This is a somewhat complex ministry with many moving parts. So for your advantage, and that of the worship ministry as a whole, there is a short process to become a regularly scheduled member of the worship team. Here are the first few steps…

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• Be a consistent Sunday morning attendee/worshipper for at least three months.

• Prayerfully consider your involvement.

• Go through all three weeks of the Growth Track

• Please read the following information in its entirety (There is a lot of important information that you will need to know).

• Fill out the application below and click submit.

• Someone on the worship leadership team will contact you about your application and speak with you further about the audition process.

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Questions are welcome…

Contact Stephen Green, Minister of Music or  Nicole Stewart, Praise Team Leader

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Overview

One of the core values at Praise Temple is worship –using our every breath in whatever we do for God’s glory and purpose. We desire to equip our people to live a life of worship, wherever they live, work, study, play or shop. Living in close relationship with God is an awesome and humbling privilege that we encourage at every opportunity. The worship ministry seeks to enhance that relationship by giving our people an opportunity to praise God together in a weekend worship environment, and then sending them out to be God’s hands and feet the other 99% of the week.

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Our Purpose

At Praise Temple we believe that God has a plan and purpose for every Christian. Those who serve on the Praise & Worship Team, therefore, should view their role as a calling from God. It’s also a privilege, and a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. We want to offer God the best we have and that means time devoted to rehearsals and practicing at home so we can lead the congregation in true worship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”. (John 4:24)

 

We emphasize that our purpose and calling is that of leading others into the presence of God. There is no calling issued for “performances” and “showmanship” - - - only true praise and worship. Therefore, members must strive continually through prayer and example to have a pure heart before God and others.

 

Calling

• It is very important for those who participate in the Praise Team to feel that they are “called, appointed, and anointed” to the ministry at hand. ​

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Lifestyle

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• Participants must be believers of Christ, and their lifestyle must resemble that of a born-again Christian. 

• Participants must be worshipers on and off the platform. Anyone who has difficulty worshiping at home or in the congregation is not ready to be a leader.

 

Talent and Skill

 

Although we recognize the importance of a pure heart, the musicians and vocalists also need to have enough skill so they can follow the Holy Spirit. Musicians and vocalists should have open hearts to receive advice, correction, training, and should be committed to becoming proficiently skilled at their ministry. One does not need to be a professional musician to worship the Lord, but God honors the discipline of additional practice and preparation.

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Team Commitment and Expectations

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We want worship to be simple. Accessible. Singing to God with a sincere heart does not have or need to be complex. With that said there is a certain level of preparation, planning, and practice that goes into making each and every worship service simple. Because of this, there is a certain level of commitment that is required from the worship team that exceeds other ministries. This commitment can take on many forms. Here are a few practical areas where level of commitment is most evident.

1. Spiritual Preparation: Worship on a platform is the overflow of a lifestyle of worship.  Personal spiritual intimacy with Jesus is our FIRST priority.

2. Musical Preparation: Rehearsals are infinitely smoother when everyone has listened to, practiced with and memorized the scheduled music. Being prepared also means having any gear or equipment that you intend to use on Sunday with you for practice (lyric sheets or chord or vocal recordings). Unless otherwise posted, you are expected to learn your parts exactly like it's given. Of course, we welcome variety but after we have explored original content. For teamwork to happen effectively, we rely on you to play your part accordingly.

3. Attitude: When ideas or suggestions are presented and received with a good attitude, the results are monumental for effective team building. If there are technical, musical or miscellaneous complications, keep attitudes positive and morale high. Be open to the constructive criticism of the Worship Leader or Minister of Music. They are trying to pull out every bit of greatness in you they can find, so be patient and receptive of constructive feedback.

4. Punctuality: Everyone’s time is valuable. It’s important that everyone be punctual for rehearsals so that we can use our limited time as efficiently as possible. Arriving early is always a great idea. We are very serious about punctuality. Being on time is a respect issue.  Tardiness communicates a lack of respect for your colleagues, for Praise Temple, and for the Lord. If an unexpected situation arises and you know you will be late, please communicate as quickly as possible with one of the worship leaders.

5. Dress: The House has a very relaxed unofficial “dress code.” However, there are a few basic requirements. Cleavage(women)/chest (men), and the mid-section should be completely covered at all times. Skirts are allowed but should come down at or below the knee. Shorts of any length and any article of clothing with questionable text or graphics should not be worn. We want everyone’s focus to be on God. Anything that takes focus off of Him is a hindrance to our ultimate goal. Should your choice of clothing not meet this standard, you will not be able to lead until it has been resolved. This decision is up to the pastor or the worship leader.

6. Flexibility: The worship pastor and/or band leader always tries to give adequate notice of schedule or setlist changes. While it is not uncommon for these changes to take place, it is only done when necessary. It is recommended that you periodically check back with Planning Center to view any potential changes.

 

Audition Process

Once you submit your application, one of the Worship Pastors will contact you to arrange an audition time. We will ask you to sit in on one of our rehearsals to get an idea of how rehearsals run, and then we will talk to you about the song or songs for your audition. Usually, we ask that you learn one or two songs from the setlist for that particular weekend.

Auditions are, by nature, a little intimidating. We will try to make the process as relaxed as possible. In some cases, it may be evident that an applicant’s skills have not developed enough to serve on a regularly scheduled basis for Sunday morning service. Should this be the case, those conducting the audition will give some advice on how the applicant can improve. The House encourages all levels of musicians and offers many options to help if improvement is needed (If interested, contact one of the worship pastors). After some time and practice, another audition may be scheduled.

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Additional Steps

Before you begin serving on the weekend, we ask that you come and hang out with the worship team during rehearsals for several weeks. There are a few reasons for this.

• Rehearsals cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Being a spectator will allow you to see first-hand how rehearsals flow.

• When you know what to expect at rehearsal, it will allow you to be better prepared when it is your turn.

• It may help you to be more relaxed. Playing or singing with a new group of people can cause some to be nervous. Having multiple chances to meet those you will be serving alongside should calm your nerves.

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Weekly Schedule

Take a moment to review the commitment expectations which are verbally given by our Worship Leader or Minister of Music. This is the normal weekly commitment expectations for those leading in worship on Sunday. General Worship Rehearsals are Wednesdays at 7:00 pm 

Throughout the week

• Listen, practice and memorize the music for Sunday rehearsal

• Sharpen anything that’s questionable

Sundays

• Worship Service unless otherwise noted.