I asked you on Reddit how was the pay.... You're volunteering. Do your best and don't sweat it.
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Church is Stressing Me Out.....
- Thread starter Donald Thompson
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Okay, I’m going to be the jerk here...
Assuming this is a volunteer situation, this is simply unacceptable. If your worship band is made up primarily of volunteers and the worship leader paid in any capacity by the church, this is way too much to ask. However, if you guys are all paid then this just may be the way this gig is with this particular WL.
Is it possible to talk to the WL privately and voice these concerns? Frankly, learning a group of songs and then changing up the songs at the last minute is way too much to ask of anyone not paid the local market rate, and it sure sounds like the WL is taking advantage of the worship band. I could be wrong though, and maybe this is the way that churches function where you live, but if this were me I’d be having a serious “come to Jesus" talk with the WL about this blatant disregard for your time and preparation.
Assuming this is a volunteer situation, this is simply unacceptable. If your worship band is made up primarily of volunteers and the worship leader paid in any capacity by the church, this is way too much to ask. However, if you guys are all paid then this just may be the way this gig is with this particular WL.
Is it possible to talk to the WL privately and voice these concerns? Frankly, learning a group of songs and then changing up the songs at the last minute is way too much to ask of anyone not paid the local market rate, and it sure sounds like the WL is taking advantage of the worship band. I could be wrong though, and maybe this is the way that churches function where you live, but if this were me I’d be having a serious “come to Jesus" talk with the WL about this blatant disregard for your time and preparation.
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With all that being said... 1st, thanks for your service in the Army, 2nd, thanks for your service to God. My advice about playing... Psalm 98:4 (something about making a joyful noise). You won't regret it, My biggest regrets seemed to be the things I didn't do more than the things I did.Yeah. Unfortunately this going to be my last Sunday in the town. But I'm PCSing from Fort Riley, so I feel kinda mixed about it.
I spent more than 30 years dealing with that stuff. If you’re this stressed, it’s because you actually care more than your leadership.
For me personally, when apathy becomes an essential survival skill, I exit stage left.
Whoever is the worship leader, music director, whatever is totally disrespecting your time and effort. If you continue to go along, you’re just enabling them.
For me personally, when apathy becomes an essential survival skill, I exit stage left.
Whoever is the worship leader, music director, whatever is totally disrespecting your time and effort. If you continue to go along, you’re just enabling them.
Sux. I have played at many different churches and lead worship at a church for a year. I have experienced all different levels of preparation by the leadership. Some are not real musicians and as a consequence they play loose with the keys and what not. I no longer have the patience for that junk. When i lead the songs were out a week in advance in the correct key with NO CHANGES.
Currently I am playing at a mega church. They have their act together. When the music is sent out it is always accompanied by an MP3 in the same key. We use click tracks that tell you verse, chorus and what not too. I don't really need those tracks except for those pesky silent starts we often do. Hang in their.
Currently I am playing at a mega church. They have their act together. When the music is sent out it is always accompanied by an MP3 in the same key. We use click tracks that tell you verse, chorus and what not too. I don't really need those tracks except for those pesky silent starts we often do. Hang in their.
If this is a military chapel things get pretty loose. People come and go routinely, due to work schedules and deployments music ministers often don't know week to week who will be there. Since this is his last week playing before he leaves this church, it's probably not worth creating any kind of tension. Even if it might be perceived as what's best for that Church.
It may not be the Worship leader making the changes, could be the chaplain. Not sure if the service is tomorrow or next week, but either way I think it's best just to relax, do your best and let God help you out with the best lines.
Stick it out..
Endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:4)
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. (Kelly Clarkson)
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Went thru this for years, stressful. Worship leaders that get paid and throw out surprises at the last minute take the fun out of playing. On the other hand I worked with one who gave me a binder with all the services planned out for 6 months and all the charts in the correct keys, God send!
Church can be stressful. That is why i currently dont play for a church. my wife was the worship leader of a start up church. We had full band, praise team. Good chorded songs/music to play by. Talk about stress, attitudes, people not showing up then expecting solos, not wanting to play/sing certain songs, then they quit afterwards. No support from pastor, members gossiping backstabbing my wife. I played bass until the keyboard player who would show up 10 minutes AFTER the service started unexpectedly quit. I had to start playing keys. Don't sweat the added songs, that is the easy stuff.
