Tips for Developing a Music Ministry at an Established Church -- Part 2

Here is the second and final part of this two-blog series; picking up where I left off, at number seven.

7.  Develop relationships with people in the church and music department

This may seem obvious and an unspoken rule, but you would be surprised at the number of musicians/directors/singers that do not go out of their way to integrate deeply into their congregation.  It can be tempting to stay in your comfort zone, to not go out of your way to talk to that elder sister that sits on the other side of the building....  Or that new family that seems a little weird.   :0)    But remember that half of your success on the platform is the music you present to the congregation: the other half is who you are to those people that are watching/listening to you.

8.  Do not alienate your audience by only doing "your style" of music; gradually incorporate style changes

This is very important to a church, as music is like an opinion: everyone has one (or two, or thirty).  There is nothing wrong with drawing strongly from a base style you are comfortable/accomplished at.  You must be careful though not to find yourself singing/playing/teaching only one style of music.  Not only does this limit the boundaries of your fellow singers/musicians and how much they can blossom and grow in their ministries, it is also very selfish for you to push one certain sound on the rest of the church.  To be varied and comprehensive in your approach, you will need to mix up a combination of church music.  I find that a good mix for me includes contemporary, black gospel, and some material that a few well-known Pentecostal choirs produce.

9.  Rise above criticism

Being in front of everyone and trying to lead in worship through your voice or an instrument is no easy task.  Be assured, occasionally someone will make comments to you or to your pastor that seem critical and unconstructive.  Unfortunately this is part of the job!  It is impossible to please everyone all the time - you are striving to appeal to the mass of your congregation in such a manner as to assist them in entering into the presence of the Lord.  It is no easy task!  Providing criticism isn't constant or from a large demographic of your church, you will need to brush it off and keep soldiering.  There is nothing wrong with talking with your pastor when criticism comes; ask him/her to give you an unbiased opinion of your progress in your department, and ask for constructive criticism and feedback.

10.  Be secure in your position (don't use it as a weapon or manipulation, but don't sweat the small stuff - you will win loyalty in time)

11.  Discover new talent in your church

This is something that should be done continually.  Why, you ask?  Because every congregation changes here and there over time; saints come, saints go, and you will still be there doing your job.  Even if you have a very accomplished, seasoned praise team / choir / group of musicians, you should always be keeping your eyes out for new talent and interest.  When you find it, latch onto it and try to encourage the individual to pursue it.  This will require some more time on your part, but that child that loves to bang on the piano now may be a phenomenal musician in five years.  Notice I did not say it is your job to *teach* individuals with interest in your department.  If you can manage this with your time and resources, that is fine.  But I am a big promoter of people going out and obtaining their own training, whether it be musical or vocal.  Someone who really is interested in being a part of your team will attempt to learn musical/vocal basics through school bands or private instructors.  There is nothing wrong with allowing people to prove their passion for your department by expecting them to sacrifice the time and effort to learn and develop their voice or an instrument.  After all - you put forth blood, sweat, and tears to get where you are, correct?  There are no shortcuts to becoming a capable singer, director, or musician.

Tips for Developing a Music Ministry at an Established Church -- Part 1

These are some tips that may help you if you find yourself in a church that is established (not a new work) and you feel the need for further development in your department:

1.  Discover the pastor's vision

Numbers 11:16-17

"And the LORD said unto Moses, gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand with thee.  And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone."

In order to follow the God-given order of the church, you as a singer/musician/music leader must learn the heartbeat of your pastor.  This will allow you to modify your approach to assist him in achieving some of his goals and fulfill his vision as it pertains to the music department.  Your pastor needs your help!  Even if it seems that he is not interested in sharing his vision or his burden for music, it is your responsibility to make the sincere effort to develop your relationship with him.  I worked hard at this during my seven-year tenure as the Music Minister at Phoenix Revival Center in Phoenix, AZ.  The result of my labor was a very close, trusting, personal relationship with my pastor at the time.


2.  Hold up the hands of your leadership

Serve your leader(s)!  It should not matter if your leadership is musical, involved first hand in the music department, or if they do not seem to express an interest at all in your efforts (this is very diffult to accept, I know).  As a member of the ministry team, you should strive to visibly support your pastor and ministerial staff - it is crucial that your congregation see this on a continual basis.  Make your leader(s) look good!   :0)   Defend your leadership from unfounded or vicious attacks from others.  Your pastor and his wife endure untold attacks from the devil and from misguided saints alike.  They need you in their corner, backing them up.

3.  Blessing and anointing flows down from the head

Psalms 133....   The Lord commands a blessing on the head of your spiritual life - your pastor!  Your pastor is the head of your ministry, because God has given him authority over your ministry.  As such, you need to submit yourself to the head...  Where the head goes, the body follows.  I believe this also includes your pastor's wife as well.  I always try to make a concerted effort to have dialogue with my pastor's wife - she is the lady that does many behind-the-scenes things you will never know.  Shift your perception of your pastor's wife, and envision the anointing flowing down from both his and her heads.

4.  Being in submission to your authority puts you in line for a blessing!

Hebrews 13:17....   "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."

