Band, Leaders, Ministry Leadership, Players, Worship Leading
Don’t Be Late in Three Ways
#AllToHim
3 min read
To Be Early Is To Be On Time
Do you have that one person that’s constantly late to rehearsal? Maybe a few that are continually late for other gatherings? Generally, people tend to be over-extended and/or under-committed.Mishaps and emergencies happen, but to be habitually late is a habitual problem that is also expressed in other areas. No matter the excuse, the primary core value of a team is integrity; without it, we are divided and incomplete in our preparation, practice and presence.
We see other ministries in the church that are important: youth, children, education, etc – why is there an exception when it comes to Worship Ministry? Like you, I have had the one late musician, the unprepared singer, also, I’ve had a late pastor.
How do you handle these events when they come your way? What ways do you encourage your team to help them stay on track? Here are a few ideas offered to not be late in any of these three ways…
1. Preparation Lateness
Whatever the reason, it’s not God honoring when you don’t practice. Many wait until rehearsal time, yet this is the worst time. Why? It slows others in the team down when you have to learn the song that everyone else knows.Rehearsal time is not practice time. Practice time is what you do before rehearsal. At rehearsal, we rehearse what we practice – together as a team. Hall of fame basketball coaches feel similar. They know the results are made in the effort. Here’s what 3 top basketball coaches have said about their idea of preparation:
1. “Goals should be realistic, attainable, and shared among all members of the team.” – Mike Krzyzewski, 1016 wins, 4 national titles
2. “The key is not the will to win… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.“ – Bob Knight, 889 wins, 3 national titles
3. “What to do with a mistake – recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” – Dean Smith, 879 wins, 2 national titles As a worship ministry, we are the team. Each of us function in direct coordination with each other. We are interdependent.
“So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” – Romans 12.5 If you struggle with preparation, make every effort to correct it. If you are late in your preparation, you will not execute on time. When you’re too worried about the things you forgot, you’re not focusing on what lies ahead.
Ultimately, this puts unneeded pressure and can roadblock your band, as well as your worship. Carve out your weekly time to know your music, chart and instrument. [tweetthis]Being prepared not only enables you to do your best, but you’re doing what’s best for your team.[/tweetthis]
2. Rehearsal/Service Lateness
No matter the reason, there is no excuse to be chronically late. The unexpectancies happen to us all, but not when they are a weekly pattern. To show up late 10-20 minutes every week, doesn’t involve traffic, it may involve a much larger wreck of priorities. We are all busy – it’s no longer an excuse. We are also all distracted and we need solid ground.If we are saying ‘yes’ to too many unimportant things, we are also saying ‘no’ to the right things. My struggle is the details and not focusing on the main thing. My mentors are always pulling me back to keep me focused on the main thing.
Time is a main thing. We must steward our time wisely and carefully. It affects more than just you, but the people in your team. We are to be considerate of other’s time. Titus 3.2 reminds us to: “…to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”
Even when we think our time doesn’t matter, it does to everyone else. My rule of thumb is to show up 15-30m earlier than when I need to be there / downbeat of rehearsal. If we begin rehearsal at 7pm, I roll into the parking lot at 6.30p. After setting up my gear, tuning and organizing my iPad notes, 20 minutes can whizz by and rehearsal has just begun. Set margins and standards for yourself to grow. The Lombardi Rule says: to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late. Same is true as a music team.
“Like our hearts to God, He wants us to be on time in our worship.” @BranonDempsey
3. Musical Lateness
When it comes to singing/playing music, our notes must be on time. Musical lateness is another issue that can hinder the team. If I’m late in my approach due to not knowing the music, lack of preparation, lack of memorization, missing rhythms, etc, it will throw-off the music. To prevent musical lateness, we must learn two things: mastering the practice with a click/metronome, and implementing this skill when playing/singing with the team.In order to practice with a metronome, you need to have one at home. There are many great free apps for your phone which have a metronome. If you practice with a metronome at home, then it won’t be a big deal to play to a click track during rehearsal. As you make music with your team, match the uprightness of your preparation to the way you approach the music. Not late, lax or lazy. [tweetthis]Like our hearts to God, He wants us to be on time in His worship.[/tweetthis]
The music God gives is a responsibility. We must care for the notes. Prov 10.4 tells us: “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” We are to be rich in skill, not poor in our abilities. Cherish and nurture what the Lord gives us by our talent and skill. What are we doing to help develop and steward our musical gifts? In the end, this helps promotes the band, guide the church and is honoring to God.
Give Our Best
It is a privilege, not a right to be on the worship team. We are blessed by God to even come before Him through Jesus, as well as to express our gifts in His presence. Are we truly giving our best to Him, ourselves and our teams? To be responsible is to make music in the Lord, to slack in what is entrusted to us, is to make noise.
@BranonDempsey @worshiptt
How can your worship team benefit from learning new vocals techniques, creative ideas for your band and be inspired to transform your ministry into worship unity? Get motivated.
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