Worship Team

The Worship Ministry (WM) is open to those who want to serve the Lord in the areas of musicianship, audio, visual/technical service, drama, and support of these areas. Many who come to this church are in this area temporarily due to job and/or military constraints. Others are looking for a church home that provides Biblical teaching within a community that loves God. We want to give willing individuals a place to serve and use their gifts for God for the time He has placed them here or as they are coming to understand the importance of membership at OBC. Rom. 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12:12-27

 

 

1. Honor God through worship that exalts Christ.

(As an integral part of worship, music calls attention to God’s presence among us rather than to musicians or instruments; it is never an end unto itself.)

2. Challenge people to genuinely participate in corporate

    and private worship.

3. Teach and train ourselves and the OBC congregation the         

    meaning of true worship by word and deed.

4. Strive for excellence in all that we do, and train those

    that are replacing us to do the same.
    (In preparation, consistency, quality, prayerfulness, etc.)

5. Provide a place where people may use their God-given

    abilities to honor Christ.

6. Provide and work with special events that will encourage the body of Christ and reach out to a lost and dying community.

7. Work with other OBC ministries to coordinate regularly scheduled events and to develop new outreach and service opportunities.

8. Encourage those that we train, disciple, and serve with, that as their understanding of service and spiritual maturity grows, to seek membership at OBC.

 

“If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”  1 Peter 4:11

 

 

1.       General Guidelines for Entire Worship Team:

a.     Please be on time for all scheduled rehearsals and Sunday mornings. It also helps to call ahead if you are running late or cannot make it for some reason.

b.     The prayer and devotional times are open to all. However, if you are on rotation or are planning to serve on a given Sunday, please plan to be at the prayer and devotional times preceding your service time.

c.      Please wear appropriate clothing – business casual to Sunday dress. If in doubt, give the deacons or the elder of this ministry a call. Please no shorts, cut-offs, or tee shirts. If you are a teenager (sorry for the discrimination there!), nice jeans are fine. 

d.     If you cannot make your scheduled time/rotation, please contact an alternate on your list and let Jim or Cheryl Ellsmore know ASAP. 

e.     Plan to attend church service and be involved even if you are not “up front.” We send a definite message to our children, peers, and those we witness to, that God and service to Him is second, when we fill our lives with business, sports, and leisure activities when we are not on rotation or directly involved. There is still plenty to do in this ministry and some great Sunday School classes to attend.

f.       Practice, practice, practice!!! You are letting the team down and not giving your best to God when you come unprepared. We want to “disappear” and let God shine in our services. When we draw attention to ourselves with bad notes and bad transitions, we have failed our job of focusing everyone on the Lord.

g.     Please come with music pulled and ready to use. Rehearsal time is not the time for organizing and copying music.

h.     Please pick up the rehearsal CD Monday night after the rehearsal and commit to practicing and listening to it every day until the service.

i.        Contact Melissa Brooks (703-580-8492) as early as possible for music copies. It is your responsibility to acquire the music needed at least one week before the scheduled rehearsal.

j.       Come with a great attitude, ready to serve, work as a team, and have fun.

k.     Please leave personal squabbles at the door. If you have a problem with another team member, please go to them, pray about it and work together to resolve it before serving together.

l.        Please understand that there will be emergencies and that we all need to be ready to jump in and help serve at the last minute due to these unforeseen circumstances.

 

2.       Vocalist Guidelines:

a.     Please look at the set list and music before coming to rehearsal so that you are familiar with it.

b.     Service times: Monday rehearsal 6:15-9:00+, Sunday Worship 8:10 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.

c.      Please be patient with the rest of the team if they are not ready to start on time due to technical difficulties. During times of technical difficulties, spend time in prayer or working on vocal parts until the issues have been resolved.

 

 3.      Instrumentalist Guidelines

a.     Come early enough to set up, plug in, and tune up. Drummers, plan to be there early enough to make sure that the kit is set up the way you want it.  The latest you should arrive is 6:15 p.m. on Monday evening and 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.

b.     Please look at the music and the set list before rehearsals, so that you are familiar with it.

c.      Do not leave any gear around that you do not want used by others or possibly taken.

d.     Service Times; Monday rehearsal 6:15-9:00+, Sunday Worship 8:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.

 

 

4.    Guidelines for joining the WT.

a.     As an instrumentalist, plan to come and observe rehearsals for a few weeks. You will need to learn the music and structure of the rehearsal and service.  During this period you probably will get to be rotated in at certain points - in rehearsal only - to see if you are learning the music, transitions etc.

b.     Plan on a short oral interview with the deacons and/or elder of the ministry. This will be similar to the interview for special music. The goal is to find out where your heart is in serving God.

c.      As an instrumentalist, please be patient. We will always need a rotation list, and we will do our best to fit everyone in it. Also, realize that not everyone who wants to join is ready at that point. Sometimes it takes time for training, or to get to the point (musically) that you can jump in and play with the group. It is also possible that not everyone who wants to join can because of maturity, skill, time, commitment, or even the current size of the group serving. If possible, we will do our best to incorporate you or recommend another group (or another ministry) where you can serve.

d.     As an instrumentalist, if you are a youth coming in from the youth group or college and careers - we want to use the youth band as a vehicle for training hearts and talents. Please look to get involved in that group first (there are always many needs). This is not to say there will not be youth who are called on to serve in rotation or from time to time when there is an urgent need – the idea is that one is to be the training ground for the other.

e.     As a vocalist, you need to have a servant’s heart and an ability to sing many parts. You may also be asked to assist in song arrangement/transitions and sound recommendations. We would recommend that all who are interested in WT vocals first join choir to best assess their abilities to blend and carry a part. The guidelines for vocalists are the same as for instrumentalists except that the choir is the training ground. Keep in mind that not all voices are suited for smaller groups.

f.       While you are in the evaluation (by you and us) process, please plan to attend the prayer and devotional time at 6:30 pm. on regular rehearsal nights. Also plan on attending all rehearsals.  You should expect to practice with the team regularly for a time before you will be asked to serve in front of the congregation.

g.     Training is part of our goal as a ministry. We want to equip and train individuals and groups within thereby allowing them to serve better or in a new area. If you would like to make suggestions or get information on how you can be trained or help in these areas please contact either the elder or the deacons of the ministry. Examples include youth band, vocal groups, hand bells, drama, outreach events.

 

 5.      Choosing Music for Sunday and Special Services

A question that we get many times is: “How do you choose music, and what is your criteria?” Music choosing is done 9-12 weeks at a time by a group of volunteers from the Worship Team who get together and look at existing music, music sets, new music, special events, upcoming services, and team members’ availability to serve to determine what songs to use for leading our congregation in worship. Anyone in the Worship Ministry is welcome to come and give input or bring a piece of music they feel might be appropriate for leading the congregation in worship.

The times for the music choosing meetings are fluid and are based upon people’s schedules, availability, and seasonal events or activities.   

The criteria for the music chosen is multifaceted. It must glorify God first and foremost. Then it must teach theologically and doctrinally sound principles, and also focus the lead worshippers and the congregation away from self and toward God.