Praise Team – The Culture

PRAISE TEAM VISION
Connect people to CHRIST and to one another by providing moments of worship that contain: a spirit of celebration, an atmosphere of prayer, a sense of mission/calling, and facilitate moments of life-transformation. All of this is possible when our worship is “presence-driven,” meaning that we desire the presence of God’s Spirit in every aspect of our worship, in the preparation and in the participation.
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PRAISE TEAM VALUES
HOLINESS – Being set apart for and by Christ.
HUMILITY – Drawing attention to God, not to ourselves. Leading through serving.
INTEGRITY – Being the same person, no matter where you are.
TRUTH – Speaking openly/honestly, and doing so in love.
EXCELLENCE – Sharpening and refining our skills for God’s glory.
DISCIPLESHIP – Becoming students of God’s Word and of the ministry of worship.
COMMUNITY – Caring for, supporting, and praying for one another.
CREATIVITY – Developing powerful and fresh expressions of faith.
KINDNESS – Displaying loving behavior to Believers and unbelievers.
FLEXIBILITY – A willingness to submit to the unexpected, if need be.
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WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE PRAISE TEAM?
The Praise Team includes vocalists, instrumentalists, as well as technical team (sound, media, lights, camera).

ONE YEAR COMMITMENT
Our Praise Team runs on a one year commitment. If you are new to Northside Christian Church, we ask that you worship with us for six months before joining the worship ministry. A one year commitment allows the leadership to seek God and respond to how He is leading uniquely each season of ministry, while allowing opportunity for new people to get involved. At the end of the one year commitment the teams will be evaluated and current members given the opportunity to continue serving. There are never guaranteed spots on the team just because you’ve served in the past, there is no seniority, and no preferential treatment. Our hope is that your desire is to serve with an open heart as the Spirit leads.  We also realize that life is unpredictable and that your ability to keep your commitment may change. It is our desire that you communicate with us as soon as possible so that we can make whatever adjustments need to be made.

SCHEDULE AVAILABILITY
Being a part of the worship community assumes that you are generally available on the weekends, as well as Thursday evenings for rehearsal. Grace will certainly be shown to those who are unexplainably absent from rehearsal or Sunday mornings, however, please communicate as soon as possible to the worship leader if you are unable to meet this requirement. If you are unable to commit to making these scheduled activities, or if we notice a pattern of you missing these activities, we will simply assume that you cannot meet the expectations of this team and ask you to consider whether this is the ministry for you. If not, don’t fret. We will help you find a ministry that suits your gifts/schedule accordingly.

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
As those empowered to lead our church in worship both on and off the platform, it is expected that we are developing as closer disciples of Christ. In addition to agreeing to the “Praise Team – The Culture” document, which you may receive later in the audition process, we will create opportunities to learn and grow spiritually as a team, as well as individuals, in our understanding and practice of worship.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT
One of our core values is excellence. As a member of this team it is expected that you are constantly growing in your craft. None of us have arrived and we want to be a group of worshipers that offer God the best we have. Each year, you are encouraged to attend the RESPOND WORSHIP RETREAT at Maranatha Bible Camp (typically, the 1st or 2nd weekend of February). At the retreat, you will be inspired, instructed, and ignited for your worship ministry. Also, as materials become available, the worship leader will pass along helpful web links, DVDs, articles, and even personal devotional thoughts to equip you to grow in your skills.

COMMUNICATION
We desire to be a vulnerable and honest team that values constructive input. Please be prepared to accept constructive criticism from team members. While this can be difficult, the goal is always that we would continue to shine in service to God and improve as a team of musicians, singers, technicians and servants, even if it is uncomfortable.  As a member of this team, you commit to communicating responsively as well as responsibly. With all the people on the team, it is difficult to follow up well with everyone, so we expect that you take initiative with communication. Nearly all communication for the Praise Team happens through e-mail, but we are sensitive to the fact that some may respond better to other forms of communication (i.e. Facebook, texting, etc.).  Alternate methods of communication should be pre-arranged between team members and the worship leader.

CANCELLATIONS
If you are ever scheduled and cannot make it, the process of cancellation begins by notifying the worship leader. If you must cancel, please find a replacement of someone already on the team, then let the worship leader know. If you need help finding a replacement, contact the worship leader, and you will receive some names of people you may contact.

REHEARSAL, READINESS, RESPECT
Rehearsals are scheduled every Thursday at 5:30 PM, unless otherwise stated.  If you simply want to show up at rehearsal without previously contacting the worship leader, you may find that it has been canceled.  It is better to contact the worship leader before attending a rehearsal. Rehearsals typically last 2 hours, or longer if learning new material. Please make every effort to be at rehearsal on your scheduled rotation. This is not only so you can “know your chops,” but so that you may also have…

Readiness. There is far more to leading others in worship than knowing what chords to play during the key change. Rehearsals allow us to pray and talk about the heart of worship. This kind of readiness is fed by our spiritual anticipation of what God is going to do. The value of this is simply stated in the axiom: “Be ready to respond.” It’s impossible to accidentally trip into the presence of God.

Respect. This means that you commit to showing proper respect for other peoples’ time and possessions. We ask you to be professional and not “noodle” during down time, or while someone else is sound checking. The more professional we can be, the less time it will take. And if something doesn’t belong to you, don’t use it, unless you have permission.

CONCLUSION

The above information reflects the culture of the Praise Team at Northside Christian Church.  If you have any questions, feel free to submit an email below.