Making Beauty Through Unity & Diversity

The modern, contemporary church has come a long way in how they create beautiful, edifying worship experiences through the praise band format.

 Using guitars, drums, bass, keys, and a handful of singers, what started as a way to appeal to common, everyday people with instruments they heard on records and radio is now a carefully curated institution. Indeed, the “worship team” now carries an exclusive status, naturally elevating its members above the congregation through their talents, work, and level of production. 

Don’t get me wrong—I love serving on teams like this, and many brothers and sisters in Christ appreciate the work that their church teams put in every week. 

But are we practicing the best stewardship of our communities this way?

Just as there are many parts of the body, so too there are many unique voices and abilities within music. Sadly, many modern, contemporary churches confine their regular use of instruments and voices to the rock/pop format. The litmus for serving lies on one’s ability to play chords, read charts, hold down a solid backbeat, etc. 

But what about the person who studied a wind instrument in school, taking home superior ratings from annual festivals and competitions? What about the student percussionist who doesn’t have a drum set, but can play mallet instruments with ease? What about the singer who may not improvise harmonies much, but has years of choir experience and reads very well?

People like this have the ability to serve, and they’ve often accomplished much in these abilities, but the system that has been constructed for modern musical worship hasn’t always been accommodating for them. 

And it lies with YOU, the worship team leader, to change that.

Now, you might be objecting: “I’m working with what I have and being intentional with the vision we’ve set for our worship experiences. I’m being faithful in my organizing and managing, plus our team sounds great.” 

That’s awesome! Keep doing that. But worship should reflect the community in which you serve, not necessarily trying fit the image of popular bands on the current scene, or because “that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.”

Find ways to include that horn player, percussionist, or classical singer that augments your current format and brings a unique flavor to your experiences. In this, you welcome the diverse range of backgrounds and abilities, which is a microcosm of the church: a place where all God’s people may rejoice, rest, and renew in Him. 

Horns, bowed strings, and mallet percussion players can tastefully double melodies and harmonies, stacking tones like colors in a painting. (Read more about the connection between painting and worship teams here.) Non-drum set percussionists can fill rhythmic space with shakers, tambourines, and other auxiliary instruments. Singers who exclusively read can memorize a part, and they know how to reshape their tone to fit the situation. 

It just takes some planning, preparation, and an enthusiasm for creativity to pull it all together. Even though it may be hard or awkward at first, the reward is edifying and encouraging—plus it is a wonderful picture of Christ’s diverse body partaking in unified beauty-making with authenticity and inclusion. 

If you’re stuck in how to do this effectively, send a message to [email protected] and we’ll put together a plan for you!

Be blessed 👊✌️