Worship in your church

[KristianJ]

Just wanted to see how your church "does worship" and through that sort of find out how it interacts with other aspects of your typical church service. For example, you could share how many people are in your worship team, how it's administered, or basically anything that you think is relevant to the discussion

 

[tubaboy963]

I have come to the realization that worship team is a horrible name. They are the music team. Worship should happen in every piece of the service, but besides that, I will continue with the question. We have 5 worship teams...er...music teams.
The first team is a lead singer (tenor) with two female backup singers (alto, soprano). A pianist, a guitar, and a keyboard playing bass. It sounds horrible. A drummer and a percussionist.
The second team is a lead singer (tenor) with three backup singers (alto, 2 sopranos). A pianist, a guitar, a keyboard playing bass and a keyboard playing chords and fills. A drummer and percussionist.
The third is a family at our church. A lead singer (tenor) 2 backup singers (alto and soprano) a bass, a guitar, and drums.
The fourth is a youth team. It consists of 2 tenor lead singers. One always singing melody but it switches off. An acoustic guitar and an electric. This last time we used an alto backup singer and me, a bellowing bassy baritone.
The fifth is piano and vocals. It's hymns.

 

[BibleMinnie]

Hey well our church have a praise team to lead the congregation in praise songs in the beginning of church, but all through out church we end up worshiping when the Lord wants us to I guess I shoud say. We have long services because the spirit in always there and the pastor allows that to determine how long church should go. It just makes em free in church personally. We listen to the pastor speak and then we worship the Lord for what he has just taught us. I think worship is always supposed to be going on no matter what is happening at church. does that answer your question?

 

[KristianJ]

I have come to the realization that worship team is a horrible name. They are the music team. Worship should happen in every piece of the service, but besides that, I will continue with the question. We have 5 worship teams...er...music teams.
The first team is a lead singer (tenor) with two female backup singers (alto, soprano). A pianist, a guitar, and a keyboard playing bass. It sounds horrible. A drummer and a percussionist.
The second team is a lead singer (tenor) with three backup singers (alto, 2 sopranos). A pianist, a guitar, a keyboard playing bass and a keyboard playing chords and fills. A drummer and percussionist.
The third is a family at our church. A lead singer (tenor) 2 backup singers (alto and soprano) a bass, a guitar, and drums.
The fourth is a youth team. It consists of 2 tenor lead singers. One always singing melody but it switches off. An acoustic guitar and an electric. This last time we used an alto backup singer and me, a bellowing bassy baritone.
The fifth is piano and vocals. It's hymns.

I agree with you in terms of what you said to start off with. I was hesitant to use that phrase too (perhaps even the forum are could be changed to Music Ministry to not take away from the true nature of worship) I mainly mean the musical aspect of your church services as opposed to the whole service, but it's always great to hear more and more ideas

 

[swingnscream]

my church is trying out a monthly "Saturday night alternative worship" ...it's called alternative not becuz of the music or atomspheric setting but becuz we really want to teach/show ppl more ways to worship than just the regular Sunday morning church service. The hope is to teach both prayer & giving offering as acts of worship too. I'm also hopeful that ppl will be comfortable enough to break out of their usual shells, and be able to learn to worship God more expressively than just a hand in the air or closed eyes [though I know & see those both as important too]. I'm not sure if I'm strange, but I learned worship at concerts ..so I'm pretty expressive with my hands alone. Add the right music and low lighting, and I'm set to pull my heart out and lay it before God to do whatever with that he'd choose. I don't think that's something that really gets taught ppl to ppl, I think the Holy Spirit teaches that to indiviuals, but still.. my hope [as part of the team of leading this worship time togther] is that ppl will have an oppurtunity to be outside their normal ideas of "worship" and be open to what God might teach them through this different experiene time.

 

[fiveinjuly]

My chruch's worship is very, very intense. It is awsome. There are people who do the usual hand(s) lifted and eyes closed, but there are some who go to the altar and dance and twirl flags and jump up and down and yell. Its awsome. I love to see the Holy Spirit move in such powerful ways.

