Creative arts ministry
Thank you for your desire to serve in the Creative arts ministry this season.
Below, we want to clarify the vision and expectations of serving at First Baptist Church of LaPlace in the Creative Arts Ministry. We have found that clarity around vision and expectations is a form of good stewardship and kindness. The aim of this document is to love our community well.
Vision
We exist to bring glory to the name of Jesus through Biblical worship.
Values
We seek the presence of God over performing for the congregation. The performance asks, “How did we do?” where the presence asks, “Did God move?”
Your talent is nothing if your life does not reflect Christ. I would rather have a formed disciple than a professional vocalistTalent asks, “How did I sound?” where the character asks, “Did they see Jesus in me?
The Lord calls worship leaders. If you are not called to lead the congregation, your preference will always get in the way. Preference asks, “This song would’ve been better, why didn’t we do it?” where the calling asks, “Did I please God?”
A Brief Theology of Corporate Worship
First Baptist LaPlace utilizes music to corporately worship through song because of and for the following reasons:
● Worship glorifies God (Psalm 96).
● Worship is a way to respond to and be reminded of: who God is, what He has said, what He has done, and what He is doing (Psalm 105).
● Worship is a command in Scripture (Psalm 96).
● Worship roots us in and teaches us Scripture and Biblical truth (Colossians 3:16).
● Worship calls us to root our identity, hope, and joy in God (James 5:13).
● Worship calls us to live our hardships, trials, problems and pain with God (Psalm 130).
● Worship calls us to action such as obedience, repentance, and mission (Psalm 51).
● Worship allows us to reflect on and respond to our relationship with God (Psalm 42).
● Worship reminds our soul of God and truth (Psalm 103:1-5).
● Worship builds up others (Ephesians 5:18-19).
● Worship unifies God's people in space and time (Psalm 145:3-13, Revelation 56:-14, 7:9-11).
● Singing (in harmonies) is a way of expressing the diversity and unity of the body of Christ and triune God (Ephesians 5:19).
● Worship is a way to remember and express love, devotion, commitment, desire and need for God (Psalm 63).
● Worship is where we host and encounter the presence of God and the supernatural - a place of manifestations of the Spirit and a place to express that relationship with God (1 Corinthians 14).
● Worship is an act of warfare against the world, flesh and devil (Psalm 144:1 & 1 Samuel 16:23).
● Worship brings our bodies, ears, mouths, emotions, wills, hearts, and minds to collectively engage with God and truth (Psalm 63).
● Worship is deeply formative (2 Corinthians 3:18).
● Worship reorders our affections and desires (Psalm 73)
● Worship is an act of the will (Romans 12:1-2)
What We Do in Corporate Worship
● Singing (Psalm 105:1-4)
● Clapping (Psalm 47:1)
● Shouting (Psalm 100:1-3)
● Dancing (Psalm 149:2-5)
● Lifting Our Hands (Psalm 134)
● Kneeling (Psalm 95:6-7)
● Bowing (Psalm 95:6-7)
● Lamenting (Psalm 6)
● Being Joyful (Psalm 98:4)
● Singing a New Song (Psalm 96:1-3)
● Playing Instruments (Psalm 150)
● Giving Thanks (Psalm 136:1-3)
● Praying (Psalm 141:2)
● Celebrating (2 Samuel 6)
● Remembering (Psalm 77)
● Being Still Psalm (46:10-11)
● Being Loud (Psalm 66:8)
● Being Silent (Habakkuk 2:20)
● Encouraging One Another (Ephesians 5:19-21)
● Singing with Understanding and with the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15)
Logistics
Scheduling
Scheduling for the Creative Arts Ministry is overseen by Dylan Newton. Please reach out if you have any questions.
*We will have guest worship leaders, musicians, and production associates and our aim is to have people who embody these values and help strengthen our vision.
● The aim is to schedule everyone on the team at least twice a month.
● Frequency is based on how many people are serving within your specific position (e.g., female vocal, electric guitar, camera operator, etc.)
● Please keep blockout dates and schedule preferences up to date in Planning Center Services.
