Question:
Hi guys,
my church's worship team has a situation that i would appreciate your guys' insight into. There's a person on worship team who has been on worship team for about 4 months, so she's new. She's been at our church forever and up until about 2months ago she lived fairly far away and she didn't drive so it was not possible for her to make it for fellowships besides music practice on saturday (mid-week bible studies, small group, women's fellwship, etc) where her mom would driver her. But, 2 months ago she started going to the university where our church has a small group bible study, but she chooses not to participate in our church's bible study on campus, but another campus group. is it kind of inconsistent that she chooses to participate in the music team but not in any other way in our local church? Should she still be allowed to serve on the music team?
Thanks
Answer:
Are you basically saying that the only time she attends your church is when she's performing with the team?
If so, whether or not she's allowed to perform depends on what kind of guidelines you all have set up for serving at your church.
Answer:
Originally Posted by gtrdave Are you basically saying that the only time she attends your church is when she's performing with the team?
If so, whether or not she's allowed to perform depends on what kind of guidelines you all have set up for serving at your church.
it kind of seems that way. We have practice and she comes to that.
Well, we don't have any set guidelines for serving at church, except that for teaching and highly visible serving areas like music team you cannot be in blatant lifestyle sin. What kind of serving guidelines do you have for your churcH?
Thanks
Answer:
You may want to sit down with this person and learn more about her motives. You can tell her what things appear to be, and have her think about why she's there and what that means. I don't see anything blatantly wrong with this situation, so long as her motives are not misdirected.
Nate
Answer:
Originally Posted by vyctr it kind of seems that way. We have practice and she comes to that.
Well, we don't have any set guidelines for serving at church, except that for teaching and highly visible serving areas like music team you cannot be in blatant lifestyle sin. What kind of serving guidelines do you have for your churcH?
Thanks
I mean one that states that only regular-attending "members" may serve in specific areas of ministry on an on-going basis to avoid fostering those folks who only show up when they get to take their place on the platform.
I have a friend who once was playing drums at a church and getting paid to do it. One Sunday morning after service the pastor had a meeting with the praise team and asked each of them something to the effect of "If you were not getting paid to play here or if you were not even playing here, would you be attending here?"
Those folks that answered "no" were asked to leave and not come back unless they were looking for a church home.
Can't say that I disagree.
Answer:
Well the pay thing is a different story...I get paid to lead worship, but its basically because of the time/talent involved. I would do it fro free in a heart beat...the money is NOT why I do this...
Back to the issue at hand. I don't really see the big deal with this. She's attending Bible study at another church and not yours?? She's still following God, right? I would certainly let her sing. God's church is large, it is way bigger than we can even comprehend. Why are you so hung up that she has to go to YOUR church ALL of the time for EVERYTHING?!?!?!
I'm confused.
BTW...I'm certainly not trying to make you upset, just giving you my opinion...
Jay
Answer:
Originally Posted by jmpeter316 Why are you so hung up that she has to go to YOUR church ALL of the time for EVERYTHING?!?!?! I don't really get the impression that this is why he's hung up at all. It's moreso appearance of the the fact that she's only involved in the church because of the music program as she has no other involvement in the church. At no point did the OP say that she needed to go "for EVERYTHING" but simply that it seemed inconsistent because she does not appear to be fully committed.
I think this is a legitimate concern. I left a church because of the fact that had it not been for my involvement in the music program I wouldn't have been there. I liked the people enough and all, but the reality was that I only had the music program there...everything else was secondary. In my church now, I'm not just part of the worship team, but I work with the youth group sometimes, I work with the young kids, and I'm involved in other parts of the church as well. I know I feel like I'm a much bigger part of my new church and much more at home, than I was at the previous church.
Answer:
Originally Posted by thesteve I don't really get the impression that this is why he's hung up at all. It's moreso appearance of the the fact that she's only involved in the church because of the music program as she has no other involvement in the church. At no point did the OP say that she needed to go "for EVERYTHING" but simply that it seemed inconsistent because she does not appear to be fully committed.