In order for God to elevate you, you must always be submitted to the head.  You must also not be prideful.  Always remember, whether you are a singer/musician/director: there is always somebody just around the corner that is much better than you!   Stay humble.   :0)


5.  Have a long-term and short-term plan (where is the department at now and where do I want it to go?)

There is nothing wrong with making a three-month, six-month, and twelve-month checklist and putting it somewhere visible as a reminder.  The refrigerator is a sure-fire location!   lol

6.  Don't initiate changes too quicky (avoid offending people)

This rule may apply to you in varying degrees depending on your local congregation.  It is normal for an immature, unseasoned musician/director/singer to want to change things overnight and "fix" things that you perceive to be broken.  SLOW DOWN when you make major changes in the music department.  Remember that the item that in your opinion is "broken" has been the source of great blessings to a number of the saints!  Change is good, providing it betters the music department and benefits the majority of saints in the church.  Sudden change is usually not the greatest approach and can alienate you from a base in the congregation that you really need on your side -- the older/senior saints!   :0)    What?  That doesn't make sense, you say....    But yes it does and from more than one facet.  The Bible commands you to respect your elders....  There are immediate and long-term benefits for you if you do just that.  Also realize that the older, mature, established base of your congregation are the same ones who pay the majority of the offerings/tithes/sacrificial giving in your church.  To alienate them and to have them ringing the pastor's phone off the hook regarding YOU isn't your best recipe for success.  I have experienced this for myself - take my word for it.    :0)

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Biblical History of Musical Praise in the Bible - Part 2 by Nathan Kesler

Israelite worship music was both vocal and instrumental; the sanctuary orchestra contributed to the celebration of Israel's covenant with the Lord. Its instruments fall into the same general classes with which we are familiar — percussion, winds (pipes) and strings. Horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps and lyres were used when the ark was brought to Mount Zion, and their continued use is reflected in their mention in the Psalms. The sanctuary instruments were not solo instruments, but sounded simultaneously to call the assembly to worship (Psa. 98:6). Strings and pipes, if used, probably played the modalities (tune elements) in the psalm being sung, with perhaps distinctive patterns of ornamentation. Horns, trumpets and cymbals added to the festive joy by creating a larger sound. The selah of the Psalms may have been an instrumental interlude, or a "lifting up" of sound by both singers and instrumentalists. Tambourines, usually played by women, are mentioned in connection with dancing at Israelite festivals (Psa. 68:25), but were not used in the sanctuary where only men served as priests and musicians.

What did the music of Israel's worship sound like? While we cannot know today exactly how it sounded, recent research has confirmed the similarity between Hebraic music and ancient forms of Christian chant. Biblical music incorporated several characteristic features:

• Monophony, the use of an unharmonized melodic line — although ornamentation and instrumental accompaniment could create a primitive form of harmony.
• Modality refers to the use of various musical motifs within a certain scale, each with its own function.
• Ornamentation, the use of enhancements suited to the skill of the performer.
• Rhythm — Semitic music does not use the regular beat of modern Western music but has a more complex pattern of time structuring.
• Scale — Semitic music follows a generally diatonic melody, but with some use of quarter-tone intervals as well as whole or half tones.
• Improvisation, the practice of composing the music in the process of performing it using skills acquired through a long period of training.
• Antiphony — In antiphonal music, groups of performers answer one another in statement and response. Examples in biblical worship may be found in the Psalms (Pss. 24, 118) and the "Holy, holy, holy" of Isaiah's seraphim (Isa. 6:3), in a vision no doubt influenced in its expression by the chanting of priestly choirs. This last feature suggests that the congregation, as well as trained musicians, may have been involved in the musical responses of the service.

Worship Music in the New Testament

The worship of the emerging Christian movement did not produce new forms of music, but shared the characteristics described above, many of which are still found in the music of historic liturgies. Clearly, the worship life of the early church included psalms and other forms of song.

The New Testament mentions worship music in several places. The gospel story begins with a hymn of praise on the lips of the heavenly host, "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14). Reading the lesson from Isaiah in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-20), Jesus probably intoned it according to the custom of the time. The Gospels record that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26), probably the "Great Hallel" (Psalms 113-118) of the Passover tradition. Luke records that Paul and Silas were singing hymns in prison at Philippi when an earthquake occurred (Acts 16:25). Paul urges the Christians of Ephesus and Colossae to give thanks to God in "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Describing the assembly of the church of Corinth, he remarks that "everyone has a psalm" (1 Cor. 14:26) which must blend with the contributions of other worshipers in an orderly service. Perhaps "psalms" were the biblical psalms, while "hymns" could have been Christian music in praise of Christ and "spiritual songs" more spontaneous worship expressions.

