Spirit of Excellence

“Make a joyful NOISE unto the Lord all ye lands” Psalm 100:1.

As a worship leader, I often have this Scripture quoted to me by people who have not been given, shall I say – the gift of song. “The Bible says, ‘make a joyful noise’ and that is just what I do”. Unfortunately, that is the same verse that many people use in defense of why they should be part of our Praise and Worship Teams. But I believe that the Lord has called us to something greater. Our lives and our ministries should be a living example of the excellence of the Father. Is your team lacking in their desire to become better musicians? Read on for some helpful tips on how to foster a Spirit of Excellence.

I have been leading worship for ten years and in every team I have worked with developing a Spirit of Excellence is always my first goal. Psalm 33:3 says, “Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.” The word skillful in the original Hebrew means “to do well, to make something beautiful”. The Lord requires us to make a beautiful sound before Him. We can look throughout the Bible and see ordinary people who did not settle at mediocre, but who desired to become excellent. King David chose Chenaniah to be the head of the ‘ultimate worship team’ because he was skillful. He was able to take on the job and do it beautifully (1 Chronicles 15:22)

As leaders, what can we do to foster this spirit throughout our teams?

First – ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE!!! I cannot say it enough. Encourage your team members to go home and practice. Worship services and rehearsals are not practice sessions. There must be practice going on at home if we are to foster excellence in our teams. You will be able to tell immediately if practice is happening at home. The level of skill during your rehearsals and services will begin to grow. If you see a member making a good effort to become a better musician, point it out in rehearsals. Encourage them in front of the group. Every one likes to hear that they are doing a good job. Sometimes, this even encourages others to do better.

Second – Send personal emails or notes to those team members that you notice have grown in skill level. I love when my pastor or a member of the congregation sends me a personal note to tell me I am doing a good job. There is nothing like the feeling of a job well done. On the flip side, send a personal note to a member that is not growing in skill. Offer personal help to them; give them articles or tips that could help. Anything you can do to encourage a willing heart will be appreciated.

Third – Always be available to help your team members if they request private help. I am not necessarily talking about private lessons or spending hours a week with them. In the past I have met with our horn section for an hour before rehearsal just to work with them one on one. Yes, it does require more of my time, but it is worth it. Meet with your singers separately from the band and visa verse so that they can get more individualized instruction.

Fourth – Be prepared for those who oppose. Some people are very happy with where they are. They do not want to change or get better. Understand that some people will not be on board. When I strongly implemented this idea into our team we did lose a few members who were not ready for the challenge. That is okay. We are all at different levels with our walk in the Lord and we cannot force anyone to go with the flow. We can only invite them to join in and pray that they do.

Fifth – Be prepared for a great sound and a great spirit among your team. The constant encouragement and feeling of accomplishment will create a great spirit of unity of the team. On a natural level, you will be able to do more music more efficiently because your team members are eager to create a beautiful sound to the Lord.

Last year, the vision for our Praise Team was developing a Spirit of Excellence. This year, we have a new vision. That does not mean that we pin an imaginary badge on our jackets and say, “Yes!!! We have the Spirit of Excellence . . . . Moving on”. No!!! We are constantly fostering that idea that an excellent heart, an excellent spirit, and an excellent sound is pleasing to the Lord.

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