Praise Band Bassists

[meev992]

I haven't taken the opportunity to be a praise band bassist yet, because I don't believe I've studied the good book enough really understand how I can use my abilities for worship.

However, I might just give it a try, and a genuine effort, as I'm very dissatisfied with the current bass line-up at church: I'm hearing slides, and way too many notes, and that really irks me.

[mkrtu9]

Pray that God directs you to get the best people for the job.

What a big job you have in front of you. You will be in my prayers

Good luck

[witness]

Just to add my 2 cents, don't let money get in the way, a lot of Churches pay their musicians, and I've personally seen some musician's attitude of praise changed when the money didn't come in on time, or not at all for whatever reason. Remember to seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and everything else will just fall in place

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by Lincoln

First off, hats off to you for hearing God's calling for you at this time. The first step is always obeying His voice when you hear it.

I'll only give bullet points for now in the hopes that others will flesh them out as the thread builds. So here are a few suggestions:

• make prayer the priority before and after every rehearsal as a team
• study the bible to determine what authentic worship means and as a team determine what that means in your church.
•*build teamwork, develop leaders
• Build a team of worshipers not musicians
• Find or develop good sound techs
• Work with pastors and staff to understand where the teaching is going
• Don't be afraid to let get take over and destroy your plans
• Smile! Enjoy worshipping the God who loves you and whom you love
• Live out your worship during the week so that Sunday is authentic not some put on show
• Have music and lead sheets prepared before rehearsals - sending out PDF's before hand is good or keep them along with mp3's available on your church web page.
• Love you teammates, Love your church, love the person at the busstop who you've never met before
• Always remember you are a servant of God and your church and that being in ministry is a privilege not a right.

I think the rest of TBers praise bassist's can add to and illuminate these thoughts.

God Bless!

+1000 here!!

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by Lincoln

The most important thing you can and should do is is continue to develop your relationship with Christ - through personal prayer, the bible and through personal worship. If everyone on your team isn't doing this you and they shouldn't be on the team..

Eee......I gave you +1000 on you other post, but I strongly disagree here.

If this was the attitude, I wouldn't be in a position (or maybe I would be, only He knows) to have come to know Christ within the last year.

I was given the chance to play at my church, and at the time I really didn't give Christianity much, if any weight in my life.
But I was give the opportunity to be welcomed into an environment which created moments for me to engage with my spritual beliefs. And find Him and progress to my walk with Christ.

If someone on your team isn't at the same place as you, or isn't even on a path with Christ, to seperate yourself from them is IMO, the opposite of a core value of what we believe.

We have a few "non-belivers" on our team. And that's perfectly fine come experience our community.
Now, our mid-week services are really more for believers and less for seekers.
Subsequently, the praise team (band) is compiled of belivers of Christ.

But sometimes, when we feel God is really moving in someone, we'll invite them to play in the mid-week service if needed.

To be honest, we don't care where you're at because, heck, if you're there, you're there for a reason (weather you know it or not!!)

Originally Posted by Lincoln

Also, have leadership mentors in place for the team and ministry accountability.

Yes!!!!


BTW- www.worshipmusicians.com
check it out

[bottomzone]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

Eee......I gave you +1000 on you other post, but I strongly disagree here.

If this was the attitude, I wouldn't be in a position (or maybe I would be, only He knows) to have come to know Christ within the last year.

I was given the chance to play at my church, and at the time I really didn't give Christianity much, if any weight in my life.
But I was give the opportunity to be welcomed into an environment which created moments for me to engage with my spritual beliefs. And find Him and progress to my walk with Christ.

If someone on your team isn't at the same place as you, or isn't even on a path with Christ, to seperate yourself from them is IMO, the opposite of a core value of what we believe.

We have a few "non-belivers" on our team. And that's perfectly fine come experience our community.
Now, our mid-week services are really more for believers and less for seekers.
Subsequently, the praise team (band) is compiled of belivers of Christ.

But sometimes, when we feel God is really moving in someone, we'll invite them to play in the mid-week service if needed.

To be honest, we don't care where you're at because, heck, if you're there, you're there for a reason (weather you know it or not!!)




Yes!!!!


BTW- www.worshipmusicians.com
check it out

I CONCURR!!! Our Pastor stated in one of his recent sermons that it is not up to us to judge the level of someone else' spiritual state-that is between them and God. As part of the Music Ministry, we must realize that we are music ministers. You never know that the person/people that you are ministering to could be standing right next to you on stage!


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

Eee......I gave you +1000 on you other post, but I strongly disagree here.

If this was the attitude, I wouldn't be in a position (or maybe I would be, only He knows) to have come to know Christ within the last year.

I was given the chance to play at my church, and at the time I really didn't give Christianity much, if any weight in my life.
But I was give the opportunity to be welcomed into an environment which created moments for me to engage with my spritual beliefs. And find Him and progress to my walk with Christ.

If someone on your team isn't at the same place as you, or isn't even on a path with Christ, to seperate yourself from them is IMO, the opposite of a core value of what we believe.

We have a few "non-belivers" on our team. And that's perfectly fine come experience our community.
Now, our mid-week services are really more for believers and less for seekers.
Subsequently, the praise team (band) is compiled of belivers of Christ.

But sometimes, when we feel God is really moving in someone, we'll invite them to play in the mid-week service if needed.

To be honest, we don't care where you're at because, heck, if you're there, you're there for a reason (weather you know it or not!!)




