Over the past several weeks, we have studied the process of creating effective moments in our worship services. It is impossible to exhaustively explore every detail and facet in this format but, as time and space allow, we will continue with this very important aspect of the worship production process: rehearsal preparation.
Effective rehearsals will help us to be mentally and spiritually rested when service time arrives. Our teams will be better equipped to deliver a more confident performance and our tech teams will have more time to work on the sound, lighting, video, stage settings and lyric projection if sufficient lead-time is given. A successful rehearsal is made possible by this simple reality: The leader(s), the music team, and tech team must be properly equipped before coming to rehearsal. Our music teams need advance opportunity to spend time with the songs in the set list before everyone gets together. I recommend having all the materials made available 2 weeks in advance. Once again, I hear people saying, "Jamie, you're nuts!" I am very aware that many are volunteer leaders and are shuffling personal, professional and church duties each week. Go with me here--if you can prepare for a service and rehearse right before you take the stage, then with a little planning, discipline and prayer, you can be prepared two weeks out--trust me. If you work toward this 2 week-out goal, you can give every reason for your team to come to rehearsal prepared (at least the excuses may be diminished, although, where humans abide, they will always exist!).
I constantly hear from leaders that some of their team members come to rehearsal unprepared. But the question is, are you prepared as a leader? Did you give your team sufficient time to be ready? Do they have the stuff they need to accomplish what is needed within a reasonable amount of time? Read my blog post entitled Good Eating!. In it, I expound on the reality that the pursuit of excellence is not for the timid, lazy, or the faint of heart. In order for your goals to be accomplished, you must go further ahead on the trail than the others to make provisions for your team to succeed. If you aren't willing to do this, I have serious doubts that you need to continue as the leader.
Thank God for our tech crews! They can make or break us. Our communication with them insures everyone's success. Give the tech crew a "heads up" for what you might need in the way of support prior to rehearsal. They need to know who is going to sing, solo, speak, announce, etc., so they can set up mics and program the mixer (digital boards). It is helpful when the sound person running the console can rehearse the fader moves with you in rehearsal.
Which ever method you use to distribute materials in advance of rehearsal, make sure you include a worship song list, music charts (I will emphasize the importance of using charts instead of "chords-over-words" in another installment), lyrics, and a recorded demo of the song that conveys the way you generally want it to sound. Whatever you do, make sure that your team has the tools to succeed. The arrangement, key and tempo may be different from the demo, but it should allow the band to find their sounds and grooves, as well as the singers to hear the parts. There are proper, legal ways to distribute these items and many questions concerning the use of artist recordings, sheet music, uploading rehearsal materials onto the church website, etc., may be answered online by my friends at Christian Copyright Solutions.
It is imperative that leaders make decisions regarding flow, segues, instrumentation, vocal parts, stage moves, etc., before rehearsal. Indecisiveness and insecurity in a leader breeds disharmony and insurrection! Come to each rehearsal with a plan to hit every area of need. It is important to put a time limit on weekly rehearsals. I recommend no more than 90 minutes. Special productions such as Christmas, Easter, etc., may require more time. Take time to straighten up the rehearsal space by discarding clutter, straightening wires and creating a clean slate each week. If you need help in making musical decisions, create an alliance with a skilled musician on your team to help you in planning and implementation. All successful leaders seek out support from people who compliment their skill set with strengths they don't possess.
In short, to prepare for rehearsal, an effective leader must:
1) Purpose to prepare services 2 weeks in advance
2) Distribute rehearsal resources in a timely, legal and effective manner
3) Create a rehearsal game-plan that can be accomplished in 90 minutes
4) Create musical alliances on your team to give technical and personal support
5) Clean up rehearsal space clutter to start fresh each week
6) Give the tech crew a "heads up" for what you might need in the way of support prior to rehearsal
7) Be the leader that your church and team needs
Your commitment to excellence, and the success that follows, will help attract people to the Kingdom. As a secondary result, it will bring personal reward and satisfaction.
Look for Creating Great Moments in Worship, Part 4: Rehearsal Tips, in the coming weeks. Any comments, questions or suggestions may be directed to: jamie@jamieharvill.com. Also, ask how Jamie can help your church realize a more effective worship experience.
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