members . If this growth engine isn ’ t intentional and aligned with your vision and culture , your team still might grow , but it will grow with the wrong kind of people .
I don ’ t have space here to lay out an entire process , so I ’ m going to focus on the “ preaudition ” part of this process and the tools you need to both automate it and ensure you get the ‘ right fit ’ folks further into the process .
Here are the Six Pre-Audition Tools with a brief description of each . And since these are designed to serve the applicants as much as help you , I ’ ve weaved in a fictitious wannabe rockstar guitarist named Brent and a lovely , yet shy , alto named Bree . Any resemblance to real people is pure coincidence . I promise .
1 . THE “ WHAT TO EXPECT ” DOCUMENT This is a document explaining what to expect in the qualification or audition process , and why the process is important .
This element is critical for the applicants . Both Bree and Brent will have a much better experience if they know what to expect . It also shows them they ’ re being invited into a process , not a promised place on the team . That ’ s important for Brent who thinks he ’ s about to be God ’ s gift to your platform . This document prepares him for the possibility of hearing NO . ( Although , I doubt he ’ ll think that applies to him … you know how Brent is .)
2 . THE INTEREST FORM An interest form is just that – a short form that lets people raise their hand in a low commitment way . This form asks only the most basic information like name , contact info ( email or phone ), and an easy checkbox for the position the applicant ’ s interested in .
You don ’ t necessarily need this step . But it can be helpful for someone like Bree who ’ s on the fence about trying out for the team . The interest form is a ‘ micro-commitment ’ that lets her make a first step towards the worship ministry . It doesn ’ t have the intimidation factor of a full application .
A great place for the interest form is on your worship ministry page of your website . A button with a call-to-action of “ Want to Learn More About Serving on the Team ” can help move someone like Bree from “ I ’ m intrigued ” to “ I ’ m interested ”.
3 . THE ROLE DESCRIPTION / REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT This document is a bulleted list of what ’ s required for each instrument . Here ’ s why it ’ s critical . Too often , people who sing or play instruments don ’ t understand the skill level required for being a part of the worship team . Also , most worship leaders haven ’ t taken the time to clearly articulate what ’ s required . As a result , people with inadequate skills make it all the way to a live interview or audition .
A clear role or job description will also help the applicant . For someone like Brent , it might make him realize that his sweep picking and twohand tapping might not be what you ’ re looking for in an electric guitarist . This document clearly spells out what you want from a lead guitarist , which requires a different collection of chops than the Whitesnake cover band he auditioned for last week . ( They told Brent no , too . Poor Brent .)
When an applicant sees he has the skills needed , he can confidently take the next step . But if he doesn ’ t , he can self-select out . Now , that “ self-select out ” phrase might scare you . What if you miss out on someone whom you could develop musically ?
If you ’ re afraid of missing out on a potential future team member , you can add a disclaimer : “ Even if you feel you don ’ t yet possess these abilities , please talk to ______ about developing these skills . A big part of our ministry is developing musicians and techs .” But , only add that disclaimer if you are committed to helping develop musicians and techs .
This document is also critical for a few other reasons :
• You know exactly what your minimum standards are , so it ’ s easier to say no .
• It will help you determine what ’ s a musthave and what ’ s a nice-to-have . 1
• If someone is a NO or NOT YET , this list gives you tangible requirements and standards to reference . 2
4 . TEAM VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS DOCUMENT The Team Values and Expectations is a short document – preferably one page that summarizes the expectations you have for team members . The Role Description / Requirements document was about the skills needed . This document , Team Values and Expectations , describes the behavior and relational standards expected for serving on the team .
Here ’ s why this is critical for the applicant . Everyone wants to know ‘ the rules ’ when they ’ re walking into a new environment or situation . This one-pager is the gift of early clarity to your prospects . For someone who ’ s shy and a little apprehensive like Bree , it will give her more confidence to apply and audition .
Now , when you succinctly communicate your culture and team values upfront , you ’ ve created another qualifying factor . You ’ re telling the applicant , “ This is what serving in the worship ministry is like . Do you want to be a part of this team ?” Also , a short , one-page summary will help you avoid overwhelming them with ALL your worship ministry policies and rules at this step of the process .
5 . THE APPLICATION At WorshipTeamCoach . com , we like to call the application the “ flake filter .” If a guy like Brent
1 For example : A must-have for a bass player : “ To play in time and be able to lock up with the drummer .” A nice-to-have : “ The ability to pop & slap .” Unless your church does a lot of funk or jazz fusion , popping and slapping probably isn ’ t a must-have skill . 2 It not only makes saying NO easier , it helps the person receiving the NO to feel like your decision is less arbitrary .