One of the most important things a worship team can do is set up on and off-stage guidelines. Many people may have different expectations and ideas for how the worship team members should dress and act to even be up on stage. So, where do we draw the line?Point Text
Church services are an integral part of helping people pursue God. Hopefully your services are designed to help the Christian worship God and learn their Truth as well as help the spiritual seeker be introduced to biblical Christianity in a way that is understandable. A key factor in allowing your services to accomplish this is to set up a list of biblical guidelines for those who will be serving on a worship team.
Anytime a member of the worship team is on-stage or off-stage, they should be aware of their responsibility in helping others pursue God. Guidelines are helpful because they are an objective resource that holds people accountable to a biblical standard, without anyone having to be the “bad guy”. Depending on where you are doing ministry in the world and the mold of your congregation, the specifics of the guidelines you implement will differ. It is for this reason that we won’t go into specific details of what to have in your guidelines, but rather look at three areas that deal with on and off-stage issues that each person should constantly evaluate while participating on a worship team.
On-stage dress
This may be the most obvious to some, but this can be a big problem if not addressed with your team. How your team dresses on stage can play a key role in how the service goes. Aside from the teacher, the worship team has the most time on stage. Specifying the dress code should be one of the first things that you do with a new worship team member, as it can also be hard to implement later if you are not clear and honest as a team right up front.
Romans 14:13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Dress guidelines should apply to both women AND men, and should align with the vision of your church. Create an accountable environment by encouraging members to ask each other of the same gender if what they are wearing follows the guidelines implemented by the leadership of your church.
Social media
Social media can be a great platform if used in the right way, but all too often it seems to be a breeding ground for gossip and arguments. If you are not careful, you can get sucked into a petty argument or gather false information about someone.
Proverbs 10:19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
This verse is very blunt and to the point, but it can be so applicable to our social media accounts. Whether it is choosing not to reply to something or to not post something, we have to make sure we are being wise while on social media. As worship team members and leaders, we need to understand that we are to be held to a higher standard, and we should strive to be examples to those around us. Even when we don’t think so, people are always paying attention to what we are doing and saying.
Lifestyle
If we are living to honor God, everything we do in life should be a reflection of God’s worth. God calls us as followers of him to be the salt of the earth and the light on the hill. Furthermore, if we are in positions of leadership, we are to live above reproach.
1 Timothy 4:12 … set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
God’s wants us to set an example in every aspect of our lives. If we are caught up in an addiction, sexual activity outside of marriage, or unethical choices, we are not setting a good example for those we are leading. We are all going to go against God’s plan for our life at sometime or another, but what is important is our attitude when we fail. Are we going to repent and trust in God, or are we going to continue to live in unrepentant sin?
Ultimately, the guidelines you set for your team shouldn’t be a legalistic set of rules that determine spiritual maturity, but rather, they should be biblically sound principles that will encourage accountability and integrity among your team.
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Why do you think it is important to have worship team guidelines?
- Read Romans 14:13. Explain how this verse can be applied to how you dress on-stage.
- If you had to make dress guidelines, explain what you would and wouldn’t allow.
- What are the pros and cons of having a social media account?
- Read 1 Timothy 4:12. Out of the five things Paul lists, which one do you personally struggle with the most? Why?
- Would you add any other guidelines to this list? If so, what are they?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
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