Music Ministry needs to be treated as a profession and not a hobby.
It is not something to be treated casually.
This actually pertains to any ministry that you choose to get involved in, either as part of your church, or some outside ministry.
If you are part of a Worship Team, you are in a ministry -- specifically, Music Ministry.
After the Pastoral Ministry, it is the most visual and the most vocal of all the rest of the ministries that your church may have.
This has nothing to do with importance.
All of the ministries of your church are important, but as a member of the Music Ministry you are "out there" for everyone to see and hear.
If you are privileged to be part of a ministry, you have certain obligations.
First of all you must understand that ministry is a profession.
The pastor of your church is a professional pastor.
Pastoring is what he (or she) does for a living.
This does not imply that any kind of monetary compensation detracts from what your pastor does.
Pastors have a right to be able to pay their bills and live normal lives just like the rest of us.
Not all churches have the budget or even the means to pay salaries to all people who are involved in one of their ministries.
But this does not mean that as a volunteer you are not a professional.
So what does it mean to be a professional? First of all it means showing up.
Everyone needs time off once in a while, and yes, sometimes things come up.
But you have to attach a "bullet" on your list of things to do.
It can't be something like: "I have to wash my hair, do the laundry, go shopping, grab something to eat, and Oh yeah -- I have Worship Team practice tonight.
" Chances are you are on a regular practice schedule, so there's no valid excuse for forgetting or for always being late or missing in action.
Second of all, be on time.
If you are constantly making your teammates wait for you because you either can't or won't get your act together, that is being double-minded.
You are not more important than everybody else.
You are part of a team where every member is important.
If you do know that you're going to be late or missing, at least give your leader the courtesy of a phone call.
If you ARE the leader and you have consistent attendance or tardiness issues, you had better start thinking about adjusting your priorities.
Thirdly, care about what you are doing musically.
Music has been called the universal language for a reason.
With a Worship Team, your music takes on a definite, focused, spiritual dimension.
This does not mean that you need to be a world class musician or singer.
What it means is that you should always do your best.
All you can do is all you can do, but do your best.
Lastly, be aware of what you say and do and act in front of members of your congregation.
People can interpret what they see and hear from you in ways that defy logical explanation.
You will not be able to be perfect with this as we are all human, but be aware.
Always talk about your teammates in a positive light.
Never allow frustration to show.
What happens on the Worship Team stays on the Worship Team.
The only other person who needs to know anything regarding any problems with the team is your Pastor.
You don't want to start a whispering campaign in your church.
Remember what you do is important to your church.
If God led you in the direction of ministry, then you need to be obedient to Him.
Treat it appropriately.