Yes!!!!


BTW- www.worshipmusicians.com
check it out

While I do somewhat agree with you, but when I am leading a worship team, the people on the team are going to people that are very strong in their faith. The people on the worship team are there to lead the people in worship, if you are not a Christian, how can you be equipped to do this properly? I have removed myself from worship teams in the past because of where I was in my walk with God. While it can be a good way to witness (as in your case), I believe that it is a compromise and compromising is the biggest downfall of the western church. The people that are a visible part of the service should be setting the highest example. Would you want your pastor to be an agnostic? I think not. Then why would you have an unbeliever on your worship team?

lowsound

[Jared92]

This is all really refresing to hear. I didnt think there were many Christians (scratch that... Believers) on talkbass. +1

[ZonGuy]

Well, I don't know if my post is going to be well recieved.

I play professionally for a large church with a large music staff and audiovisual team w/ tv cameras, big screens etc.. The music varies anywhere from country to head banger contemporary christian. Every week, we play mostly brand new music and are expected to play exactly the part as recorded by the artist on the CD. 5 songs, one two hour rehearsal and then we are live in front of the TV cameras.

On the professional side, it is the best gig I have ever played. Totally professional session musician requirements, minimum hassle. It has force-grown me as a pro musician. Anywhere from 7 to 25 musicians on stage. Every week is totally different. Bring your instrument (no amp), plug into the Axiom, put on your headphones and play your best. The pay is excellent and I work with some of the best musicians in town, plus on any given week there may be a string section or horn section or guest singer.

On the spiritual side, its not my church and it really isn't in line with my beliefs.I respect the people that go there but it is not me. I usually don't even sit around for the pastor's sermon. So I am missing out on my own personal church time. I remind myself that I am still in the service of the Lord and try to be reverent and do my best, but I don't kid myself, this is a job rather than a calling. I like the staff but I am a spiritual outsider. I also play in the orchestra occassionally for a another large church which is more in line with my beliefs, but I am just a bit player. Their praise band is members only.

My own church doesnt really have a music program. Absolutely no one gets paid. We sing hymns to a rickety piano. I hope one day maybe I can perhaps bring a small string quartet to the church and play something from Bach's religious works. That is my speed. I am booked for several months at the other church so I don't know when I will get back.

My wish list is to play gospel bass in an old fashioned rollicking missionary baptist church with the piano, congregation and large choir. I don't know if I would be well recieved because I am white, but I love that music and would love to serve there.

I apologize in advance if my views offend anybody.

[scatman]

Originally Posted by ZonGuy

My wish list is to play gospel bass in an old fashioned rollicking missionary baptist church with the piano, congregation and large choir. I don't know if I would be well recieved because I am white, but I love that music and would love to serve there.

I apologize in advance if my views offend anybody.

I am an African-American who plays in church.

If I were to be dictated by my flesh side, I would suggest that any church that doesn't receive you because you are of a different race.....FLEE!!!!!!!

However, we are not to be ruled by the flesh but to be led by God. It is possible that God may lead you to that place of worship as a way of changing the hearts, perceptions and receptions of the people in it! I believe that Galations 3:28 says that 'ye are all one in Christ'!

[stingray56funk]

This is a great thread!
+1 to Lincoln, ZonGuy, and Scatman about your posts. Couldn't have said it any better myself.

I get pretty heated at times when discussing church (the building and organization) because I've played bass in some form of Xn environment for the last 10 years (played bass for mega churches, itty bitty churchs, traveled as a rock worship bassist, wrote Xn worship music...etc) and I also have a degree in Religion with a concentration in Congregational Studies. I basically have studied congregations. There are a million + different styles and ways of "doing church" and they are all good and all bad (because we are human and they are run by human beings). Lincoln said in his first post what you as a worship team should focus on. Spot on! Focus on those things and of course primarily God and your focus will be in the right place and God will be glorified.

Best of Blessings!

[dumbdrum]

I would recommend the book Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland. Excellent book and like a manual.

Along with what has been said already I would like to encourage you to remember that worship is a response to God's glory, mercy, and grace and that the ultimate form of worship is a transformed life overflowing into acts of worship like singing. Focus on the worship, then the music. Also, make sure your worship is grounded in the truth and spirit...John 4:23...it is easy to get carried away with emotions in songs. Ground those feelings in truth.

Here is a favorite quote of mine about worship:
"Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable."

Archbishop William Temple

[Torch7]

Originally Posted by dumbdrum

I would recommend the book Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland. Excellent book and like a manual.

Along with what has been said already I would like to encourage you to remember that worship is a response to God's glory, mercy, and grace and that the ultimate form of worship is a transformed life overflowing into acts of worship like singing. Focus on the worship, then the music. Also, make sure your worship is grounded in the truth and spirit...John 4:23...it is easy to get carried away with emotions in songs. Ground those feelings in truth.

Here is a favorite quote of mine about worship:
"Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable."

Archbishop William Temple

Wholeheartedly Agree...

Worship so much more than just the musical part of the service.

[jayp883]

Practices are going well. We have worked up about 5 tunes now that sound okay. Practice practice practice. I found myself singing during, "Now is the Time To worship" and before my eyes we had a wonderful 4 part harmony going. And afterwards we looked at each other in astonishment and said........"WOW! do you believe that?!!" Pretty cool. I'll keep you guys informed as we progress. Thanks for everyone's input so far.