Top 10 Music Ministry Tips

The Top 10 tips for creating a vibrant and passionate Music Ministry 10 proven ways to enable and inspire you to be the musician, singer or worship leader you want to be. Build a purposeful, focused team, working with your church as a whole to impact your community through vibrant, passionate music ministry. 1. Fill your own spiritual life with inspiring music. Actively seek new music that lifts your spirit. Surf the web for gems from unknown songwriters. Just aim to discover one new song per week that inspires you. When you're inspired, others will be too. 2. Thank God for your current situation. It's easy to grumble and be frustrated about the lack of physical and human resources. A grateful spirit will grow you first. Then your ministry can grow. Write down ten things about your life, your ministry and your church that you can thank God for. Do it now. Do it every day. 3. Visualise the future you want. Imagine in detail the music ministry you would like to see in your church. How many people? What instruments do they play. How many singers. How are children involved? How has the congregation grown? What buildings are needed to house this powerhouse of praise? What do grateful people say after another inspiring service. Use all your senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel, both emotionally AND physically. What smells are in the building - fresh timber, flowers, perume? Write it down and read it regularly. 4. Create your own Personal Life Mission Statement. What are the successes you are happiest about? What values and principles are most important to you? How do you want to contribute to your family, your church, your community and the world? What would you like people to say about you when you are gone? Think about how your music ministry and creative gifts tie in with this mission. Write it down. 5. Understand the difference between true worship and singing. True worship is a whole of life response to God's graciousness and love. It is EVERY part of our life. Singing is a beautiful expression, but it is not the whole. Seek to see worship in all the things you do, think and say. 6. Work with the Leadership. Seek to understand the mission and vision of the church as a whole. Be a team player supporting the big picture. Talk to your pastor or leadership team about how they see music ministry contributing to the life of the church and the community. Support them wholeheartedly. If you can't do this without violating your personal integrity, then find a different church where you can. 7. Seek feedback. Regularly ask people what they like and don't like about your ministry. Listen to them without defensiveness. Thank them for their honesty. You may not agree with everything they say, but you only have to make one small change to improve things. If people make general comments like ...That was great...ask for specifics. What about it was great? What did it do for you? 8. Give positive feedback. Musicians are highly sensitive and generally feel bad about every minor mistake (that others didn't even notice). Each week, find one thing to praise each member of your team for. Each week, do one thing which helps them develop musically or personally. If you have a large team, write down their names and systematically work through the list. 9. Ask how, not why. If resources are short, keep asking, ...How can I get... Need money for equipment? How can you raise it? Need people? How can you meet more musical people and involve them? Need more time? Ask ...How can I find more time for ... How is forward looking and is a faith word. It expresses your trust and confidence in God's provision for your situation. Only ask why if it helps you uncover a barrier that is holding you back. 10. Get a life and ministry coach. Great players have great coaches. Is ministry any different? We all need coaches and mentors to challenge and inspire us to play at the next level. Find someone who is leading a ministry that is similar to your vision. Apprentice yourself to them. Set aside money and time for your own personal development. This is the most valuable investment you can make and will pay huge dividends. About the Submitter This piece was originally submitted by Ken Davis, author of Sound Music Ministry, a comprehensive training manual for music ministry, Life and Ministry Coach, who can be reached at ken@insideoutmusic.net, or visited on the web. Ken Davis wants you to know: he is trained as an Occupational Therapist, with 15 years experience in lifestyle change, and 25 years experience in Music Ministry. He specializes in coaching creative people, mid-life career changers, and helping the disadvantaged create meaningful self-employment.