What do you most struggle with as a worship musician?

That was the question we asked in our Facebook Group. 122 comments later and we have a really interesting crowdsourced list of concerns with many common themes.

The summary is below but there is more detailed discussion, and some helpful advice for many of the topics that were raised in the original post, so do ask to join the Group so you can read it in full:

The congregation

• People being spectators and not participants
• Having to do it all on my own with a not totally engaged congregation
• A dissociated congregation who are too busy checking their mobile phones, rather than engage in the moment
• Balance between worship and being entertainment

Worship leading challenges

• What to say in between songs
• Starting songs
• Confidence
• Not having a band

Musical ability

• My own incompetence
• Feeling less than able in comparison to other musicians on the team
• Not having the ability to sing in tune
• Chords – especially bar chords
• The team not recognising what slash chords actually mean
• Timing
• Harmonies

Team and heart issues

• Commitment to adequate rehearsal
• Remembering that it’s not a show
• Keeping focused on Jesus instead of the music
• Others not taking *their* calling / service / role / job as seriously as I take serving the music
• Worshipping when I’m not playing/leading. If I’m part of the congregation I find myself checking out the equipment, how the band is set up, critiquing the arrangements, finding stuff I can use myself and generally focusing on the technical aspects of the band rather than the worship.
• Not being that comfortable with songs that are only played once or twice a month
• People who don’t show up prepared and those who think they are performing a concert!
• Wearing the mask of Joy when there are trials and struggles going on inwardly
• Worship leaders who have no enthusiasm for worship and no energy

Logistics and other challenges

• Being in two services every Sunday repeating the same thing and worshipping like I should
• Sickness – particularly affecting vocals

Equipment, PA and stage issues

• Equipment being tidied away and hard to find
• Blinded by stage lighting
• Inability to see the worship leader
• Cable lengths, sound settings
• Giving up lots of time practising lead lines and rhythm parts as a seasoned electric guitarist then at the end of the service discovering that you were hardly if at all in the final mix (like an optional extra that didn’t get used by the PA people)

Do you relate to these things? Or do you have other issues that were not suggested. Do comment below and also have a look at the discussion in the original Facebook post (if you are not already a member just ask to join the Group so you can read it in full).