TIPSFORTIGHTTEAMS
RAISED FROM THE WORSHIP-DEAD (Resurrecting Team-Praise)
Your worship team was at the top of its game: for the next few moments we contemplate with the Lord in prayer, then write, write,
spiritually on fire, musically adept, relationally some ways to bring our teams back from the write. You’ll be amazed at what comes from
unified. Together, you were passionate, skilled, worship-dead, offering streams of living water dedicated times of creativity!
and sensitive. When you ministered, God in the process.
THEN GO!
was honored, and lives changed. The team
had never experienced a more fruitful time of ATTEND This one is powerful: GO! Go ye into all the world
worship ministry, but now... Conferences, schools, training sessions, and and proclaim the Gospel (in song, concerts,
retreats are excellent sources of worship team worship, testimony, service, and mercy). Just
You find yourselves in the valley of worship rejuvenation. They are the fast track to the way go! The Lord uses our times together on the
team dysfunction. What happened? Did you back! When we set aside the time to learn road in surprising and powerful ways. As we
simply crash, or was it a long, slow descent? together, we receive simultaneous information. face obstacles, logistical challenges, relational
What could possibly bring a team so far down These shared experiences send a shock wave glitches, and resistance to the Gospel, we
that mountainside? Scratching your head, straight to the heart of the team, causing it grow in unity, fruit, and faith. Traveling together
you wonder how you got here, and more to beat in steady rhythm again. Unique times exposes our rough edges and relational
importantly, how do you climb out? together also reinforce our existing team differences. As a result, it can be a healing time,
relationships, and spur us on to develop new set apart for the pursuit of peace, and for the
ones. building of mutual understanding in transient
It could have been any number of factors:
church-wide melt down, leadership failure,
experience. Inevitably, we return from the road
burn-out, team disillusionment, conflict, sheer
Remember, in
exhaustion. Perhaps the week-to-week routine
just finally caught up with you. As the song
says, “the thrill is gone.” But our goal here isn’t
to discover the cause of that missing thrill, but
to GET IT BACK. We are about resurrecting
team-praise!
again!
resuscitation to be BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN
effective, it must flow
Perhaps your team has experienced a similar
“valley-of-the-shadow-of-death”
There are many other ways to resurrect team-
praise. Extended times of prayer, fellowship,
and fasting can yield extraordinary results. Or
perhaps your team should run its own worship/
music workshops. That builds excitement. In
of A few years ago I took our team to an excellent your locale, you could teach students one-on-
moment. If so, please do not despair. There conference in Seattle, WA. Coincidentally, it one, or in classroom settings. However you
is hope! Expired teams can be raised from the was the Christian Musician Summit (CMS). choose to enthuse your team, our God gives
worship-dead. I must say that the experience infused our life. And whatever we pour out for Him, He
team members with impressive quantities of multiplies back to us. He specializes in R & R,
fresh enthusiasm, knowledge, and life! We were you know—that is, “rest and resurrection!”
inspiration and information. Next, they exhale, never the same after that weekend, and I can pouring that new passion and knowledge back honestly attest to the benefits of attending the into those to whom they minister. Remember, in CMS and similar conferences. Through these order for worship-resuscitation to be effective, it types of short-term ministry intensives, the lives must flow both in and out. If we receive only, we of team members are refreshed and redirected.
First,
they
must
inhale,
type
fruitfulness, and purpose. We are ready to lead
order for worship-
both in and out.
INHALE/EXHALE
with a sense of accomplishment, friendship,
receiving
become like the Dead Sea, continually re-filled
by the River Jordan, but lacking any real outlet. CREATE
While the whole point of worship-leadership is Creating together, writing new songs of
to go before the throne of God, and take other praise, and making fresh song arrangements
people with us, we find ourselves unable to in partnerships breathes life into flagging
impart anything life-giving to anyone! teams. Nothing stimulates excitement the way
synergistic creativity does. Split your team
There must be a way out of this trap! How about
54
members into pairs, spend some time together
May Jun 2017
WorshipMusician.com
SANDY HOFFMAN
Serves the worshiping
community at Christ Church
Santa Fe, NM.
Visit Sandy online at:
www.WorshipWorks.com, or
www.ChristChurchSantaFe.org