your worship team .
If you find that you ’ re sacrificing sleep , family time , or just always showing up to soundcheck Sunday morning dreary-eyed and already a bit tired of the setlist , ask yourself if you need to dial it back a bit , trust your experience , and balance your passion with the rest of your life .
REST TIME
Maybe you ’ re like me , full of ideas with an ear for the details . Sometimes , we just need to accept that it ’ s time to let some of those things rest . If they don ’ t come easily , or they ’ re coming too often , it ’ s okay to lay some of that down , put your preference aside for the time being , and redirect that energy into gelling with the band to your highest potential .
TIME TO PLAY abilities as an artist , not just a check on the Planning Center schedule . This doesn ’ t mean fighting for more keyboard solos or pushing for permission to finally bring your key-tar . But perhaps it could mean taking a Sunday off once in a while to visit another church where you don ’ t have to think about the band as much , or taking the time to learn a piece of classical or pop music you find inspiring , just for the sake of enjoying the process .
No , I ’ m not talking about that famed Sunday afternoon nap all us worship team members either enjoy or wish we had the ability to . When it comes to learning the proper time to rest , I ’ m speaking about the specific musical context of your worship team .
I enjoy trying to accurately convey an artists original intent when covering one of their songs , which means I put time into digging up and learning all the little riffs , alternate chords , and bass movements . Sometimes worship leaders love me for this and I ’ m able to nudge the band in a direction they might not have noticed to go otherwise .
But at other times , my love of the details can end up derailing a productive rehearsal by introducing unnecessary confusion or complexity to the team .
Lastly , I know that sometimes volunteering on a church worship team can require substantial effort and dedication . Sometimes it can be a labor of love where you end up feeling a bit emptier after a weekend than before . For a season I think this can be okay . We don ’ t always need to leave energized and fired up after a time of pouring out .
But my encouragement to you , whether you ’ re currently feeling fulfilled in your area of service or not , is to make sure you find time to ‘ play ’. When I say play here , I don ’ t just mean ‘ play music in your band ’ but rather , find time for play that feels fun , refreshing , and , not to be too redundant , playful .
You see if your church context is challenging , rigorous , or demanding you need to be able to stay connected to your God-given skills and
A TIME FOR EVERYTHING
These three ‘ times ’ may seem a bit idealized and in the real world your context , skill level , and environment can often be deciding factors . Nevertheless , in the grand scheme of your service to your church I pray that God help you find balance , time , and fulfillment as you aim to bless and encourage your local church congregation . If you find yourself feeling short on time for now , trust and believe for margin to come . God bless you as you serve .
David Pfaltzgraff Founder and Lead Sound Designer at SundaySounds . com , a site that resources worship keys players and guitarists around the world . David currently resides in Des Moines , IA with his wife and two boys . He enjoys volunteering in his church ’ s worship ministry , old synthesizers , and a good super-hero movie .
SundaySounds . com
88 December 2023 Subscribe for Free ...