Ooohhh...well that's a different story then...I think you need to sit down with this young lady and ask her does she want to praise God, or does she just like music. From my experience when you ask the question to someone who just likes music, it is VERY obvious what their reasons are...
Didn't mean to get snippy...it's just that I really don't like churches who try to get to practically live at the church because they want to be involved in everything...the call to be involved in the church should be from God, and nowhere else...
Jay
Answer:
Originally Posted by jmpeter316 Ooohhh...well that's a different story then...I think you need to sit down with this young lady and ask her does she want to praise God, or does she just like music. From my experience when you ask the question to someone who just likes music, it is VERY obvious what their reasons are...
Didn't mean to get snippy...it's just that I really don't like churches who try to get to practically live at the church because they want to be involved in everything...the call to be involved in the church should be from God, and nowhere else...
Jay
yea, its not that she has to participate in our church for everything. In fact the fellowship she chose at school is an extension of a really good bible teaching church, but i was just thinking that its important to be under the teaching of our own local church and everything else (other bible studies, sermons, internet, radio, etc) should come more or less second, especially for someone who is on the music team. and also again the inconsist vibe that i get from the situation.
I guess one of the things i was considering that would happen is someone who is in the congregation (perhaps some young person) on sunday morning is thinking "oh, well, this important person who sings on music team doesn't go to small group bible study, and i don't need to either".
What do you guys think? am i way off?
thanks for all the replies by the way
Edit: oh, and one more thing, i think that her answer to the question: "why do you want to be on music team?" would be " because I want to serve on music team". But then i guess my question would be, well, why do you want to serve God at the church on the music team, but not at the women's group, etc?
Answer:
Originally Posted by vyctr I guess one of the things i was considering that would happen is someone who is in the congregation (perhaps some young person) on sunday morning is thinking "oh, well, this important person who sings on music team doesn't go to small group bible study, and i don't need to either".
What do you guys think? am i way off? this would be my concern as well. As a member of the worship team you have to consider yourself to be part of the support staff of the church. Edit: oh, and one more thing, i think that her answer to the question: "why do you want to be on music team?" would be " because I want to serve on music team". But then i guess my question would be, well, why do you want to serve God at the church on the music team, but not at the women's group, etc? that's a tough question to draw out.
Answer:
Maybe find out why she chooses to go to another bible study.
I am the worship leader for our church...I have been since I was 17.
Joel and I serve at our church...leading worship, leading a bible study at a boys home, overseeing youth events/studies/etc in our association...but we have no friends at our church. It's awkward. Our church just started a college/young marrieds bible study and Calvary chapel just started one.
We have gone to one of Calvary chapel's and they made us feel very much at home, even though we didn't really know anyone. We went to Dairy Queen with people from our group who we are around all the time, and they sat on the other side of the room. It's also rather hard to get to our churches college study, as we live 20 minutes away, and Joel gets home from work 20-30 minutes before the study starts.
She could have her reasons.
She may not be in a study at your church...but at least she is in one.
Answer:
IF you don't already have the requirement on the books...and I mean in no uncertain terms, you have no recourse. If you want to add it, you need to grandfather in those on the team today with an expectation that within a period of time (say 6 months) they will be in compliance or chose to leave the team.
Most of my band members are in small groups but for the one or two that are not, I make sure that they have a connection to someone(s) within the band and take extra care to be their "lifeline". It works and it is worth the little extra time it takes to check in with them on a regular basis outside of rehearsals.
Answer:
Originally Posted by trpullen Most of my band members are in small groups but for the one or two that are not, I make sure that they have a connection to someone(s) within the band and take extra care to be their "lifeline". It works and it is worth the little extra time it takes to check in with them on a regular basis outside of rehearsals.
Do they have a specific reason why they're not a part of a small group?
Answer:
Originally Posted by vyctr Do they have a specific reason why they're not a part of a small group?
I'm sure they do.