Worship Musician June 2018 | Page 84

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: 84 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