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Trial by fire. Been there, done that. Makes you a better musician in the process. Do the best you can, make notes and/or charts, and don't stress. It's only music.
Church gigs can be very beneficial to budding musicians, since you are expected to play in many different styles, without a lot of rehearsal. If you can read charts/music, and are well versed in multiple styles, you will be just fine. If you aren’t, then this can be the crash course of a lifetime in extemporaneous ensemble playing.
Another reason church gigs are different, is that, unlike secular band leaders, who rely on on set lists and preparation, worship leaders yield to a higher power, and will often break spontaneously into a song that wasn’t listed on the program.
Another reason church gigs are different, is that, unlike secular band leaders, who rely on on set lists and preparation, worship leaders yield to a higher power, and will often break spontaneously into a song that wasn’t listed on the program.
I have to make charts by ear. Sometimes I don't even know what key/version we're playing until the singer start singing( the pianist makes chords on the fly based off what key the singer is singing, and I struggle to follow along.) Though that doesn't happen to often.
I play two services every week. I never know what the hymns are before we start...the key word, there, however, is hymns. It is pretty easy to follow most old hymns, though some are a little more challenging. On the other hand, for the moment, I am the only player (12-string), so, when I hit clams, everybody gets chowder.
Ah, well...I'm also one of the pastors, but no one gets paid for their service-- we are all volunteer. So, when it is good, it is good. When it is not, no one gets huffy.
Ah, well...I'm also one of the pastors, but no one gets paid for their service-- we are all volunteer. So, when it is good, it is good. When it is not, no one gets huffy.
I’d guess no pay. If you know of a church that pays, please let me know.
I’d also mention that this type of thing (“here’s the music, we play in an hour”) is not atypical for churches, sadly.
The best you can do is doing the best you can do. Sometimes in a situation like this it means plucking roots on the kick. Drop in some fifths or octaves and passing notes, all the better.
In the end it’s just church. If people are singing, which is the point, no one will notice a muff here or there.
Do the best you can or, if you're unconfortable , just quit.
A little bit of stress is good...but getting overexposesd to stress is not healthy. And I'm sorry but, my health and peace of mind comes first.
A little bit of stress is good...but getting overexposesd to stress is not healthy. And I'm sorry but, my health and peace of mind comes first.
Last minute songs! The feeling of winging it and doing your best in non-ideal conditions!
Church music. I love all these things!
Church music. I love all these things!
I concur. Sounds like the OP is leaving, so too late for the heart to heart, but this is not the way to treat volunteers.
I play on the worship team in our church, on guitar rather than bass. The pastor selects the songs and he routinely only sends them out the middle of the week before we play them. Lately he's been doing it on Tuesday rather than Thursday, which is a slight improvement, but still. I complained to him about it, politely, and for a while he was sending them out a week ahead, which was a relief, but then he fell behind and is now back to sending it out the same week. It isn't as many songs as the OP's situation - pretty rigid four songs per Sunday - but still.
I play in church and we do three services per weekend. One on Sat evening and two on Sunday. There are occasions when there is a last minute change in the playlist.
You just have to go with the flow.
One thing that helps me learn new songs it to go to YouTube and listen the the songs. I download them into a playlist and practice along with them. If there is a last minute change in key, then at least I am familiar with the song and can adjust accordingly.
I may not play it perfectly but no one really notices. This can work for you as well. Good luck and thank you for your service. 
You just have to go with the flow. One thing that helps me learn new songs it to go to YouTube and listen the the songs. I download them into a playlist and practice along with them. If there is a last minute change in key, then at least I am familiar with the song and can adjust accordingly. I may not play it perfectly but no one really notices. This can work for you as well. Good luck and thank you for your service. 
While it was not church, i played for a guy who would book a job then get in the phone and round up a band. You never knew who was going to be in the band until you showed up at the appointed place. We took a minute before we went on to kinda sorta come up with a set list but even with a list, the BL was prone to change keys or even completely change previous arrangements of songs based on his mood at that moment.
It was hands down the best education i ever had in on stage communications, learning a front persons tells, and on the fly following that front wherever they went with the music. Don’t stress just learn your fretboard backward and forward, and develop your ear so you can adjust on the fly, and have a ball.
It was hands down the best education i ever had in on stage communications, learning a front persons tells, and on the fly following that front wherever they went with the music. Don’t stress just learn your fretboard backward and forward, and develop your ear so you can adjust on the fly, and have a ball.