● When you have scheduling suggestions or conflicts please let us know.
● We will schedule two months in advance.
● Please respond to Planning Center requests within a week or we may need to find someone else to fill the spot on the schedule.
● All scheduling is optional. We care about your personal health, discipleship, and life rhythms more than your involvement in serving. Please feel free to decline whenever you need to.
Planning Center (PCO)
The schedule will be sent out no later than the second week of the month for the following month and we ask that all of our team members would respond as soon as possible. For example, the schedule for April will be sent out the second week of March. You can download the PCO app to see requests immediately.
Whether you accept or decline, it is important for us to know if you will be joining us so we can plan ahead. Please be timely in responding to requests, as accepting or declining helps us plan accordingly for subs. If you need assistance getting setup with it or have any problems reach out to Dylan Newton.
Creative Arts Ministry is one of the many forms of ministry in the church and it exists under the vision and direction of the staff and pastors of the church. We view everyone who serves with Creative Arts Ministry as a leader. Leading worship is the responsibility and mindset of everyone serving on the team, not only the “worship leaders” or people on stage.
Our ultimate desire for this team is that the most worshipful moments would flow out of our private lives and discipleship to Jesus. Public ministry on the stage should be an overflow from our lives––not the other way around.
Participating in Creative Arts Ministry at First Baptist Church of LaPlace is a choice, not a requirement. We hope that it is a fun way to serve the church and a growing experience for people in their discipleship, skill sets and leadership. We encourage everyone to keep in mind that this is a form of ministry and service before it is a form of creative expression. Keeping service and ministry at the forefront of your heart should help it be more of a delight than a duty or disappointment. In other words, be mindful of “needing” to be on the Creative Arts Ministry or “needing” a creative outlet; rather wanting to serve Jesus, His church, and our city.
Group Me
You will be added to our Creative Arts Ministry GroupMe and we ask that you check it weekly for any updates from the team!
Expectations
Team expectations
● Prepares musically, mentally, and spiritually for, and arrives promptly at call time.
● Continually grows in musicianship and leadership
● Open to feedback and actively takes steps to grow and develop
● Lives the lifestyle of a servant leader, setting a Christ-like example in everyday life, leading others to worship God on and off stage
● Uses blockout dates in Planning Center Services to communicate unavailability
● Active in the life of our church
Daily time with the Lord
● Stays through the entire service
● Is fully present and engaged for the entire duration of the commitment
As facilitators of worship, we want to create environments where people can gaze upon the beauty of Jesus. In an effort to create services that point to Him, we ask that you refrain from wearing clothing on stage that is excessively tight or revealing (for both men and women). A great test is to lift your arms above your head and ensure that nothing front or back is visible (avoid any crop tops, short shirts, etc.). We are often also elevated on a stage so we ask that ladies skirts are long enough without high slits, as well as shorts. Please avoid large brands or pictures on your clothing as our hope is to get everyone's attention to Jesus, not us.
As a team that desires to grow not only in relationship with God, but with one another, one of the ways we can honor each other is by respecting each other's time. Time is valuable. All those on the Worship and Production Team are expected to arrive for rehearsal on time.
Rehearsal is a time to come together as a band and explore creative elements in our worship set. Rehearsal is not the time to learn your part, whether that is instrumentally or vocally. This means that personal practice time will be necessary to ensure that you are prepared to come into the rehearsal ready to practice. The worship leader will provide what is necessary for you to be successful prior to your rehearsal.
It is the Worship Leader's responsibility to guide, correct and lead the band. Keeping your attention on your instrument or role will lead to a smooth rehearsal, greater team collaboration and excellence. Creativity is certainly welcomed during rehearsal, and the final call will be made by the Worship Leader.
In addition to knowing your parts and being prepared for rehearsal, you will be expected to have your music memorized when you serve at Sunday services. While we have a confidence monitor, it is simply there for reference and not reliance. Let us assure you: you can memorize your music! It takes time and work, and in the end, it will free you up to focus less on the musical side of leading worship and more on the spiritual side of leading worship. If you are uncertain about music memorization, the worship team leader will work with you to help you get to a point where you can confidently memorize your music for Sundays.
