Communication is an invaluable part of any relationship. And when you are serving on a team, there must be clear, open, honest, and frequent communication to be able to move together toward a common goal. And that common goal for those of us that serve on worship and production teams is to enable the people of God to proclaim the truths of the Gospel together in song, word, prayer, and gathering.
Communication with your team should begin before you gather for a rehearsal or service. Who are the musicians who are serving? What songs are you singing? What are the keys? Are there elements outside of the service that will affect the way you move through the service? What are the structures of your songs, and transitions? Communicating these details again and again, in writing and aloud will be incredibly helpful for your team to be able to move in the same direction together.
Consistency in your communication is just as important as what you say. When can the team expect to hear from you about when they are serving, the set lists, and any changes to the normal rhythms? Will you communicate everything individually, through a Facebook group, an email chain, or Planning Center? Ultimately, you need to use the tool that makes the most sense for you and your team, but building regular rhythms of communication from week to week, as well as month to month, is essential to creating consistency of expectation for the team.
The rehearsal is a locus point of communication for the team. Again, finding a consistent way that you move through rehearsals will build familiarity and comfort for the team. Walking your team through the order of service, clarifying parts, setting expectations, and giving space for questions in regards to the liturgy should be incorporated frequently for a team to have clear communication.
Finally, clarity is a necessity with as many moving parts as we oversee as worship leaders. Holding the larger picture of the whole morning, and how every aspect of those we lead contributes to what we are trying to accomplish in a morning. Practice what and how you will walk your team through rehearsals and a service, make notes, write it down until there is clarity in what and how you are communicating.