Molly Broomer says to make sure everyone is very clear on expectations:
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Consider the merits to recruiting people personally, face to face, making open calls to your congregation, or just letting people come to you. What will work best for your church? For us, a little of everything has been successful. Mostly, we let people come to us – musicians know that if they want to play music in church, worship team is how you do that. They see me on stage every week, so they know I’m probably the one to talk to. In times of “desperation” we’ve put out an open call (making sure to communicate that there is an audition involved). Keep in mind that when you publicly ask people to join your team, you will often end up with people who may not be a fit for that ministry. I’ve also asked around to find out who the musicians are and approached them myself – this one has the best success rate. Pick one, or pick them all!
CHARACTER
Our audition processes always begin with a discussion of heart & character, far before anyone sings a note. This could look like a form that asks strategic, open-ended questions or an interview or just a chat over coffee. Whatever method you decide works best, figure out which character qualities you’re looking for and find those before anything else. If you assemble an ultra talented team of people with pride issues, your team is going to implode pretty quickly. I look for a humble spirit and a team-player attitude first and foremost. People who are honest about where they really are with God and the struggles they have are so attractive to me as a ministry leader. God can work so easily in the broken! We have definitely turned down some crazy talent because of heart issues, and we are totally comfortable with that.
FAITH
This is a sticky issue for us, and I have vacillated on this a lot. What is your conviction about the faith situation of people on your team? One thing that I believe is non-negotiable is that singers should be believers. They are professing statements of faith about God’s character in front of a congregation and there needs to be full integrity there. But when it comes to musicians, I’ve done both. I’ve said only those who follow Jesus, and I’ve also said that worship team presents an awesome opportunity for those who haven’t yet made a commitment to see faith up close. This is a matter of prayer, considering what’s suitable for your congregation, and discussion with your leadership, but make sure you’ve made a decision one way or another.
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