There is so much that happens during a rehearsal - especially if that rehearsal is immediately before service. Set up, soundcheck, practicing parts, transitions, and working on harmonies just to name a few. Yes, rehearsal is in part for working through the practical details of the worship gathering, but shouldn’t it be more than that? My hope is that a rehearsal also gives us a chance to take a breath, to be present with God and with one another as we serve the people of God together. But do not be fooled, this does not happen by chance - your rehearsal must be intentional.
Ideally, every person serving comes practiced-up, and prayed-up. Fully prepared in skill and spirit to lead and serve. But even if that is the case, how can you as a leader use the rhythms of your rehearsal to prepare your team not just practically, but also to prepare their hearts to serve together? Prayer is never bad. Reading Scripture is never bad. I believe those two elements should be the baseline for leading our team in a time of devotion and personal preparation for our service.
Personally, I like to place a time of devotion following setup and sound check. More often than not, I like my devotional time to be reading through the passage of Scripture being preached, and then walking the team through the progression of the morning - why I chose these songs in this order with this particular text, what I hope will be the threads running through the morning. At that moment I want to encourage our team to lift their eyes to see the beauty of Jesus, the wonder of the Gospel, the glory of God, our dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and the joy and gift that we have to gather and to serve.
I have served in churches where the whole team has been reading through a book, or devotional together and will use this time to share what they are learning. Some teams like to rotate responsibility for leading the devotional time, focusing on a specific reading, a passage of Scripture, and a brief exhortation to live in light of God’s Word and to serve from that reality. Another consideration for a time of devotion is focusing on different aspects of a theology of worship. There are many ways that you can redeem your rehearsal time to train, encourage, and equip your team. If this is all new to you, start slow, and think through these questions:
What does my team need? Does this team need a deeper understanding of worship? More discipleship in how what we are doing connects to what is happening this morning? Do they need encouragement? Do they just need time to seek God’s face in the quiet of their own hearts, and collectively as a team?
Who is here? Are there other voices that can shape this team spiritually? Maybe another team member, or a pastor or elder would like to lead a short time of devotion, reflection, and preparation for the rehearsal.
How can I make the space? If this is new for your team, you will have to train them to expect this time. Maybe you need to move rehearsal back by 15 minutes to make sure that you are not rushing through this time.
Help your team prepare musically, practically, and spiritually. If you’d like another place to start, you can download my free worship leader devotional. A 52-week study with Scripture quotes, and questions to ponder as you prepare your hearts to live lives of worship, and lead in sung worship. Download it for free here.