RESOURCES
Coming Soon!
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
More than anything, your own discipleship to Jesus and personal health is what matters most. It matters more than serving. We serve out of who we are not just out of what we do. Our hope is that we'd be people who spend more time with Jesus in our private life than in public. We lead from where we have been, and our biggest ministry is the person we are becoming, not just the things we are accomplishing.
Commitment
As the staff shepherding the Creative Arts Ministry at First Baptist Church of LaPlace, here are our commitments to you:
● We will live with integrity making our own discipleship to Jesus, personal growth, and maturity a priority—recognizing that we give who we are away.
● We will partner and share leadership as the image of God - a team of women and men.
● We will be transparent about what we are doing and why.
● We will make decisions with the first priority being the good of the church.
● We will seek to care for team members' own discipleship to Jesus and health above their serving involvement.
● We will be open to feedback on how we can better serve the church and team members.
*We recognize that serving with the Creative Arts Ministry is a small part of everyone's life. We want those who participate to have the flexibility to take breaks from serving when they desire. Serving with the Creative Arts Ministry exists primarily as a gift to the church and secondly as a fun development opportunity for those involved. To best care for the church, the team, and the individuals serving, Leadership will have conversations with individuals when it appears they are not living into the expectations, values, or commitments listed in this document.
While all believers are expected to live a holy life (understanding that we will still make mistakes) - as leaders in the church, we are held to a higher standard (1 Timothy 3:2).
As mentioned before, when you join the Creative Arts Ministry, people identify you as a leader and representative of the church. As you represent First Baptist LaPlace throughout the week (not just on Sundays), there are a few key areas we want to be very specific about so there is no confusion in what is expected of you as a leader in the church.
As a part of the Creative Arts Ministry, we ask that you commit to the following:
● Live into the listed expectations in relationship to First Baptist Church of LaPlace and Leadership.
As followers of Christ we are called to live a life worthy of the calling we have received from Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:1). We want to be the same people whether or not we are on a platform. We agree to use any influence and voice we have in a God-honoring and non-divisive way. We commit to honor other people as well as First Baptist LaPlace. Leading from the platform each week offers great responsibility, use it well, to benefit others and most importantly to honor Jesus.
We expect that each person on the worship and production team is investing in a relationship with Christ above all else. We desire that each one of us grows in our understanding of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we become increasingly transformed into the image of Jesus. We also ask that you continue to find ways to grow in your skill, whether that is taking voice lessons, watching tutorials, studying music theory, using provided multi tracks rehearsal tools, or taking worship leading courses. We want to increase our musical and technical competency in order to facilitate spaces for people to encounter the tangible presence of God.
We commit to gracefully abstain from all sexual relationships outside of the historic vision of Christian Marriage expressed in whole life covenant union between a man and a woman. We will avoid pornography, or inappropriate relationships that compromise our witness. We will not live together with a partner that we are not married to, in order to protect our sexual integrity and set an example for those we lead. We desire to pursue life giving holiness by the grace of God.
We desire to pursue a culture of honor. We commit to speaking of others in honoring ways, championing one another, celebrating other's successes and approaching conflict Biblically. Working together creatively is much easier and more productive if we all have a spirit of unity. We commit to respect and follow the spiritual authority of First Baptist Church of LaPlace staff and the volunteer worship and production leadership teams (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). We want to recognize the value of everyone on the team (Romans 12). We will communicate clearly and honestly with all other team members, and urge you to bring your thoughts, questions, and input to the right person.
We understand that sometimes disagreements happen. It's inevitable! But the longer we wait to address those problems, the harder it will be to overcome them. We seek to follow Matthew 18:15-25 when it comes to conflicts in the church. We ask the following:
● If a conflict or disagreement arises between you and another team member, please go to them one-on-one FIRST to find a solution.
● If the conflict cannot be resolved by a one-on-one conversation, please bring it to the attention of your leader immediately.
● Understand that sacrifices and compromises must be made in ministry. In all things, seek to do what is best for the church.