values are important and how we have seen
God use them over and over again to help
fuel an effective ministry. When you have a list
of unbiased values, it is much easier to move
forward and make small corrections along the
way when you see dips in personal life styles
and behaviors. This also allows the leaders to
be held accountable for the same standards as
the team members. I highly suggest you do this
if you haven’t already. I have included a sample
to the right of the values that we use to help
you as you formulate the values for your team.
TIP NUMBER TWO. Value People Over Process.
They say people don’t care how much you
know until they know how much you care. As
musicians, we can often make the mistake of
valuing the end result, the music, the process
or the product over people. This is a recipe
for disaster and conflict. People join worship
teams for community, to add value to their lives on our teams. Some of the healthiest teams machine, doesn’t mean that there is a lack of
and to serve the church. Most people don’t join I’ve ever seen are the ones that are constantly conflict. Be honest with yourself and go ask the
your ministry because they’re looking for a gig. doing things together outside of ministry like hard questions. A discovery phase may lead
It helps us to remember that and to add value cookouts, meet-ups and ‘friends-giving’ type you to see the conflicts that are truly beneath
to people along the way when we experience holidays together. If your team is too big to the surface. We should constantly be striving to
some of these conflicts. do that, then you may need to work towards make sure that everyone is doing well.
making smaller pockets of community within
I try to make it a habit that anytime I see red flags your team. Our goal should always be to make In closing, we could devote our entire lives to
on our team, or conflict rising, I stop and remind sure that someone has a place of belonging. studying conflict resolution and only scratch
myself that this is a real person going through
the surface. Ministry is challenging. People are
a difficult time. It also helps to remind yourself TIP NUMBER THREE. Pay Attention. challenging. You may actually feel a little over
that just like you, they have a family and a life A lot of times we may have conflicts on our whelmed right now with your current situations
with an entirely set of unique problems that you team that we don’t even know about. The that you are going through and wonder if you
may not know about. Our first step in helping bigger your team is and the higher up you get, will be able to navigate through it. I want to
resolve conflict is to get to know their unique the further removed you are from the small encourage you with what the Bible says, in
situation intimately and personally and with as realities and happenings of everyday life. I’ve Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all you who are
much grace and understanding as possible. served with many church leaders that have a weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Before we try to correct anyone, we need to completely incorrect perspective of the health Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I
put ourselves in their shoes and ask ourselves, of their team. It’s easy to assume that everyone am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
‘What’s really going on here?’ Your sound guy is doing fine because most people don’t want rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
might seem frustrated because the reverb unit to cause big problems. The reality is, until you burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30. We can
isn’t working properly for the 20th time, but the really start looking around talking to people, you rest in the fact that God cares for His people,
reality is, maybe he and his wife are struggling. may not truly know the sorts of conflicts that and we can lean on the power of the Holy Spirit
Or maybe his kids are going through a difficult exist on your watch. to guide us through our most difficult struggles!
time.
Every few months, we should be doing a mental
As the leader, it is our responsibility to make survey of the land to really look around and
sure we know what’s happening deep within make sure everyone’s truly OK. Just because
the hearts of the people that serve faithfully our ministry is working like a finely oiled
September 2019
Brian Michael Fuller
Brian is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and
worship musician who currently serves as the
worship arts pastor at Newhope Church in Durham,
North Carolina. You can hear some of his original
production music at www.fullertime.com. The pad
sets that he has designed are exclusively available
at www.worshiptutorials.com and have sold over
50,000 copies.
www.FullerTime.com
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