Music Ministry at Res Life

Resurrection Life Center

NMRLC WORSHIP MINISTRY December 2, 2011

The music ministry of NMRLC currently consists of 1 worship team and the sound booth ministry. This ministry carries the very important responsibility of offering up pure praises to our God and ushering in a Spirit of true worship among this body of believers. I pray that we minister together in one accord, first and foremost with the intention of bringing pleasure, joy, love, adoration, honor and glory to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ, through the power and communion of His Holy Spirit. Secondly, I pray that we strengthen, encourage and bless one another as we minister together before the Lord. Last but not least, I pray that we strengthen, encourage and bless this congregation as we minister together to bring them into the presence of the glory of God. I ask that each and every one of you would share with me in the goal of providing the very best worship atmosphere that we can offer, according to the individual and collective giftings given through this ministry by the Holy Spirit to this body of believers. In order to do this, we must stretch ourselves in the areas of our individual gifts, and also be flexible enough to flow with the challenges and changes necessary to best serve this congregation.

Ministry Responsibilities: Each music team is composed of a number of musicians, singers and a worship leader.

Each team is responsible for their own instruments, and to prayerfully select the songs to be used during their times of ministry.

Sound booth ministryThe sound booth ministry is composed of the sound booth leader, the sound techs and the projector/computer programmer/operator.This team is responsible for the church’s Audio/Visual equipment, the wireless microphone systems, and the sound booth area.

They are responsible for making sure that the batteries are fresh in the wireless equipment, recording of music and messages in the sanctuary, programming and displaying overheads, and ensuring the best possible mix of music from the sound board. This ministry is also responsible for equipping and adjusting the wireless microphone on the person who is preaching during the service. It is imperative that the persons ministering in the sound booth give their total attention to the job at hand while operating the sound system and overheads for both practices and especially for services.

Times of service: Generally there will be a worship team practice on Thursday evenings beginning at 5:30 and usually ending around 7:30-8:30. It is imperative that we have a sound tech present during Thursday practice sessions. This can be a tech in training. Sunday mornings: There is a pre-service sound check which starts at 9:30 a.m.It is very important that the sound tech for that days service be present and ready to give the sound board their undivided attention for the duration of the sound check and then also for the service.

Prayer time is at 9:45

Wednesday evenings: Most Wednesdays will not have the worship team unless there is a guest speaker. Usually Wednesday evenings are teachings in 3 different class rooms. On the last Wednesday of each month, we will usually have a “Harp & Bowl” type worship service. There will be no practice the next evening after this service.

Team Leaders: NMRLC Music Ministry Leader-Pastor Bryant (Smoke) Skillern

Worship Team 1 Worship Leader- Pastor Bryant (Smoke) Skillern

Sound Booth Ministry Leader- Ron Lukas/Pastor Smoke

Earlier, I spoke of working together through the changes and challenges of this growing ministry in order to put forth our best for worshipping at NMRLC.

Change is never comfortable, but is sometimes necessary in striving to offer our best to God, to each other and to this congregation. Please be flexible as we work together to be the best blessing that we can be to God and to His congregation.

Sound Equipment:We are constantly seeking to fine tune the sound equipment and to discover what works and what doesn’t work in our particular building.

JOINING THE RESLIFE WORSHIP TEAM:Anyone interested in joining the worship team at Resurrection Life Center must first fill out an application for worship ministry. If you are selected, you will then be given an audition. If you are chosen to join this ministry, you will then be started on a 6-12 month probation period. During this time we will see if you are a good fit with the worship team ministry. There are many aspects besides musical gifting that can either add to or take away from the anointing and flow of the worship team. We desire to give God pure worship from pure hearts. If you continually cause strife and stress you will be asked to step down from this ministry.

The Youth Worship Team:There is currently no youth worship team.

Basic guidelines for worship ministry at Resurrection Life Center: As a vital ministry to this congregation, I feel it is necessary to address a few points concerning serving in any capacity of this worship team.

Teamwork: This is a Team. We must strive for the unity of the saints in this ministry. God’s word warns us to beware lest any root of bitterness spring up and defile many. Our greatest protection from the enemy bringing division among our team is to apply 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 to our interaction with each other. In this passage, Paul reminds us that no matter how greatly God has gifted any of us; it is nothing but noise if love is missing.

1 Corinthians 13

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

If we allow bitterness to creep in among us it will hinder any chance of true and deep worship with our heavenly Father. It is important to remember that when I make a change, whether that is moving a person around within the team or changing their part in a particular song, that NOTHING is ever done AGAINST a person on this team, but FOR THE WHOLE TEAM and FOR the CONGREGATION. If you keep this in mind, you won’t get yourself and others worked up over some perceived injustice.

Conduct: Members of this ministry are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which will bring glory and honor to the name of Jesus Christ. What people observe in each of our lives reflects on Res Life Center, this worship ministry, and most importantly how someone may perceive the body of Jesus Christ and what affect Jesus really has on a person’s life.

Attitude: Jesus set the example for us. Even though He is the Son of God, He made himself a Servant to all. If you belong to any part of this ministry you are expected to have a servant’s heart. If you are not here to serve others and be a blessing to this body of believers, then you don’t belong in this ministry. We bless and serve our heavenly Father by blessing and serving one another in a spirit of love and meekness.

Faithfulness: In order to be of real value to this team and this congregation, you must be faithful to this ministry. There will be times when you cannot make a practice or a service. This is not a problem, but please call me and let me know. (989)348-7870. If you establish a pattern of not seeming to care about your role on this team you will be asked to step down.

Attire: Because worship ministry is done in front of the congregation, how we dress can distract someone else from entering into true worship. We don’t want anyone focusing their attention on us, but on Jesus Christ. God’s word shows us that we should not let our freedom become a stumbling block for any of our brothers or sisters in Christ. Therefore, to make sure that we are all of the same mind on this, the following simple guidelines will apply to members of this ministry:

Brothers-Casual dress is totally acceptable. (Clean and free of excessive wrinkles is desirable.)
Sisters- please do not display any cleavage whatsoever.
If you wear a dress or skirt, please keep it below the knees.
Shorts & tank tops aren’t appropriate for ministry attire on brothers or sisters.

Remember, we don’t want anyone focusing on us; we want to help the congregation focus on Jesus as we focus on Him!

It is my desire that we have fun serving the Lord together in this ministry. Like anything we ever participate in, there will be “up” times and “down” times. Just like any family, each member has both strong points and weak points, personality traits, and likes or dislikes. The apostle Paul reminds us that we should esteem others higher than ourselves.

It is a guarantee that there will be disagreements whenever you have two or more people gathered together on a regular basis. It is how we handle these disagreements that will either build even stronger bonds between us or create strife and bitterness. If you are ever hurt or upset by the words or actions of any member of this team, please take that person aside in private and discuss it.

Always remember this: you have no right in Christ to guess how someone else is thinking or attribute any behavior by another person to anything other than a misunderstanding of what was said or done that offended you. Scripture says in regards to this that “Love thinks no evil”. That boils down to us giving each other the benefit of a doubt when we hear or see something from that person which offends us (“It felt like ‘INSERT NAME’ was saying ‘THIS’ to me, but I really doubt that he/she meant what I am thinking they did”).We must talk to one another and find out what was really meant by a word or action that offended us or else satan will play us like a cheap harmonica and stir up trouble.

By being open and honest with one another in the love of Christ, we will grow even stronger bonds between us. That is very pleasing to our Father in heaven.

May God richly bless each and every one of you as we serve together for another season in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to address them to me.

Thank you for all you do,

Pastor Smoke