In music ministry the role of the church musician is to set the mood of worship service and assist the congregation in lifting their voices in song. It should be one of your goals to be as organized and prepared as possible for this service.

As a church musician you cannot and should not stand before others in the House of the Lord and not expect that people are not going to look to you for an example. Being your church’s musician is a high calling. Do not take it lightly. Being an example means living an exemplary life. Seek the Lord daily in your personal devotions and “pray before you play”.

As a church musician try to be in tune with the congregation you are serving. Are you a regular member of the church? You should be worshipping with them. How can you be part of the worship service if you don’t share the same beliefs of those you are accompanying? Think about this.

As a church musician you want to be aware of and very familiar with the most commonly sung songs of the church you accompany. Make a master list either on paper or in a database, that you can regularly turn to in planning the worship service or recalling a song in particular that you would like to work on. Specific pieces should be part of your repetoir and you should be able to play them at a moments notice aka without music aka by ear.

As a church musician you may be self taught or you may have trained classically for years but in either case you should not play beyond your ability during the church service. If there is a certain technique you would love to be able to perform then use your practice and study time to perfect that style before bringing into the worship service.

Noting breaks the mood faster than a struggling church musician bumbling through a piece they were not prepared to play.

Also as a church musician you can never know enough. Keep striving to learn something new. Keep practicing and studying.

If a teacher is what you need and can afford then find one and make sure they are able and willing to work with you on the techniques you want to master.

If you would rather self study there are several books, videos and dvds for the church musican. Make an appointment with yourself to study. More is accomplished in a few minutes a day than in one hour one day a week.

A church musician should be dependable. It is important that you practice during the week. Your job doesn’t just begin on Sunday morning. Be dependable by…

• Praying

• Being Prepared
• Practicing
• Being Organized

God Bless