Normally I pick a topic on worship and attempt to help people navigate through the challenges of musicianship, leadership and theology – or to give some basic training in some area. But as this is the first blog for 2022, I want to be the one to call the “elephant in the room”.
Many of you reading this are slowly getting back into live worship… and that’s great. After all, no matter how good church online might be, for me at least, it falls short in so many areas, and, truth be known… we are better together.
What I discovered in every church I’ve connected with, is that worship teams are struggling to get people involved with playing, leading, doing AV and more. So if you are experiencing this, you are not Robinson Crusoe. I don’t know of a church that is not having this challenge as we speak.
There are many causes. Some are in isolation for the usual reasons. Some are still getting back from holidays – although most should have returned. Some have opted for church online. Still others – and there’s more than usual – are not returning to your church, or to church at all. This is not uncommon and almost every church is experiencing this.
This can be very disheartening, especially when you are the one trying to create engaging services in a new normal, and people are just not available, or have informed you of not being involved anymore. Many are tired, stressed and worn out, and for some reason, worship team involvement is just not their first priority – nor their second.
Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any clear cut answers, and for that matter, neither do I have any. Having said that, let me humbly offer a few things to consider…
- Consider making your team smaller. Big sounds are terrific, but people are still more interested in authenticity, so focus on that rather than the big teams.
- Connect pastorally with your team members. Community is more vital than ever, so ensure that each person is pastorally cared for, and have some fun nights where it’s not about learning the latest worship song, but hanging out together, laughing, and of course… food.
- Remind and encourage your team members that what they bring in worship is important. It may be a time for re-visioning (or “rebooting” as I’ve called it before) and reminding them that they stand on the shoulders of countless people committed to worship before them. My home church team had such a night with food and an opportunity to encourage each other. Many said, it was just great to be back together.
- Celebrate those who have ministered before. This was the idea of my worship pastor – and a great one at that. It showed that people were appreciated whether they are still there or not for whatever reason. Their ministry was celebrated.
- Tell them that despite the lack of visual response from worshippers (they’re all wearing masks or not singing) that they get to sing or play over people in a way that makes worship more immersive than participatory – still very important.
Praying this stuff through I was reminded of Psalm 137:4 – that it’s hard to sing the song of the Lord in a strange land, and for many, being isolated may feel a little like this. Worship is still and will always be, participatory, and so it’s hard to do this by yourself and out of context for many.
So… let me finish with an encouragement that I received from a visitor to my home, decades ago, when I was feeling at a low ebb in worship ministry, and on the brink of throwing in the towel because it all felt too hard.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Stand firm.