TEAM MEMBERS ONLY
THE 7 CRITICAL COMMITMENTS YOU CAN MAKE
(TO MAKE YOUR TEAM MORE AWESOME) | Jon Nicol
THE “FUN” IN DYSFUNCTIONAL
that’s as fictional as Schrute Beet Farms. Sure,
Healthy team members are committed to...
your worship team might not be cutthroat (or 1. Pursue intimacy with God.
Jim. Pam. Dwight. Ryan. Phyllis. Stanley. Kevin. bring ninja throwing stars to work), but it's just 2. Support their leader.
Angela. Andy. And of course, Michael. as susceptible to unhealthy team behavior as 3. Challenge and serve each other.
any other organization. 4. Engage with the congregation.
If you’re a true fan, you knew by the first puh in 5. Love their church.
Pam that this list was referencing the all-time 6. Foster exceptional musicianship.
greatest network television show, The Office. Sure, your worship Let me give you another one. team might not Some of the things on this list are obvious.
be cutthroat “Really?"
Cheryl. Coach Boone. But don’t worry.
OK, that was a little tougher—unless you’re a (or bring ninja Over the next several Worship Musician issues,
like this one, Remember the Titans. throwing stars to and talk specifically about how you can make
So what do the Dunder-Mifflin office workers work), but it’s just
Julius. Gerry. Sunshine. Rev. Petey. Blue.
sucker for epic, against-all-odds sports movies
have to do with the 1971 T.C. Williams Titans?
And what does any of this have to do with your
worship ministry?
as susceptible to
unhealthy team
The absurd dysfunction of The Office crew
made for phenomenal TV. And the race-driven
tension of a newly integrated football squad
helped spawn one of the best sports movies
behavior as any
other organization.
ever.
7. Embrace the ministry systems.
But one or two things might leave you asking,
we’re going to unpack each commitment area
your team more amazing by engaging in one.
And the key to making your team more
amazing is you continuing to be (or starting to
be) intentional in each of these areas.
Now, I know without a doubt that you have
every right to point the finger at others who
are causing the bulk of the dysfunction in your
ministry. But here’s what each of us has to
remember:
But if you’ve ever been a part of an unhealthy And that’s what we’re going to talk about in
team—be these next few months in this special Team
it
athletics,
work,
music,
or
ministry—you know the truth: it sucks. Serving
You can only change you. Nobody else.
Members Only column.
on a dysfunctional team is a drag.
And when you lead the way on your team
MAKING YOUR MINISTRY MORE AMAZING
There’s infighting. Backbiting. Gossip. Office
towards consistent engagement in each of
these areas, your team will follow. And when
politics. Back-channel maneuvering. Passive- As a team member who’s not “in charge” of the enough of your team members start taking
aggressive manipulation. People are only ministry, what can you do to help your team these commitment areas seriously, you will be
concerned for themselves. become healthier? an unstoppable ministry.
But not on a worship team, right? It’s all rainbows As I work with worship teams, I help techs and and unicorns here in ChurchBandLand. musicians focus on seven significant areas that
contribute to the overall health of your ministry.
If you’ve been a part of a worship and music I call these the Seven Critical Commitments of
ministry for more than 17 seconds, you know the Worship Team. Here they are:
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June 2018
Jon Nicol
Jon is the founder of WorshipWorkshop.com
and WorshipTeamCoach.com, two sites that help
worship leaders build strong teams and lead
engaging worship. He lives and serves in Lexington,
Ohio with his wife Shannon and their four kids.
WorshipWorkshop.com
WorshipMusician.com