12 Marks of an effective music ministry

My first experience in music ministry happened fairly soon after I first picked up a guitar at 15 years of age. I knew about 20 chords and could play a few songs from a new songbook titled Scripture in Song. Fortunately most of the songs were in guitar-friendly keys.

There were four of us who played guitar in a small country Baptist church. I know one song we dreaded was “Rise and Shine” (‘God said to Noah there’s gonna be a floody floody…’). The chords were simple, but the strumming rhythm was a real wrist breaker.

After church we would retire to one of our homes and listen to the latest Larry Norman or Randy Stonehill album, and try to work out the chords and guitar licks. As Bryan Adams sang, ‘I played it till my fingers bled…those were the best days of my life’. The songs were simple and we’d try and embellish them with influences from progressive rock bands like Pink Floyd and Yes. However there’s a limit to what you can do with a $20 nylon string guitar. Sometimes this went down well. At other times some of the elders would warn us of the dangers of getting so caught up in the music that we forgot the main game. In their quirky country ways, they had a point.

In the years since then I have enjoyed being part of many different music teams. My studies meant I moved around a fair bit, so I was part of a number of churches. Some were well resourced and it was a struggle to get to do what I loved, whereas others were small and welcomed whatever help they got.

When the Willow Creek team first came to Australia I witnessed what was possible with a dynamic, creative and well-resourced team. However, my frustration was that the models of music ministry I was seeing presented by big, well-resourced, upper middle class churches was simply not achievable in the majority of Australian churches.

My interest was in training and developing churches without these kinds of resources. The problem was to distill from 20 years of experience ‘what things really mattered’. What were the issues that could make or break a music ministry, whether in a mega church or a church struggling to survive as demographic change followed its course?

That led to the following principles

1. Music is valued as a gracious gift from God, given for our enjoyment, as well as being a strategic tool for strengthening believers and reaching unbelievers.
2. The ministry team should have a biblical understanding of the nature of worship, music, church and Christian experience.
3. Music ministry takes place in the context of a church with a shared understanding of its purpose and mission.
4. The music team are servants with a clear understanding and a passionate commitment to the part they play in that mission.
5. The music ministry is a team who:
      a. work together towards common goals.
      b. love and support one another.
      c. deal biblically and appropriately with conflict.
      d. have clear, mutually agreed, written standards explaining what is expected of members.
      e. receive regular training and teaching in theology, practical musicianship and teamwork.
6. Music takes place in the context of prayerfully and carefully planned services with an emphasis on cultural relevance, excellence, biblical content, personal authenticity and vulnerability.
7. Music team leaders are involved in the planning and programming of services and special events.
8. The repertoire is regularly and systematically reviewed to:
      a. assess its content, ease of singing and relevance.
      b. evaluate and recommend new songs before they enter the repertoire.
9. The music ministry has adequate financial support within the church’s existing resources.
10. Human resources are used effectively and supplemented by appropriate use of technology such as MIDI or backing tracks were required.
11. The church supports and encourages local writers by using their material where possible and helping them to develop skills and access training opportunities.
12. The music ministry obeys the letter and the spirit of the law regarding copyright and performance rights.

I’ve distilled these into a quick assessment you can use to see where you and your church are at in terms of ministry. You can download this assessment as a PDF document here.


http://insideoutmusic.net/products/12_marks.html


Ken Davis is a life and ministry coach from Australia. He has 25 years experience in Music Ministry and provides training and resources for churches and individuals
http://www.insideoutmusic.net
http://www.life-directions.net

© Inside Out Life Directions 2005
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Refined by God

I read this statement today and it struck home with real force.

Like Gold -- Daily "Lessons on Living" Christian Devotional: "God is not in the demolition business, but He does run a refinery."

When things go awry, it is easy to think that God has taken his hands off the wheel. The traumas of life can crush the body, but they only crush the spirit if we let them.

As Job says "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."

Job 23:10

Do you feel crushed? Somewhere in the darkness, God has a light that He will shine. You may see it in your life, or maybe others will see it when you are gone.

If you need help finding your way out - why not drop me a line.

He's building a Kingdom

I love it when the songs that God sends my way touch someone. Here's a great little story I just have to share:

We are presently building a new Religious Education Center at our church and this song is just awesome! Our Center will be opening in Fall 2005. This song would be great to teach to the children as we launch our new year!!!

You can check out the song at: http://www.pastornet.net.au/inside/songs/hesbuildingakingdom.html

Better or Bitter - it's your choice.

God's Chastening -- Daily "Lessons on Living" Christian Devotional: "Job 5:17

'Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.'"

Lou Holtz, former head football coach of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, is legendary in his adherence to discipline. In an interview with The Saturday Evening Post in 1989, he was quoted as saying, "When it comes to discipline here, we ask three questions: Will it make him a better man? A better student? A better athlete? If the answer is yes, we make him do it. The next step is up to him. An individual has a choice when you discipline him: either to become bitter or better." Judging by his squad’s record, both on and off the field, Lou Holtz’s charges for the most part became better men.

Life throws many challenges at us. Some are of our own making. Some "just happen." When things "happen" we usually can do little or nothing to stop them or change them. Many things are outside of our "circle of influence"

Does that mean passively accepting troubles and difficulties? No!

We always have a choice as to how we will respond.

We can get angry and rant and rave, and become bitter and twisted, blaming God and blaming others. We can curse life, or fate for being so cruel and mean to us. After all, we have a right to a happy pleasant life...don't we?

Or we can put our trust in God who is always working things out for our own good (Romans 8:28). We can feel the pain, the anguish and the fear. We can cry out for help. We may sit passively and let the horror pass, or get up and do what we can to salvage a better future from the wreckage.

When bad things happen, we can become bitter or better. The choice is ours.

What negative experience have you had that you feel bitter and angry about? What will you do today to "turn it around" and let it make you a better person?

Don't Give Up and Don't Give In

Don't Give Up and Don't Give In -- Daily "Lessons on Living" Christian Devotional

Don’t Give Up and Don’t Give In

Some of Andrew Jackson’s boyhood friends just couldn’t understand how he became a famous general and then the president of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never made it as far as Andrew did. One of Jackson’s friends said, "Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the road from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match." Another friend responded, "How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn’t they usually say three times and out?" "Sure, they were supposed to," the man replied, "but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat. Jim finally would get tired, and on the fourth try, Andy would throw him and be the winner. He just wouldn’t quit."

Creative ministry often has the same struggles in a different arena. You write a song you think is great, but the first three people you show it too are not impressed. What do you do? Give up writing? Resolve to keep your music to yourself?

Sometimes rejection means an idea is not good enough. Sometimes the opinion makers and gatekeepers are wrong. It happened to the Beatles. It happened to the writer of "Wind beneath my wings". It happened to Colonel Sanders with his ideas for KFC!

The critical issue is to find out. Ask the rejecters how it could be better. Listen openly and make changes which inmprove your song, or script, or book. Make sure the changes you make are genuine improvements in line with your own artisitc vision.

Then most of all, don't give up. Keep on submitting.