SOLW Praise Warriors

Our worship team exists to edify and encourage the body of Christ within this church as part of the music ministry. Springs of Living Water Church is founded on the love of Christ that causes us to worship God. Our goal is to praise and worship God, not just in meetings but with our lives so that ‘the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart’ are acceptable to the Lord (Ps 19:14). Within a meeting, the goal is to bring the congregation into the presence of God (2Ch 7:1,2; 1Pet 2:5) and set the atmosphere for the preaching of the Word of God with the ultimate goal of changing lives into the image of God (Rom 12:1,2; 2Cor 3:18). Music is only a tool for achieving this purpose.

The following are a list of criteria indicating the preferred qualifications for a member of the worship team at Springs of Living Water Church[i]:

 1.       Christian – Before you can be a “worshipper” you must first have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

 2.       Worshipper - To qualify for the worship team, one must be a worshipper. Every member, musicians and vocalists alike, must have a love for praise and worshipping the Father.

 3.       Committed member of this church – Our Praise and Worship ministry team is not the right of the talented but a privilege extended to the committed and faithful. - We are open to receiving special music from those who are not committed to this body of believers but the regular, ongoing and leadership nature of this ministry requires a strong commitment to the people and leadership of this church.

 4.       Spiritual maturity - As stated earlier, this is a leadership type ministry and, hence, is ordinarily not a place for new or immature Christians. - Everyone in the worship ministry is a leader of worship.

5.       Musical expertise - The musicians and vocalists need to be skilled enough to follow a service which is led by the Spirit of God. We don’t want to limit what God will do simply because we can’t handle it musically. - Note that the standard of musical proficiency required may vary as the church grows.

 6.       Time commitment – Church services (i.e. currently Wednesday & Sunday), Rehearsals, preparation before each meeting and ministry are mandatory. Also, a personal praise and worship time outside of service are expected. In addition, there are seminars, special retreats, and more. - The worship ministry requires a fairly large time commitment.

7.        Support of family - It is important that the individual’s immediate family members are willing to accept the necessary time commitment and be a support to the individual.

8.       Ability to flow with the team - Some people are very gifted musicians and/or vocalists, but for one reason or another (vocal range, musical style, etc) they have trouble flowing with the team. These individuals are highly encouraged to share their musical gifts in other ways (i.e. sermonic preparation, church musicals/plays, etc) with the body. Musical proficiency does not automatically make someone a top candidate for the worship team.

Worship Team Guidelines

This list explains what is expected of the people once they are a part of the Praise and Worship ministry team.

1. Probationary period - There will ordinarily be a three month probationary period during which the individual will attend practice sessions but will not play/sing with the team during services or other special functions. - The purpose of this directive is to ascertain who is genuinely interested in helping lead worship for the glory of God, and who wishes to be on the team for other reasons. In addition, this period allows time for the individual and the rest of the team to gel spiritually and musically.
2. Weekly Rehearsals - All team members are required to attend the weekly rehearsals (Sat @ 2:00pm). Whenever the team is scheduled to minister at a service, they are required to be in attendance. Missed rehearsals must be communicated to one of the Co-leader(s) and excused before the meeting. If a rehearsal is missed, the Co-leaders will decide if the person will serve for that week's services. It is your responsibility to gather missed material. It is also you responsibility to keep abreast of engagements, rehearsal changes, etc.
3. Other functions – Springs of Living Water ministry team will be expected to lead worship by request and for other special retreats and meetings. On occasion, the individual schedules may prevent attendance and need to be communicated to the Co-Leaders of the team as well as the Executive Pastor. You must stay for the entire service that we are ministering at, unless you have received approval for leaving early with the Co-leaders prior to the service.
4. Commitment to being spiritually prepared to minister - Our spiritual preparation has a direct effect on our effectiveness as a ministry team. We need to come ready not only to sing and play music but to worship the King and minister to His people. The essential element in this ministry (or any other for that matter) is our relationship with the Lord. Without a close relationship to the Lord, the worship team will NOT be effective regardless of the musical proficiency.
5. Commitment to musical expertise - We need to work at our instrumental and/or vocal ability to become the very best we can be. This means a great deal of individual practice (maybe even lessons) as well as playing with the team. Keep in mind that the team will only be as musically proficient as the individuals that make it up.
6. Commitment to growing spiritually - This too is as important on an individual basis as it is with the team. As a leadership ministry, we need to be committed to maturing in Jesus. Stagnant spiritual lives mean a stagnant worship team. Encourage and challenge one another.
7. Commitment to “flowing” with the team - More than individual expertise, our musical goal needs to be the ability to “flow” with the team. We need to look at our team as not just a collection of separate musicians and singers but as a single unit with a single purpose. Our heart attitude should not be to shine forth our own technical skill but to use that skill to enhance the team as a whole. Worship ministry is a team effort. Insulting looks, words or other divisive behaviors toward others on the team will be dealt with by the Co-Leaders and could lead to being sat down or removal altogether.
8. Dress standard - It is expected that members of the worship team will present themselves at services in a manner both glorifying to God and acceptable to the human eye considering that they are in an ‘up-front’ ministry. A Springs of Living Water Praise and Worship Team requirement is that on Sunday services all Ladies when serving do NOT wear pants. Wednesday nights are more casual. Blue jeans are OK, as long as they are in good shape. When ministering out or other serving engagements the Sunday service requirements are expected. A few exceptions are made due to a special service (e.g. Friends and Family or Dress Down night services) and will be communicated accordingly. Questions about acceptable clothes for different occasions: When in doubt, first check it out with one of the Co- leaders.
9. Punctuality - Accurate timekeeping will assist the goal of the worship team. Team members who continually disregard starting times for rehearsals and serving will be put on probation. If it is not possible to make a rehearsal on time, it is considered polite to notify the Co-Leaders in advance.
10. Be a leader-As part of the worship team, your responsibility is to lead the group in worship.  You should be among the first to raise your hands, clap, etc.  Also as songs call for other acts of worship such as jumping or shouting you should do so with zeal and excitement.  We’re not on stage to sound pretty but to lead others in explosive, powerful worship.  Let others see the joy God has put in your heart by openly rejoicing.