that we’ve put together over the last ten years,
which we now duplicate and give out to other
churches. We pay for everything in cash, have
no debt, operate off of 60% of our annual tithes,
and the only way that works is that almost all of
our musicians are volunteer based. I’ve been a
pay-to-play kind of guy before I was at Church
of the Highlands, so this is a really neat idea
and approach.
The reason we’re able to have so many
campuses with a full band on a volunteer basis
is that we do simple songs done well. We’re
not looking for amazing, we’re just looking for
potential. People in the development process
meet once a week, and we have a coach for
every position on stage… bass, drums, vocals,
or whatever. People learn a couple songs, come
on Thursday night and they play their songs on
stage. After they play, the coach comes and
says, “Your intonation was a little off here.” or
“Let’s get your timing a little better.” Then they
try it again, and they repeat that onstage for
weeks, or months until they get the hang of it.
Once the coach and the team decide they’re in
a good spot, we graduate and schedule them
for services.
[John] I think a key thing to tag onto what
Chris said is that when we audition people
for the team, we audition for potential, not for
immediate payoff. I think that’s been huge.
Because we’ve found people who may not
have had the personality to jump out there
and be like, “Hey, I’m a great guitar player!”,
because they’re still a diamond in the rough.
Looking for potential in people has turned out
to be a massive blessing for our worship team
and our church. Caitlin Reeves [WM] There are a lot churches that either lack to the team, and in turn equipping them once things can happen. They’ve over prepared for
a leader who is gifted in equipping their team, they’re on board? the audition to where you almost get a false
or a process to equip people to succeed on
positive in a way. Where they’re so good, and
the team. One of the new trends I’m seeing is [John] The very first step is to have a clear then you put them on the stage and wonder
video auditions, which as a retired worship and path to being a part of the team. I agree with what happened to the person who killed the
creative arts director, seems to rob people of the video thing. Video doesn’t really give you audition? The other thing that can happen is
‘the people part’ of the audition experience. So, the whole picture, but I would go even farther they’re so intimidated by the process that they
with that said, what are some practical steps to say that an audition doesn’t really give you completely crumble under the pressure. I’ve
that churches can use for on-ramping people the full picture of a person either. One of two found that it’s so much better if there is at least
March 2019
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