Question:
I can't seem to find any musicians in my area! I am the worship leader at a church in Kent, WA. The Creative Worship Arts Ministry here is looking for musicians who are passionate about worship to take the music program to a whole new level. All roles including band instrumentalists, vocalists, sound, and media are needed both as primaries and backups.
Advanced skills are not required, but must meet the following…
> Personal relationship with Christ
> Local resident
> Works well with a team
> Familiar with modern, contemporary, and alternative style worship music
> Professional attitude and practice etiquette
> Available for 1 weekday evening practice and Sunday services
> Understand this is a servant role
> Completion of evaluation/screening process
Can anyone help me out or tell me where to look???
email: jaredburns@hotmail.com

Learn more about this ministry at:
www.myworship.net
www.kenttrinity.org
Answer:
I used to know someone who was a youth minister in Kent, WA. Not helpful, but I thought it was interesting.
Answer:
Sometimes I look in the back corner of my closet. It always seems like I leave an instrumentalist back there and just forget about it. Or, sometimes in the trunk of my car....
Originally Posted by jaredburns Advanced skills are not required, but must meet the following…
> Personal relationship with Christ
> Local resident
> Works well with a team
> Familiar with modern, contemporary, and alternative style worship music
> Professional attitude and practice etiquette
> Available for 1 weekday evening practice and Sunday services
> Understand this is a servant role
> Completion of evaluation/screening process
Actually, it sounds like you're looking for people who are already "all cleaned up" and ready to roll. They're rare, anywhere. Sorry if I can't be more helpful, but generally speaking, you're going to have to "fudge" on one or more of your criteria (while trying to teach/impart those values to the instrumentalist) sometimes - just pick the most important few of those, and don't "fudge" on those. That will bring a few hundred people back into the picture, I think.
Nate
Answer:
it's not usually so difficult to find someone who decently meets the personal/spiritual qualifications, doesn't play an instrument, but is interested. teach them to play, and you've got your custom-made musician, so-to-speak . they're the best kind of bandmates you can have. it's worth it.
Answer:
Nate, I agree that I can't expect perfect people, but which of these would you recomend I "fudge" on?
> Personal relationship with Christ
Q: If this, How can one worship a God they do not know?
> Local resident
Q: If this, How will they be involved?
> Works well with a team
Q: If this, How will they work with the team?
> Familiar with modern, contemporary, and alternative style worship music
Q: If this, I supposed this can be learned fair enough in time
> Professional attitude and practice etiquette
Q: If this, How will they work with the team?
> Available for 1 weekday evening practice and Sunday services
Q: If this, How will they practice with the team?
> Understand this is a servant role
Q: If this, Whose going to pay?
> Completion of evaluation/screening process
Q: If this, How will they be involved?
Answer:
agrimes, I have done that in the past, but find myself in a new church where there seems to be no intrest from the inside (aside from the team we currently have). So now I am trying to find a way to seek out people in the local community or surrounding areas. Any recomendations there?
Answer:
I don't think there's a natural answer to that finding those musicians but Pray and be creative in your approach. I give free music lessons every monday night just to see if I can raise a musician up.
I'm in the same boat as you but God's having me get out and walk on the water. Alot of my friends stopped wanting to play for various reasons, messed up girl friends, work, messed up husbands LOL. It's sad cause it's true, I lost my girl singer due to an overbearing stupid guy she married which thinks girls should be silent or some garbage.
So it's was just me and my dad playing guitar my best friend who plays bass he's UBER good and 2 really really begginer level drummers.
But God is faithful He sent me another Canary(girl singer) she's got more soul the payless shoes. Once a month or so I get treated by the best drummer in town when he visits. I also gained 2 keyboard players.
As a worship leader the musicians God sends into your path are gifts unto you as much as the Levites were a gift to Arron for the work of the ministry. God would be very upset if you never opened up those gifts. you need to get under them and raise them up, never be their boss. Be a pastor to them.
Answer:
Pray for God to send you musicians.
It's literally the only way our church has gotten them.
Answer:
Have you thought about being content with what you have? I am not saying this to be a jerk, but some of the most powerful worship has been led by a single guitar player/singer.
Though I do agree it is great to have a band to back you up. So I will echo the others, pray. Niangelo hit the nail on the head. And be patient, the Lord will provide in due time.

I came from a church where we had a full band (drums guitars, keyboards, singers, saxaphone et cetera). And then here I show up at this small town church that has a piano player, a beginning drummer and I (on guitar and singing). And it was hard, but we were able to pull off some pretty cool worship sets, and now we are growing, but we have a firm foundation of what we need, and that is to glorify God, not to sound professional.
Answer:
One place you might try is a Christian college if there's one nearby, or a parachurch ministry (FCA, Campus Crusade, InterVarsity, etc.) at a non-Christian school. My church has found several excellent musicians this way.
Answer:
Originally Posted by pgr181 One place you might try is a Christian college if there's one nearby, or a parachurch ministry (FCA, Campus Crusade, InterVarsity, etc.) at a non-Christian school. My church has found several excellent musicians this way.
Solid Idea bro.
Answer:
Originally Posted by niangelo Pray for God to send you musicians.
It's literally the only way our church has gotten them.
Amen.
Maybe it's me but I've learned from my experience at other churches that God will bring you the people to complete your team if you're faithful to put that request to prayer and trust that it'll be done.
Also, I want people to come to my church, decide it's their "home" and then have them serve in the music ministry (or any ministry) rather than bring folks in specifically for the music ministry and find that they don't dig the church or maybe are not in the right heart condition to really worship God.
Answer:
Cool website, Jared.
I like the Christian college idea, or student groups (Campus Crusade, Baptist Student Union, etc.) at any college. Mind you, these will probably be short-term commitments, but you never know.
Answer:
BTW I am really new to the forum stuff. But I really appreciate the group of God's people here.
I agree with dave whole heartedly. That we should be looking for an developing people into solid members in our church first.
And God is faithfull in completing the team he's doing it for me when I thought it was almost hopeless.
Joe.
Answer:
If you go with the college deal here is some info:
There are numerous christian colleges you could check out here in the Seattle area. There is Puget Sound Christian College, Northwest University, and many others...