Personal Practice This is when you and your team ( vocals , instrumentalists & even techs ) invest their personal time into being ready to lead , play , sing , mix , etc .
Rehearsal Rehearsal brings together the different musical parts and technical roles to shape the songs and sets . When someone fails to learn their part , rehearsal changes from a " putting it all together " event to a " learning the song " effort .
That ’ s why we push the idea of “ practice is personal ; rehearsal is relational .” When team members ( and leaders ) invest the time into learning the songs before rehearsal , that rehearsal allows the team to focus on more than just the mechanics of the music . They can focus on ...
• the dynamics of the songs to help create the journey
• seamless segues to avoid distractions and keep the focus on worshiping
• what Biblical expressions of worship fit what ' s going on in this song or moment
• visual leadership cues and other ways to engage the congregation
... all of which will help create a powerful worship service .
Heart & Mind Our platform worship will never exceed our private worship . Leaders and team members alike need to prepare for the platform through personal times of pursuing God .
PEOPLE
The third part of a powerful service is the people . The more people know their roles ( and are ready for them — i . e ., prepared ), the more likely your worship service will be exceptional .
The platform team has multiple roles :
• They all are to worship God .
• The band accompanies the sung worship .
• The music director should make it easy for the worship leader to lead .
• The worship leader ( s ) and other upfront singers model what worship can look like to the congregation .
• They all invite the congregation to participate in different ways .
While the production team ...
• Supports the platform team , allowing them to sound their best .
• Creates a quality mix that ' s inviting and encourages participation .
• Helps create an environment that invites people to focus on worship ( graphics , lighting , etc .)
And sometimes , we forget the congregation has a role to play in creating these powerful worship sets . Their job is not to be spectators but to participate and worship . Of course , not everyone will step into the role of worshiper . But part of the goal of each worship service , Sunday-after-Sunday , is to help build a culture of eager participation in gathered worship .
PRESENCE
And the final ' piece ' ( which is also ' The Whole ') is the Presence . The Holy Spirit . The One who comforts , connects , convicts , empowers , and binds us all together .
The Holy Spirit doesn ' t ' need ' our planning and preparation to create a powerful worship experience . But God has always been about inviting us to partner with him , inviting us to make on earth what is in heaven .
Because of that , the Presence isn ' t something that " shows up " on Sunday if we sing certain songs and get the haze levels set just right . The Presence of God is already there , inviting us in . Our job in the gathered worship service is to celebrate that , to marvel in God ' s greatness , and to experience his love … together .
But the Presence isn ' t just about the worship gathering . The Spirit is present and active in all of it — the planning , our personal preparation , the rehearsals , the technology , the people , etc .
So our efforts of planning , practice , rehearsals , and run-throughs aren ' t just leading up to a time to a gathering in God ' s Presence . Those efforts and events can be living sacrifices where the Spirit of Christ is every bit as active as Sunday morning .
Your Takeaway As we wrap , let me encourage you to do two things .
First , begin viewing your planning and preparation as an act of worship , trusting the Holy Spirit to guide and lead you . The Holy Spirit is in the administrative and mundane as much as the powerful moment of corporate worship .
Second , encourage those in your worship ministry and congregation to see themselves as partners with God in creating a Sunday gathering . That ' s everyone — from the leader to the sound tech to the parking lot attendant to the person who rushes in five minutes late from dropping off their kids in the children ' s ministry .
We ' re all part of making Sunday morning a meaningful and powerful gathering of God ' s people celebrating Him and His great work .
Jon Nicol Jon ’ s the founder of WorshipWorkshop . com and WorshipTeamCoach . com , two sites that help worship leaders build strong teams and lead engaging worship . He lives and serves in Lexington , Ohio with his wife Shannon and their four kids . WorshipWorkshop . com WorshipTeamCoach . com