Prelude: Worship Committees
In this issue, we are exploring how worship gets planned and reviewed, along with best practices. Like me, you have probably experienced worship planning and evaluation in many different ways. How worship comes together, including the music, depends on context. How large is the pastoral charge? How big is the staff team? How many hours do you each give? What are the expectations for the various roles?
I’ve been in a number of situations with various staff configurations. I’ve been in churches where staff were hired for a bare minimum number of hours, so collaboration wasn’t easy, nor was review. In that case, often just one person was making the decisions and disbursing the information, and then services just happened one after another. In other places, I’ve had more time in my contract, and this allowed for collaboration, with lengthy annual brainstorming sessions and seasonal meetings, and then weekly worship meetings to finish the finer details. A worship committee also had input, and everyone (or every committee) involved in worship had a place at the table.
As a musician, I like the second model best—but it sure makes for a big investment of time, preparation, and creativity in advance of the meetings on my part! The first model seems easier in terms of workload: I just do what’s suggested, and I’m only able to be creative within my job description. But that model isn’t as fulfilling as a musician: I feel like my materials are just “plugged in” to the service rather than being an integral part of it. From my perspective, the music doesn’t feel like a connected part of the whole. I always feel there are missed opportunities that could have been realized with more conversation during the preparation phase.
I always welcome constructive criticism. After all, I’m a musician and have been critiqued since age six! Regular lessons, festivals, exams, playing in masterclasses, and even recording myself performing are the ways that I have learned and grown. It’s a vulnerable position to be in! Hopefully, I have lent my voice to reviewing a service within the team in a constructive way as well. There is a careful line between critiquing an idea or action and pointing fingers at the person who came up with or initiated it. Reviewing a service must be done carefully and from a place of love, knowing that all we should be trying to achieve is to give our best to God at that time and in that place.
From my perspective, a worship committee can be really helpful in keeping a finger on the pulse of the congregation. Members often get feedback that the leadership won’t receive, and they can relay that in a helpful way. They can have a creative vision for future services. They can assist in upholding traditions when working with new staff members. The worship committees that I have served with have met in various configurations and representations and in various time frames: monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually.
How do you plan and review worship where you are at? Is that model working for you and the congregation?
Tammy-Jo Mortensen, Music Editor
