The music ministry can be a challenging field, with many problems that are often hidden and not talked about. These challenges are important to understand and address because solving them can help the music ministry grow and succeed.
To understand these problems better, we need to look at where they come from. Some problems come from outside the ministry, like societal pressures or limited resources. Other problems come from within, such as disagreements among members or a lack of understanding about how to effectively run the ministry.
One of the biggest problems is when the music ministry loses focus on God. This is a crucial issue that affects many parts of the ministry. When God's central role is forgotten, it can lead to conflicts, confusion, and a lack of direction. To make the music ministry strong and vibrant, it's essential to keep God at the heart of everything we do. By recognising and addressing both the external and internal challenges, and by ensuring that God remains the focus, the music ministry can overcome these obstacles and truly flourish. Understanding and tackling these issues will help the ministry not only survive but thrive, bringing its sacred service to new heights.
To make the music ministry strong and vibrant, it's essential to keep God at the heart of everything we do.
The facts are that issues and struggles will come but God promises in His word, that he will never leave us nor forsake us but that He will be with us till the end of the age.
Navigating the challenges of being a worship minister can often feel like weathering a turbulent storm. However, by adopting these 8 practical premises and mindsets, you can find peace and refuge in God's presence, secure under His protective wings. These principles will not only help you endure the struggles but also prepare you for the moment when God reveals His plans for you.
Let's explore these transformative insights that will enable you to rest in His embrace, away from all harm.
Ways To Combat the Struggles of The Music Ministry
Acceptance and Affirmation
The desire for validation from peers and superiors often leads to a sense of inadequacy when recognition seems elusive. Yet, true affirmation comes from aligning our hearts with God's purpose and finding fulfilment in His approval rather than human accolades.
True affirmation comes from aligning our hearts with God's purpose and finding fulfilment in His approval rather than human accolades.
The problem is that man always wants to seek validation from someone especially an authority figure that they look up to and this is not wrong, but as worshippers, we need to worship Him (God) in spirit and in truth. We take our validation from the word of God and are guided by the Holy Spirit's leadings, nudging, and promptings.
When I was young, it meant the world to me what my earthly Father’s opinion about me was. On the flip side, His rebukes ran into me very deeply. I dare say that long after his passage to glory, I still miss him and would want to know what he would have said about my achievements to date.
That is a wholesome thought, but the danger though is to stay fixated on what could have been instead of focusing on what God has in store. As worshippers, we must come to a place in our fellowship (Gk. koinonia) with God where we know without a shadow of a doubt that He accepts and loves us redemptively and unconditionally.
As worshippers, we must come to a place in our fellowship (Gk. koinonia) with God where we know without a shadow of a doubt that He accepts and loves us redemptively and unconditionally.
Opportunity
Churches play a pivotal role in nurturing and endorsing the gifts of music ministers. While financial support or remuneration is not the sole solution, leaders can foster a supportive environment by actively engaging with music teams, attending rehearsals, and offering guidance. There are different schools of thought about whether musicians or indeed people serving in the worship ministry should be paid or not. I am not about to get into that because a lot has been written, however the word of God is clear. Nonetheless, I will touch on some of the premised opinions that I maintain.
The standpoint is the fact, that this should be a mutual relationship between the church leadership and the worship practitioners. As a worship practitioner - worship leader, musician, etc, you are unemployed and require assistance, this is where a church having a welfare program or an in-house ministry that can ensure that their members gain employability skills and become job-ready comes in handy.
However, if you are gainfully employed and a good earner, it behooves me to think why you will want your church to pay you. The Levites were considered gainfully employed, their main job was to serve God and be a blessing to the other tribes in the priesthood capacity and this is why the remaining tribes were commanded to put resources together to ensure that all their needs were met.
Conversely, the church leadership should be investing or have a set plan to invest in the continuous professional development of their worship teams (and indeed other serving teams in the church). Irrespective of whether the members are employed or not. Similarly, to an employer, the church should invest in its workers to ensure they are equipped with tools, skills, and cutting-edge technology to continue to ensure excellence in their service in the house to God.
...the church should invest in its workers to ensure they are equipped with tools, skills, and cutting-edge technology to continue to ensure excellence in their service in the house to God.
As opportunity serves the church leadership this could be in the form of investing in vocal development, paying for the worship team to attend worship seminars, running an in-house young musician training program, investing in training materials - virtual and physical - and inviting a notable worship minister, investing in pieces of equipment and software, or running a 2-day worship conference.
Sensitivity to the Spirit
Disagreements may arise when the direction of worship clashes with the congregation's expectations. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading is paramount in ensuring that worship remains authentic and aligned with God's will, even amid differing church cultures.
Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading is paramount in ensuring that worship remains authentic and aligned with God's will
I remember a time when I was about to lead worship. About 20 minutes before starting, I had a strange feeling that something was wrong. I quickly realized that two of the singers were not getting along, and I knew this would affect the worship. I called them aside and explained how important it was to put aside their disagreement because there were people in the audience who needed saving, were going through tough times, were hoping for healing, or maybe even attending for the last time before contemplating the unthinkable.
I asked if their disagreement was still worth it, and whether they would let their differences stand in the way of what God wanted to achieve that morning. We all agreed that the sacrifice of God's son was more important than any quarrel. That worship service became one of the most memorable I've ever experienced, with a strong sense of God's presence throughout.
Appreciation of Sacrifice
Feeling unappreciated in ministry can breed disillusionment. However, as our relationship with God deepens, we realise that our ultimate reward comes from serving Him faithfully, irrespective of human acknowledgment.
Our ultimate reward comes from serving Him faithfully, irrespective of human acknowledgment.
I know it can be hard we have all been there, but can I encourage anyone who oversees the worship delivery, to let your team know they are valued and not numbered, never let them get the impression that they are just there to run the service, get involved in their lives and development. Be genuinely interested in their wellbeing.
The pain of not being appreciated and not being acknowledged can run deep. It is important that what we do for God must be exactly that; for Him. If it truly is for Him, you will get to a place in your relationship with God where you will be fortified and immune from the imbroglios, the vicissitudes, the temperamental, and the insensitivities of man’s reaction to you.
It is important that what we do for God must be exactly that; for Him.
We need to get to that place and have the mindset Apostle Paul mentions in (Phil. 2: 14,15) to do “all things without grumbling and fault-finding and complaining …...” Our goal in service should be to please God and bring joy to Him in all that we do.
In part 2, we will look at some more principles we can put in place to ensure that these struggles of the music ministry, do not remain shackles on us restricting our ability to experience fulfilment in ministry.
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