my people hadn ’ t experienced that training . I didn ’ t have that Consistent Core Content that everyone walked through .
Another example of this is how you onboard new team members . When someone comes onto the team , do they go through a consistent orientation program ? If you have a regular inflow of new team members each year , this is a fantastic place to start to build a consistent training process with team members .
The bottom line is this … as you ’ re developing your equipping process , determine a consistent core content that every team member journeys through as he or she serves in the worship ministry .
3 . CADENCED FLOW What do I mean by cadenced flow ? The equipping process you develop has to fit the rhythms of your church and ministry , as well as respect the rhythms of your team members ’ lives . Here ’ s an example . For the typical church , when would be a better time to have a oneday training retreat : the second Saturday in December or the second Saturday in January ?
That one ’ s a no-brainer . In December , you and your team are deep into the Christmas / Advent season . Not only that , but people are more open to both new things and self-improvement as the New Year begins . So , take advantage of that . Another season to leverage for many worship teams is fall . People tend to get into a “ back-to-school ” routine and are more receptive to programs starting or restarting around September . Always keep in mind the rhythm of your calendar year and schedule out training events or begin initiatives when it fits the flow .
Also , your team members have their own lifecadence going on . Your semi-retired , emptynester guitarist is going to have more time than your alto mom with three kids under the age of five . So , to build an effective equipping process , much of the content you offer has to be consumed at each individual ’ s own pace .
With technology today , there ’ s no reason why you can ’ t make much of your training content available 24 / 7 .
Now , ‘ on-demand ’ content means many of your training efforts will be largely ‘ informational .’ And information is useful . But for that informational content to be transformational in the lives of your team members , your equipping process also needs to include both relational and experiential elements . So that ’ s why we need the next two vital elements . So , let ’ s start with the relational side of team development .
4 . COMMUNITY LEARNING Information alone doesn ’ t change people . It needs to be run through the filter of relationships .
What does that look like ? Here are five relational filters to help turn information into team transformation .
• Imitation
• Conversation
• Indoctrination
• Inspiration
• Course Alteration I don ’ t have space to explain what each of these “ community learning filters ” are . But at the end of the article , I ’ ll show you where you can learn more about them .
Again , for informational training to be transformational , it needs to include a relational component . And it also needs an experiential component . That ’ s the fifth vital element .
5 . CATALYTIC EXPERIENCES If we look at Ephesians 4:11-12 again , we see an experiential component to equipping : “ Equip God ’ s people to DO his work …” Training and equipping is not just about gaining knowledge ; there has to be a chance for the person to live out what he ’ s learned .
A team member can be taught that an investment in personal practice will help to make him more confident with the music and freer to express his worship on the platform . But until he actually does the personal preparation and experiences that freedom and confidence , that principle is only theory and not reality . That experience of finding public confidence from his private preparation is a catalyst for continued growth .
Likewise , a worship-leader-in-training can learn techniques and ideas for crafting an intentional verbal segue between songs . But she ’ s not going to master it until she actually has a chance to experience it in a service . So , look for ways to unleash your team members by moving them from informational training to transformational experience .
SO WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS ? Would you like to equip your team to the level that they ’ re exceptional every Sunday no matter who ’ s scheduled ? It starts with strategically improving the Growth Engines , including this one , in your worship ministry . For each article I ’ ve written , I ’ ve given tools and training away for free to help you .
For this article , I ’ ve made available a guidebook called Thrive : Five Vital Elements to Equip Your Worship Team . It goes into more depth for these five elements , gives you practical steps , outlines the relational filters we didn ’ t have time to discuss , and asks you ‘ coaching questions ’ to help you implement each element into your ministry . You can get that guidebook ( and all the free content from previous Growth Engine articles ) on
this page for free . And , no sign-up is required .
I ’ m excited for what will happen when you equip your team members musically , spiritually , and relationally to a new level of exceptional 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