Using Yahoo groups (or similar)

[yod1948]

Just thought I'd post an idea that I found useful for the music team.

As the leader, I created a yahoo group specifically for the music team that was very helpful in shortening preparation time when we came together

I would post to the group an initial songlist by Tuesday complete with chord charts for them to look over. Anyone in the group could respond with their thoughts and the whole group would get it for discussion and it would keep us all in the same loop. If someone wasn't going to be there or would be late or whatever....we all knew in advance.

By Thursday, I would put 1 or 2 new songs that we were going to work on up in a sound file with a chord chart. By Friday night we all knew the songlist and could print our own setlist and chord charts and show up prepared for rehearsal before the service. If there were any last minute changes made before the service, it was much easier to deal with it as a "change" to what everyone was already prepared for.

Besides the obvious functional usage of this group, it also encouraged us to stay in regular and frequent contact with each other. We could all post pictures of our wives/kids and share each other's lives with prayer requests and such...

It was a deeper fellowship of musicians within the body...

Kinda like this group

[Bondservant2k]

I have recently done the same thing with our ministry. composed mostly of older folks, our choir accepts change slowly. The band, on the other hand has adapted quickly. We have changed from Planning Center Online to this option. I liked PCO, but it was not cost effective. I like it so far. I really want to push the idea of community within a community. If the congregation sees us unified up front, maybe God can use it to encourage unity in the body.

[fmckinnon]

Hey Gang,
There is an extensive article by Russ Hutto that was posted in the main area of TheWorshipCommunity.Com about using Google Groups as well. Check it out here:
http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/g...small-budgets/

[Smitty]

I have used Yahoo Groups and google in the past, and they are both free and very useful, even if they are a bit limited. My home church went one astep further though...our music minister created a full-featured website specifically for the worship team. If your church has the funds or the expertise, I would recommend a similar solution, but if not, go with Yahoo Groups or Google. By the way, Russ' article on using google is VERY helpful and worth reading.

Smitty

[russhutto]

Thanks, Smitty. We are still using Google groups as our primary system. Works like a charm.

[hisfirewithin]

I created a whole social network on ning.com for this purpose. I put all of the charts and mp3s from our binders up, I post the schedules, and it also gives me discussion groups and privacy. Same idea, and good idea!

[worshiptrench]

Yes, I wonder if Planning Center will ever add an interconnectivity piece for prayer, sending encouraging emails from team member to team member etc. It would be a nice second layer of features (they could even charge for it as a module).