Where Will It be Done? (10-19-15)

Goals are measurable, specific things to be achieved. For example, the goals of a worship team might include conducting monthly assessments, planning two large music events around holidays, and including a certain number of songs each week that appeal to certain groups in the church.

Strategies focus on the basic elements of how you will do your ministry. If a worship team is going to positively impact worship services, for example, they will probably want to have regular planning meetings and rehearsals. They may also want to conduct debrief after each service, provide training, and develop a system for caring for the members of the team.

Tasks are the specific “to do” lists that implement strategies and accomplish goals. The four elements of a clear task include who will do it, how much will it cost, how long will it take (or when should it be done), and where will it be done. For example, Julie may be asked to put together a sample worship input sheet to be handed out to seven people once a month on Sabbath asking for their response to the service. She may be given a budget to make some phone calls, photocopies, or money to buy a resource. She may also be asked to have something ready in one month. Of course she can work on it at home, but may be given permission to use the computer and printer at the church office if needed.

5. Affirm the Leader: Before you put the plan into motion, the leader needs to be affirmed. Even though the need, the people, and the program may be in place, without the right leader, a worship team should not be started. Affirmed leadership will take appropriate responsibility for the ministry. Without the right leader, problems may be quickly given to others who may not have the passion or gifts to resolve them.

Sometimes the leader is identified before the proposal is presented to the church board and the suggested leader’s name is a part of that proposal. Without a designated leader, the ministry is doomed. A leader provides guidance, has a clear picture of the direction of the ministry and coordinates problem-solving for the team.

Should the leader be an equipper or a doer? At times we confuse the role of a good leader as someone who “does everything.” That is not what a worship team leader is all about. Ephesians 4 speaks of “equipping” gifts to help the members “do ministry.” A good leader is an equipper, helping the rest of the team serve effectively. It is true that some leaders will play a primary role on Sabbath morning, perhaps leading music. But in a best case scenario, a good leader reserves energy and time to build up the team. What happens when we place “doers” in the place of equippers? Such leaders will often do everything themselves. They will not build a team and attract new members. They often become overwhelmed and do a mediocre job of serving. The ministry will lack vision and be stifled. And, in the end, these people may quit. Strong “task” people are often put in roles of leadership. Try seeking a leader who is someone who thinks more in terms of “we” than “me”, who is in touch with the need to train, delegate, share, and work alongside others.

Even if such a leader cannot be found, cast the vision for that role. No one will perfectly fill it. By describing it from the outset in these terms, the worship team will more likely flourish because it is based on God’s principles for how team leaders are to function..