Share this list at rehearsal or in a December huddle. Your team will see God’ s fingerprints all over their service.
D. The“ Golden Coffee Cup Awards” Give out fun, creative awards like:
• Most Encouraging
• Most Reliable
• Rookie of the Year
• Always Early
•“ MacGyver Award” for last-minute saves
• Best harmonizer
• Fastest to learn a new song Celebration builds culture. Culture builds commitment. Commitment builds consistency.
3. RECALIBRATE YOUR TEAM WITH A SIMPLE END- OF-YEAR DEBRIEF Before the year ends, gather your team— or even just your core volunteers— and ask three simple questions:
• What went well this year?
• What can we improve together?
• Where is God leading us next? This doesn’ t need charts, slides, or a meeting agenda. It just needs intentionality. When you invite your team into reflection, three things happen: 1. trust deepens, 2. ownership increases, 3. and unity strengthens. It also keeps you from carrying unnecessary baggage into the new year.
4. DECEMBER IS THE BEST TIME TO CLARIFY EXPECTATIONS FOR JANUARY January can be a confusing, unpredictable month for teams: kids go back to school, volunteers recover from December, and everyone’ s rhythm feels slightly off. Clear expectations help everyone reset together.
Some things to clarify now, not later:
• When rehearsals resume
• New scheduling rhythms
• The first batch of new songs
• What punctuality looks like in the new year
• Tech expectations
• Dates for team nights or training
• Volunteer onboarding flow
• A reminder about Planning Center confirmations
Clarity creates confidence. And confident teams serve with joy, not stress.
5. LAUNCH THE NEW YEAR WITH A SIMPLE COACHING PLAN You don’ t need a complicated program to develop your team. You just need a plan built on consistency. Pick three areas you want to focus on in January – March:
• vocal blend
• band dynamics
• transitions
• platform presence
• communication
• spiritual depth
• rehearsal flow
• tech training Choose three. Not nine. Not everything. Three. Then create a simple rhythm:
• a 60-second reminder at rehearsal,
• a short monthly training moment,
• a quick resource shared in the team chat,
• targeted encouragement to one member each week.
Small steps, consistently taken, build a coaching culture. Coaching cultures produce stronger, healthier teams.
6. CELEBRATE SPIRITUAL FORMATION, NOT JUST MUSICAL EXECUTION It’ s easy— especially in December— to focus on songs, cues, tracks, transitions, and timing. But worship leading is spiritual before it is musical.
So before the year ends, circle back to the basics:
• Worship is a response to God’ s character.
• Excellence is faithfulness, not perfection.
• Preparation is spiritual, not just musical.
• Sunday should not be the first time we worship.
We are discipling as much as we are directing.
You can build spiritual formation into December by:
• reading a short Psalm before rehearsal
• praying intentionally over each team member
• sharing a weekly encouragement or devotional
• pausing to pray before Christmas Eve service
Musical excellence matters. But spiritual depth multiplies impact.
7. A FINAL WORD OF GRATITUDE AND VISION December has a way of showing us the best of our teams— and the best of the God who called us. Your people aren’ t perfect. Your systems aren’ t flawless. Your tech won’ t always cooperate.
( And your baptismal heater may have a mind of its own.)
But your team shows up. They serve faithfully. They give their time, talent, and heart. They carry the weight of ministry with you.
They deserve your gratitude— spoken, written, celebrated, and prayed over.
And you, leader, deserve to step into the new year not drained, but focused. Not scattered, but strengthened. Not alone, but surrounded by the people God has placed beside you.
Finish this year grateful. Start the next one strong. Because that’ s how healthy worship ministries grow— from the inside out, one thankful heart and one faithful step at a time.
Matt Miller Matt Miller is a worship leader, podcast host, and ministry coach based in Cincinnati, serving alongside his wife Kara and their daughter Melody. He believes gratitude, clarity, and grace are the backbone of every healthy worship team. WorshipTeamCoach. com WorshipWorkshop. com
30 December 2025 Subscribe for Free...