait for someone to get you hyped, the right atmosphere. Open your heart to God. Concentrate on Him (discipline). Be a lead worshipper! Be a worshipper when you are not on stage! If we can only worship with a microphone we have missed the point of worship!
Luke 16:10 (NIV) "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. If we are faithful in the little things God will bless you in his bigger things: opportunities, anointing, and ministry!
The Dream Team Striving for Excellence Staying Humble Submission to Authority Servant-Leadership Spirit-Led Ministry Solid Doctrine
Play by E.A.R.! Remember EXCELLENCE strive to be better than the last time I will not offer anything that costs me nothing 2 Samuel 24:24 Remember your AUDIENCE» Focus is an audience of ONE; 1 Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.» Focus is not on NEW or OLD songs» set the atmosphere Remember your ROLE» not a performer, musician, vocalist, sound tech WORSHIPER» John 4:23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. [24] God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Made To Worship Chris Tomlin Ed Cash Stephan Sharp