Luke quotes several hymns in the beginning chapters of his Gospel. In addition to the Gloria in Excelsis mentioned above, he includes the Magnificat or Song of Mary (1:46-55), the Benedictus or Song of Zechariah (1:67-79) and the Nunc Dimittis or Song of Simeon (2:29-32). Although spoken by several figures in the story of Jesus' birth, these hymns came to be used in Christian worship at an early period. Paul quotes what may have been another song, "Awake, O sleeper," in Eph. 5:14. Scholars have suggested that other passages in Paul's letters are based on primitive Christian hymns in praise of Christ, such as Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20 and 1 Timothy 3:16. Such hymns may have been composed to reinforce Christian teaching about the nature of Jesus' Messiahship. The Hosanna hymn of the crowds at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:9, based on Psa. 118:26) became part of the historic Christian eucharistic celebration.

Musical expression of Christian worship reaches its New Testament climax in the hymns of the Revelation to John. In John's vision, acts of praise before God's throne accompany the dramatic unfolding of events on earth. These hymns glorify the Creator (4:11), proclaim the worth of the Lamb (5:9-10; 5:12), extol both the Father and the Son (5:13; 7:10; 7:12), celebrate God's triumph over the enemies of his people (11:16; 11:17-18; 12:10-12; 19:1-3; 19:6-8), and proclaim his justice (15:3-4; 16:5-7). Additional songs celebrate the defeat of the unfaithful city, persecutor of the saints (chapter 18). This pageant of praise is initiated by four living creatures drawn from the vision of Ezekiel, singing words derived from Isaiah's vision in the temple (Rev. 4:8). It expands to include the elders of the covenant people, the hosts of heaven, and eventually every creature. Perhaps these hymns reflect the actual worship practice of the church near the end of the first century. If so, the Revelation offers a window not only into the judgments of God in the earth but also into the development of Christian liturgy and hymnody.

The New Testament does not supply enough detail to reconstruct the exact musical content of developing Christian worship. We should avoid the temptation to project the practices of later centuries back into Bible times. One question is the degree to which Israelite musical practices, including the use of instruments, offer a clue to what was thought appropriate in the New Testament church. Since the Hebrew Scriptures were still the authority for teaching and practice (1 Tim. 3:16-17), their broad principles regarding music must have remained the norm. The young church was a community under persecution, and could not apply the full resources of biblical celebration to its worship assemblies. Nevertheless, the evidence shows that music played a vital role in the worship of the emerging Christian community.

Nathan Kesler

Biblical History of Musical Praise in the Bible - Part 1 by Nathan Kesler

So what is this thing called praise/worship/music ministry all about?  Where does it originate from and how long has it been around?

Music played an important part in the worship of biblical communities, as a way of approaching the mystery of God and of expressing the joy of his presence. This article discusses the role of music in the worship of Israel and of the early church, by way of establishing a biblical foundation for music in the Christian worship of today.

Music in Israelite Worship
Israelite prophets were musicians. During the exodus Miriam the prophetess, taking her tambourine, led the women in song and dance, celebrating the Lord's triumph over the Egyptians (Exod. 15:20-21). Saul encountered a band of sanctuary prophets who prophesied accompanied by instruments (1 Sam. 10:5). Isaiah composed songs, including one celebrating the Lord's deliverance of those who trust in him (Isa. 26:1-6). The public regarded Ezekiel as "one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument" (33:32).
David, a musician as well as a warrior, established the place of music in the worship of the Lord. Even before the sacrifices had been moved to Jerusalem, he instructed the Levitical musicians to celebrate the ark's journey to Zion (1 Chron. 15:16-24), and appointed Asaph as chief musician in charge of continual thanksgiving and praise (1 Chron. 16:1-7). The description of this activity (1 Chron. 25:1-7) suggests that these musicians led in a spontaneous and overwhelming outpouring of worship, especially at high moments like the dedication of Solomon's temple (2 Chron 5:11-14). This may be the "new song" to which the Psalms refer (33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 144:9, 149:1). Many Psalms perhaps originated in this pre-temple Davidic worship centering around the ark of the covenant.

In the temple, music functioned as a "sacrifice of praise," an offering of song to accompany the offering of sacrifice. Under the Judean rulers, the performance of music became regulated and standardized. The titles of 55 Psalms refer to the music director, with instructions for performance on various instruments or using certain tunes. This psalmody remained a feature of Israelite and Jewish worship. After the exile, Ezra recruited more than 200 Levites for service in the sanctuary (Ezra 8:18-20). First-century Jewish sources indicate that the choir of Herod's temple consisted of at least twelve adult male singers, with no upper limit. Singers served between the ages of thirty and fifty, after a five-year training period. The sources also describe the instruments in use at that time.

After the Babylonian exile, most Jews lived in the Dispersion (areas outside of Palestine) and could not participate in temple worship. Therefore the synagogue arose for prayer and the study of the Scriptures. The Psalms continued to be sung, and other portions of the Scriptures as well as prayers were chanted according to a developing system of "modes." Such Jewish music influenced the worship of the early church.

Nathan Kesler

Tune in for my continual thoughts and musings regarding music ministry - Nathan Kesler

Hello to all my friends and family!  I am looking forward to posting some of my own thoughts here in the near future regarding music ministry.  I believe some of this may be of help to my fellow music ministers, singers, musicians, and directors.  I welcome feedback and comments on everything.  Pitch in and made your comments be known as well!      - Nathan Kesler