Seedlings from decades past eventually grow tall and help the legacy of the forest live on by dispersing seeds of their own. If the distribution of new life stops, the forest has begun to die.

Strategies, methods, beliefs, and target audience make up a local church’s culture or DNA. Shelves of leadership books address the importance of having the right DNA in your organization. Worship ministry is no different.

DNA can encompass the “why” and the “how” of ministry. Some how-DNA will change with time such as music styles or methods. Other why-DNA will remain constant such as the centrality of Jesus (Galatians 1:6–9). Even though how-DNA may change, it’s still essential to define and defend what you want it to be now.

Replicators, Not Receivers

The worship stage is an essential platform for communicating DNA to the church, so teach those on stage to be replicators (think big trees) of your DNA, not just receivers of it (seedlings). Replicators are those who don’t just get the task done, but explain the vision behind what’s happening adding leadership momentum and coverage. Replicators lead their sphere of influence in seeing the greatness of Christ by doing what God has called your church to do.

Vision leaks (every 30 days according to some leadership gurus) so rain vision continually. People forget the why of your ministry long before they forget how to meet the expectations. Without why-DNA, leaders are left with the imperative to obey but without the truth that empowers obedience (2 Peter 1:3). This is dangerous to the soul and the ministry.

"Fresh vision rooted in the gospel helps minimize attrition and collapses."

If you don’t create and manage your church’s DNA, you’ll waste valuable energy redirecting and repairing rather than progressing. 

Replicating the Right DNA

1. Decide which hills you will die on.

What doctrines and philosophies are non-negotiable? Don’t drench your worship volunteers with different vision each week. Land on the core things you want them to live and breathe. Be careful of assessing participation in some areas but not others (e.g. valuing a band member’s musical abilities while overlooking a lack of a servant-like heart).

2. Start at the front door.

Make sure volunteers understand what’s important to you from the very start.

Whether you have a formal audition process or not, make sure everyone in the forest you oversee knows the DNA. Anyone putting roots down needs to be briefed with a chance to ask questions.

3. Create touch-points that make sense.

Establish a system of touch-points (meetings, hang-outs, videos, emails, blogs, etc.) between you and key leaders at regular intervals where you intentionally include DNA conversations (see worksheet below). Every system has a shelf life, so ask trusted leaders when a system needs patching, and when it needs an overhaul. Keller’s article on how communication is affected by church size is pertinent here.

4. Assess current leaders.

If you hear someone say something on stage or in a conversation that doesn’t reflect your DNA, pull them aside privately and help them understand why what they said may lead to confusion. Ask them to repeat back the “why-DNA” and “how-DNA” in their own words.

5. Call the fire department before the forest burns down.

Many people won’t confess that they have lost sight of the vision or that they are wrestling with sin until something explodes because of a lack of understanding of the gospel (Proverbs 28:13). Frequently invite everyone in the forest you oversee to say something when smoke appears, and teach them what smoke looks like (loss of traction in victory over sin, burnout, and relational breakdowns).

6. Don’t make DNA a weapon.

Your church’s DNA is likely a mix of biblical mandates, opinions, and specific callings for your church body. Don’t encourage (explicitly or implicitly) the bashing of other camps that do things differently. Good things are happening that aren’t your things, and that’s ok.

7. Be a replicator yourself.

If your leaders don’t understand their role or can’t articulate why you do things the way you do them then you haven’t done your job. Pray for God’s leading in establishing your church’s DNA. Invite the Spirit to lead changes to methods when needed. Work hard at equipping and caring for the whole forest, new seedlings and established trees alike.

Download the Resource

This is a downloadable PDF that includes an outline for leading a meeting or conversation covering DNA issues and a worksheet for developing your ability to connect how-DNA to why-DNA. Customize the resources to fit your context and address the DNA elements most important to your ministry.

Some professors are all about the test. Others prepare you for real life. The problem with “teaching to test” is it inaccurately assesses the skills or critical thinking required in the real world. This is why some students exit their programs of study with high marks, but not much to offer their employer or even church. Great educational programs combine academic study with real-world application. 

Music auditions in the local church face similar challenges. The audition process should test for what will be expected in practices, worship gatherings, and the musician's relationships with other volunteers. Many churches don’t have a regular audition process at all, and others just search for a recipe of what's popular on the Christian scene.  Before you can hold an audition, you have to find the musicians in your midst that might sign up to serve.  

How Do You Attract and Audition Musicians?

Artists are like ants. Ants send out scouts to scope out new territory and report back their findings. If you squash the scouts or have nothing for them to sink their teeth into, they move on. Identify and create opportunities in your church for musicians. If your church has no platform for artists to grow, create, and contribute, then don’t expect them to stick around. Music is not the purpose of the church, but it can be immeasurably effective in communicating the message that is the purpose of the church, as evidenced by both the word of God and church history.

It’s essential to appoint someone who can be leader and liaison to musicians in your community. When selecting a leader over musicians, pick someone who understands the gospel, artistry, and the specific calling of your local church. Musicians should be held to the same standards as other leaders, but know they typically have their own culture—including language, behaviors, motivators, strengths, and weaknesses.

"Worship is more than music, thus auditions should cover more than musicianship."

Have your current music-types watch for places in your community where musicians gather and participate with them. Ask the lead pastor to talk about the specific music needs on stage in services, and ask people in your congregation to spread the word and suggest to your leaders anyone they know who might fit the bill. Frequently, there are godly and gifted musicians in the room that won’t beat your door down for a tryout. 

What Are the Qualifying Marks of a Person on Your Stage Leading Worship?

Intentionally create tests for those joining the worship ministry that simulate their ability to do what current members do, on and off stage. Here are some key questions that your audition process should address:

• Are they worshipers of Jesus off-stage? (1 John 5:2)
• Can they learn a whole set of music in the time period allowed?
• Do they know how to play with other musicians?
• What is the time commitment? 6 months? A year?
• Do they have a history of serving and giving?
• Are they involved in community? (Known by others, confessing sin, etc.)
• How do they respond to authority in their life? (Hebrews 13:17)

If you have a formal music education, don’t make the audition so tough that qualified folks will get dissuaded from serving in their area of gifting. Most volunteers don’t need to know about atonality, serialism, or a Hungarian minor scale, so stick to what is pertinent. That said, teach your volunteers music theory basics that help them serve your church better.

Sometimes leaders avoid hard questions because they fear losing a volunteer. Folks in smaller churches often say bigger churches are afforded “luxuries” in sifting through myriads of musicians. As discussed in this post, deciding between heart and talent in a volunteer is a mistake regardless of church size. Worship is more than music, thus auditions should cover more than musicianship.

Who Makes the Final Decisions?

Whether you have a worship leader reporting to a staff pastor or a worship pastor on staff, make sure the one overseeing the ministry is involved with auditions. Determining the specifics of assessing musicianship and spiritual maturity is ultimately their responsibility.

When establishing policies and procedures, invite input from your lead pastor and elders on what they desire to see in your musicians. Whether you use open or private auditions (described in detail in the downloadable resources), always use panel feedback. Pick a panel that understands what music works now and what could work in your context. This provides a balanced perspective and makes it harder for the auditioner to feel wounded by a specific person. Make sure band or team leaders affected by the auditions are present for feedback too.

Lastly, auditions can be an incredibly effective litmus test of idolatry. Be available to address and shepherd those that discover idols in their own hearts during the audition process. If you build a comprehensive audition process for worship volunteers, you’ll improve your ability to call in the godly and gifted that God has brought you to serve his people.

Download the Resource