• Frequent declines or call-offs after the schedule posts .
• Last-minute “ I can ’ t be there ” texts before rehearsal ( or even services ).
• Outright no-shows .
• Scrambling to find a replacement ( or revise the music set to fit the new band configuration ).
• Dropping the scheduling process into your assistants ’ lap because you don ’ t want to deal with it .
If you ticked the box on even one of those unhealthy signs , I have good news . You can raise the quality of your team ’ s commitment just by upgrading this ministry system . So let ’ s talk about how .
Your number one objective for your scheduling process ( besides getting the right people to show up on the right Sunday ) is this : You need to put the responsibility back on your team .
Here ’ s the exact process I teach to my clients and those who purchase our premium course on scheduling :
1 . Maintain a Rhythm You need a predictable rhythm for your scheduling process . Do it at the same time every month or quarter , and schedule the same duration for each period . Your team needs this predictability and consistency .
2 . Require their contribution Require your team to block their dates ( a PCO term ), or give you their availability , at least one week in advance of when you want to create the schedule . If they don ’ t , there are consequences which I ’ ll tell you about in a moment .
3 . Expect a Response Develop a clear requirement for accepting or declining scheduling requests within one week of the rehearsal , at the minimum . I ’ d push you to require two weeks if you were my client .
4 . Find Their Own Sub If a person fails to block their dates before the deadline , and you schedule her for a Sunday she ’ s unavailable , require her to look for her own appropriate substitute — alto for alto , tenor for tenor , lead guitarist for lead guitarist , etc . A harmony-singing BGV asking a melodyonly singer to take her place won ’ t cut it .
There are a lot of nuances of this step I can ’ t get into here . But just know that I required my team members to start looking for a replacement . If they went through the list of potential replacements and couldn ’ t find anyone to say yes , I took over .
This step , more than any , is about creating an expectation of ownership . “ I didn ’ t block my date , so I got scheduled . Because of my decision not to block my dates , I need to find my own replacement .”
5 . Create Escalating Consequences There need to be consequences for team members who fail to live up to the scheduling process expectations . I ’ m not talking about punishments . Instead , implement plannedout , escalating consequences for each type of infraction .
For example , if someone doesn ’ t respond to a scheduling request , here ’ s a possible series of consequences :
• They get a gentle , pre-written reminder from me ( or my assistant ) if there ’ s no response seven to ten days out .
• If there ’ s no response five days before rehearsal , they get a personal text saying kindly ( but firmly ), “ I ’ m going to need to start calling replacements tomorrow if I don ’ t hear from you .”
• Finally , three days out with no response , I ’ m calling them to tell them I ’ m taking them off the schedule and getting a replacement . ( Or , shifting the band to go without that instrument or voice .)
Most of the time , the initial text message will light enough of a fire to get them to respond — then and in the future . And the final phone call about taking them off the schedule is a compelling catalyst to get them to see how serious I ’ m taking this scheduling process . But if someone chronically fails to respond to scheduling requests , you ’ ll need another planned consequence . Probably a one-on-one , “ come to Jesus ” type of conversation about their future on the team .
Again , there are so many nuances to running a commitment-boosting scheduling process . But if you simply start with these five steps , your team will begin to take ownership of their place on the team . And , that growing sense of commitment will spill out into other areas — like personal practice , showing up on time , and participating in training initiatives that you offer .
It ’ s all about building a system that requires the desired behavior . If you do that , your Scheduling Growth Engine will raise the culture of commitment in your ministry .
Over the next few issues , we ’ ll be covering the other six growth engines . But if you don ’ t want to wait , I got something to hold you over until the next installment . If you
visit this page , you can download a free checklist ( no signup required ) that tells you all Eight Essential Growth Engines .
The checklist also includes a short assessment and implementation questions for each engine . I also added a few practical videos on that page , which will help you start to intentionally improve those areas of your worship ministry .
Jon Nicol Jon lives in the middle of Ohio with his wife Shannon and their four kids . He ’ s the founder of WorshipTeamCoach . com and WorshipWorkshop . com , two sites that help worship leaders make every Sunday exceptional . If you ’ d like to connect with Jon for coaching or mentoring ,
visit this page . WorshipWorkshop . com WorshipTeamCoach . com