But if you ’ re looking at what this Christmas season cost you , your family , your team , and your church -- and you ’ re not sure it was worth it -- take 3 minutes and read our November 2023 article :
The Dos & Don ’ ts For Less-Stress And More Engaging Advent Services
You ’ ll likely find some things to add to your list for next year ’ s Christmas . If you read this article and do the 3-step Advent audit , your future self will thank you !
Now let ’ s talk about reviewing the year 2023 as a whole . Ask yourself :
• How many Sundays did I take off ?
• How many Sundays did my team members take off ?
• Am I really helping my team members grow musically , spiritually , and relationally ?
At WorshipTeamCoach . com , we firmly believe that worship leaders should take at least 3 Sundays off a year , but preferably 9 Sundays a year , which is about 1 Sunday off every 6 weeks . However , there are different types of Sundays off .
Here ’ s an excerpt from Jon Nicol ’ s Exceptional Every Sunday book about the 3 types of Time Off that worship leaders should take :
“ Away ” Sundays This is when you ’ re absent from the Sunday service because you ’ re on vacation , going to a conference , on a getaway with your spouse , etc . It ’ s that typical time off that most worship leaders think of . But the next two are even more critical than this .
“ Off-Platform ” Sundays This is when you ’ re not away , but you ’ re also not leading . You can actually worship with your family . ( Whoa … your spouse probably wouldn ’ t know what to do with you sitting there !)
These “ Sundays off ” are critical not just for your emotional health but for your family ( they miss you ), your team ( you need to model healthy time off the platform for them , too ) and your leaders ( they need chances to grow and not feel like they ’ re just substitute leaders ).
At times , these ‘ Off-Platform Sundays ’ will allow you to spend time in the production booth encouraging and learning from your techs .
If your church runs multiple services , take advantage of that . For example , worship with your family during one service , and hang with your techs during the next . And bring donuts . Your techs will appreciate it .
Finally , the third ‘ Sunday Off ’ might be something you only do a few times a year , but it ’ s critical for your emotional and spiritual health .
“ Sabbath ” Sundays This is when you don ’ t go to church … anywhere .
Leading worship is your job ( whether you get paid for it or not ). Even if you go to another church , you know you ’ ll slip into note-taking and comparison mode , right ? That ’ s not real rest .
Imagine if you were able to do this :
Sleep in on a Sunday . Get up and enjoy your morning coffee . Stay in your PJs till lunch . Go on a hike .
Whatever is personally restorative for you , do it . Just Don ’ t Go To Church !
( I promise you ’ ll be able to find God somewhere else on Sunday morning other than a church building .)
A Side Note Those of us who have grown up in the church can have a complicated relationship with Sunday worship attendance . For some , taking this ‘ Sabbath ’ Sunday can feel sinful . Or at least guilt-inducing .
But that ’ s exactly why you need it .
I know I ’ m opening up a big can of worms , but it ’ s critical . And not enough people are telling worship pastors and church leaders this . You need a few Sundays a year where no one expects ANYTHING of you .
God will NOT be angry . Or disappointed .
Some people in your church might be disappointed or even angry . But remember , Jesus got flack for this . And what did he say to them ?
“ The Sabbath was made for man , not man for Sabbath .” ( Mark 2:27 )
Clearly , time off is important , not just for us , but also for our team members .
Also , here ’ s a free copy of our Season Recap & Review Form . You can customize your own form by using these questions with your team to start the 2024 worship season on the right foot .
Have a fantastic New Year !!
Matt Miller Matt lives in Cincinnati , OH with his wife Kara and their daughter Melody . He ’ s the Head Coach of WorshipTeamCoach . com and WorshipWorkshop . com , two sites that help worship leaders make every Sunday exceptional . If you want to explore coaching or mentoring with the WorshipTeamCoach team visit this page . WorshipTeamCoach . com WorshipWorkshop . com
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