 

[drumbum]

let's see...my pastor plays keys and sings (tenor, i think). we have a soprano, an alto, and another tenor/bass singer. there's a bassist, and then me on drums. the music we play is probably different from what most of you play in your churches. i go to a mexican church, so our music is more along the lines of gospel, funk, blues, and latin. we occasionally throw in a contemporary christian song or hillsong. by the way, i don't really have a problem with calling the music band the worship band because that is what they are. they are a band that leads the congregation in worship. i know that this makes people tend to think that all worship is is just singing and songs, but once you read the Word of God you will know otherwise

 

[fiveinjuly]

Mexican Pentecostal chruch...never heard of it. Sounds cool none the less.

 

[THE]

fiveinjuly, do you mind me asking what church you go to? i'd LOVE to see worship like that. im the drummer in the high school/college service at y church and thats the kind of involvment i'd love to see in the youth.

 

[fiveinjuly]

fiveinjuly, do you mind me asking what church you go to? i'd LOVE to see worship like that. im the drummer in the high school/college service at y church and thats the kind of involvment i'd love to see in the youth.

I go to an assembly of God church. But that isn't really common place. If you go to a Joyce Meyers convention you should see some of that. I've never been to one but my best friend has and she said hat it was cool.

 

[kingzjewel]

4 or 5 songs, 3 ppl in the "team" sing, one piano player...that is all and it is awesome

 

[drumbum]

Mexican Pentecostal chruch...never heard of it. Sounds cool none the less.

ha....yeah, it's different from most churchs. we have bilingual services where the pastor gives the message in english and we have someone translating it into spanish. so, we also have a mix of spanish and english songs. that gives it a little more "flava". by the way, we're an assemblies of god church too...

 

[Stan the Man]

Okay, I'm involved with 4 different christian music groups so bare with me...

At my local anglican church I lead the music group. I play trumpet or guitar depending on which works best for the song. The songs are normally used as like a musical interlude between parts of the service, but when the music group leads the singing part of the worship, at some stage in the service we will use 2 or 3 songs to lead people into a time of prayer or praise depending on where we feel God leading us. The congregation consists mostly of older people (60+) and they are used to more 'traditional' hymns, which makes introducing new songs hard work. The music group consists of a drummer, a pianist, a flute, a violinist, a trumpeter, and a guitar player.

The local baptist church has a much wider age range of worshipers, and the order of the songs in relation to the rest of the service is much more liberal. I only play when there is a youth service on, but I do not lead the worship, because I will be preaching at some stage in the service. The music group consists of a 2 flutes, a pianist, a drummer, a keyboard player, a bass player, an acoustic guitarist, and occassionally myself on trumpet/guitar, and my brother on violin. The exact make up of the group will vary according to the songs being sung.

The local youth church has a time of praise right at the start of the service consisting of about 30-40 minutes of singing and praise through music. The songs are generally more modern than at the baptist church (although the baptist church encourages new songs), and the lack of pews allows for dance and jumping to be a way of expressing our praise. The music group consists of 2 singers (one guy and one girl), an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, a bass guitar, a keyboard, and a drummer.

And finally, the Christian Union at my university leads worship at the start and end of each C.U meeting. The mood will vary from week to week, but we will usually do songs with different tempos so that we can lead into a time of prayer, or praise, as is appropriate. The music group includes 2 guitars, a bass, a pianist, and a viola.

I enjoy all of these forms of worship, but I think I most struggle with leading worship at my local anglican church, because of the general lack of enthusiasm when it comes to singing. But I'm ing about it.

 

[NacDan]

Mexican Pentecostal chruch...never heard of it. Sounds cool none the less.

One trip to Texas and you can experience Hispanic worship of any domination you desire! We got Mexican Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, you name it!!

With the Hispanic population of Texas growing 20%+ each year, in 10 years, they will be the majority race here. Every church is actively seeking them.

Danny

 

[JPPT1974]

Okay, I'm involved with 4 different christian music groups so bare with me...

At my local anglican church I lead the music group. I play trumpet or guitar depending on which works best for the song. The songs are normally used as like a musical interlude between parts of the service, but when the music group leads the singing part of the worship, at some stage in the service we will use 2 or 3 songs to lead people into a time of prayer or praise depending on where we feel God leading us. The congregation consists mostly of older people (60+) and they are used to more 'traditional' hymns, which makes introducing new songs hard work. The music group consists of a drummer, a pianist, a flute, a violinist, a trumpeter, and a guitar player.

