Personal Rules for Music Ministry

These aren't official church bylaws, and they aren't meant to be a badge of spirituality. They're simply convictions I've had to learn (and re-learn) if I want my singing to be ministry instead of just music.

I'm publishing them because worship teams don't drift into health by accident—we drift into autopilot. We drift into last-minute choices, unspoken competition, fragile egos, sloppy preparation, and "helpful" talking that quietly steals the moment. These rules are my guardrails against that drift.

Use them however they serve you: as a checklist for your own preparation, as a team discussion starter, or as a shared standard for a church music ministry. Adapt them to your context. Tighten them. Challenge them. Just don't miss the point: these aren't levers to make God move—they're guardrails that keep us aligned and out of the way.

God is not impressed by a performance.
He is honored by obedience, humility, preparation, unity, and worship that points away from us and toward Him.

So these are the rules I aim to live by when I sing—so that what I offer is not noise with religious language, but an offering that serves the people of God and exalts the God we're singing to.

1. Prepare your heart, then your song

Skill can move emotions; only God can transform hearts. If you're not walking closely with Him, you may perform a powerful song and still bear little fruit. But when your heart is humble and aligned with the Holy Spirit, God can use you—even with imperfect pitch or timing—to reach people where they actually live.

2. Choose your song prayerfully

Don't treat song selection like a last-minute slot to fill. Seek the Lord throughout the week when you can. He knows what will be preached, who will be present, what burdens people are carrying, and what truth they need.

But sometimes the request is last-minute. When that happens, you can still pause, pray, and ask God to guide the choice. The point isn’t how early you prepared—it’s how and with Whom you prepared, whether you have a week or thirty seconds. Be ready, stay humble, and let God lead either way.

3. Do it unto God

This isn't a stage; it's an offering. You're not trying to out-sing anyone, impress anyone, or "win" the room. You're worshiping One audience—God—and that frees you from both pride and panic. Excellence matters; approval-seeking doesn't.

4. Practice, practice, practice

"Not a show" is not an excuse for laziness. Excellence is a heart issue, too. Give God your best—prepared, punctual, and dependable. Practice at home, then show up early enough to rehearse, check sound, and serve the body of Christ well.
Don't give God leftovers.

5. Limit your words

If the Lord lays something on your heart, share it. But keep your words few, clear, and purposeful. Don't preach before each song. Don't explain the song to death.

Let Scripture and the song do the heavy lifting, let God do the ministering, and you'll protect the flow of worship more than you realize.

6. Don't "own" a song

No one has exclusive rights to a song because they sang it first. That mindset is platform management, not ministry. If we're choosing songs prayerfully, overlap will happen—and God may even use the same song through different people at different times.

Humility doesn't clutch the spotlight; it holds songs with open hands. Be glad when someone else is used, celebrate what builds the body, and check ego at the door. Let God be God.

7. Submit to leadership and serve the service

Worship ministry isn't self-directed. If there's a service leader, your job is to strengthen the direction of the service, not compete with it. Be easy to lead, and prioritize unity over preference.

8. Serve the congregation's singability

When leading congregational worship, choose keys people can actually sing, keep arrangements simple enough to follow, and avoid unnecessary complexity. Don't introduce unfamiliar songs without guidance and repeated use that helps people learn it. Corporate worship is participation, not performance.

9. Plan as a team, not as solo artists

Decide how the set is planned, who makes final calls, what the process is for keys/arrangements, and how changes happen. Clarity prevents confusion, protects relationships, and keeps worship from turning into a spotlight rotation.

Whether with a pastor, band leader, church sound technician, or just a prayer partner—don't prepare in isolation.

10. Be faithful in logistics

Flowing out of that last point: be punctual, prepared, and communicative.

Spiritual language can't cover unreliability. If you can't make rehearsal, communicate early. If you're not ready, own it and fix it. Dependability is discipleship with a calendar.

11. Protect the platform from distraction

No showboating. No inside jokes. No "look at me" moments. Dress and behave in a way that doesn't hijack attention.

The platform amplifies everything—including immaturity—so carry it with humility.

12. Handle correction like a Christian

Everyone receives feedback. Receive it without defensiveness, pouting, or spiritualizing your ego. Respond with humility, gratitude, and follow-through.

Correction is not an attack; it's part of being shaped for ministry.