{"id":9221,"date":"2012-08-03T13:25:33","date_gmt":"2012-08-03T13:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/?p=9221"},"modified":"2019-07-31T08:11:37","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T08:11:37","slug":"five-ways-a-schedule-helps-develop-your-worship-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/five-ways-a-schedule-helps-develop-your-worship-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Church\/Big Worship: Five ways a schedule helps develop your worship team"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few months back I wrote the\u00a0Top Ten Signs You Lead Worship in a Smaller Church<\/a>. Sadly, the list contains a little too much truth for many worship leaders and musicians. One in particular was #8:<\/p>\n

My musician schedule contains only three words: PLEASE SHOW UP.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the mistakes that smaller church worship leaders make is not creating a schedule. It might seem silly\u2014maybe even a waste of time\u2014to craft a schedule that contains the same people week after week. If they don\u2019t show, that spot is open. So why bother scheduling?<\/p>\n

Fair question. I recently wrote a post on my blog entitled\u00a0\u201c8 Things to Think About When Scheduling Musicians.\u201d\u00a0It contains some philosophical and strategic thoughts about scheduling musicians. It\u2019s applicable for leaders of any size ministry. But in this post, I want zero-in on why scheduling is important for small church worship teams.<\/p>\n

1. A schedule reinforces commitment.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a visual reminder for the musician that he\u2019s part of a team. And seeing his name\u00a0next\u00a0to others on the schedule should remind him that other people are counting on his commitment.<\/p>\n

2. A schedule prepares you for growth. It\u2019s part of creating a bigger bucket.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many small church worship ministries are like one-gallon buckets. I\u2019m not sure if you knew this, but one gallon buckets can only hold, well, one gallon. If you try to put two gallons of, say, some Starbucks latte into a one gallon bucket, you\u2019ll find a gallon of latte on the floor. Not good, considering that a Starbucks latte costs about $26 a gallon. (I actually did the research and math on that one\u2026I know, I\u2019m sick.)<\/p>\n

The systems, policies and practices of a worship ministry create the bucket size. If you want to grow, begin creating a larger bucket. Raise the bar for preparation. Begin a qualification process for potential musicians. Require rehearsal attendance. And create a musician schedule.<\/p>\n

Creating a bigger bucket doesn\u2019t guarantee you\u2019ll grow. But keeping your bucket too small is a great way to ensure that you won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

3. A schedule can help avoid burnout.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How?\u00a0By intentionally giving people time off.<\/p>\n

Musicians need a week off at least every two months, if not more. And not just when they\u2019ll be out of town or home with a sick kid.<\/p>\n

You and your musicians need to enjoy coming to church with your families. I call my wife a Sunday-morning-single-mom. She needs me to have a week off as much as I need a week off.<\/p>\n

Also the \u201cview from the pew\u201d can be a refreshing experience AND a much needed dose of perspective.<\/p>\n

4. A schedule can help you combat the MEs.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A small worship band is a ripe environment to grow the virus that causes the \u201cMEs.\u201d<\/p>\n

If I stand in the same spot on the same stage and play the same instrument week after week, who owns that spot?<\/p>\n

Me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve now got a case of the\u00a0MEs: Musician Entitlement Syndrome.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Forget about being open to new members. They can take my spot, but only when I\u2019m on vacation.<\/p>\n

So what does giving them a week off do to combat entitlement? It says, \u201cYou don\u2019t own this spot.\u201d It also says, \u201cIt may not sound the same, but we can worship with out you.\u201d<\/p>\n

This will likely cause tension. Which could open up a dialogue about true stewardship. Which is one of the antidotes for the MEs.<\/p>\n

5. A musician schedule is a great prayer tool.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pray for your team members, individually and as a group. AND\u2026here\u2019s where numeric growth comes in \u2013 pray for your gaps.<\/p>\n