The local baptist church has a much wider age range of worshipers, and the order of the songs in relation to the rest of the service is much more liberal. I only play when there is a youth service on, but I do not lead the worship, because I will be preaching at some stage in the service. The music group consists of a 2 flutes, a pianist, a drummer, a keyboard player, a bass player, an acoustic guitarist, and occassionally myself on trumpet/guitar, and my brother on violin. The exact make up of the group will vary according to the songs being sung.

The local youth church has a time of praise right at the start of the service consisting of about 30-40 minutes of singing and praise through music. The songs are generally more modern than at the baptist church (although the baptist church encourages new songs), and the lack of pews allows for dance and jumping to be a way of expressing our praise. The music group consists of 2 singers (one guy and one girl), an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, a bass guitar, a keyboard, and a drummer.

And finally, the Christian Union at my university leads worship at the start and end of each C.U meeting. The mood will vary from week to week, but we will usually do songs with different tempos so that we can lead into a time of prayer, or praise, as is appropriate. The music group includes 2 guitars, a bass, a pianist, and a viola.

I enjoy all of these forms of worship, but I think I most struggle with leading worship at my local anglican church, because of the general lack of enthusiasm when it comes to singing. But I'm ing about it.

Stan, I wish that I could be as versatle as well as accomplished like you. God has given you a gift of music of singing as well as playing music. You have a lot of potential and if you keep that up, maybe land a recording contract if the Lord leads you that way. But really put aside differences and really work and sing together for the sake of the Lord. He wants everybody to get along!

 

[talitha]

The first time I went to my church, I counted the worship team, because I couldn't believe how many there were..... Now I'm on the worship team, as one of the singers.

Let's see.......

Steve, the associate pastor, leads worship and plays accoustic guitar
There are usually three or four other vocalists, and at any time one of us might lead a song, and/or sing a "song of the Lord."

We also have piano, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drum kit, bongos, violin, and two multitasking gals, one plays auxiliary percussion or flute, the other plays dulcimer, recorder, or clarinet. There's probably someone I'm forgetting..... oh yes, there is another guy who either plays bari-sax or xylophone, depending on the song. And the pastor is usually on the platform too, worshiping as well.

I really love being on this team, because our leader is very sensitive to the flow of the Holy Spirit, and he is very good at releasing the rest of us to be sensitive too..... so it's really unpredictable what will happen.

My favorite thing we do is spontaneous songs which will start off with one vocalist or instrument, then sometimes others join in..... I love it. (We have even started a once-a-month "worshipers'" time just for that, no mics, no "observers," no pre-written songs, and two guys paint (oil paintings) while we worship. My husband's one of those.)

I don't know how to describe the style of music we do -- somehow we can do "Lord You Are Good," "Jesus, All For Jesus," "Giant Killer," and "This is the Air I Breathe," and it all sounds like Antioch (name of our church).

glad you asked, I like sharing this stuff.....
blessings
tal

 

[nhzname]

There are 4 different worship teams led by our worship pastor, consisting of 6-10 members playing various instruments, and singing. The teams rotate about once a month I think. Very talented musicians playing bass, keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, drums, bongos, flute, sax, and pretty much whatever else they can get their hands on.

 

[CherylNMO]

Our church has about 4 different praise teams that rotate Sundays. Praise team 1, Praise team 2, Guys praise team and Girls praise team.

I'm on one of the praise teams but am taking a break right now because I just had one of the busiest years of my life and it is kind of slowing down. I'll start back up in January.

We have a praise band that plays every Sunday (pianist, electric pianist, bass guitarist, electric guitarist, flutist, drummer, percussionist, and sometimes we have trumpets).

We have two Sunday morning worship services. The first one is more conservative and the second one is more geared for the younger generations.

We sing a lot of the famous praise songs. Our music minister keeps up with new praise songs and introduces one to the congregation every once in a while.

 

[Mϋzikdϋde]

We have about 120 people on our praise team. That includes vocalists and band members. We have 4 services per week and about 3000 members.

There are quite a few spiritual challenges with a church that size but the worship is wonderful.

I usually fill in for the worship Pastor when he goes on vacation but I have to admit: I'm happier just singing with the team.

 

[fiveinjuly]

We have about 120 people on our praise team. That includes vocalists and band members. We have 4 services per week and about 3000 members.

There are quite a few spiritual challenges with a church that size but the worship is wonderful.

I usually fill in for the worship Pastor when he goes on vacation but I have to admit: I'm happier just singing with the team.

(holy) Smokes!!!