Never forget the blues 1-4-5 progression. It'll come back in some form or another in a lot of traditional based gospel.
Learn to do the chromatic runs (1-3-4-4.5-5-6-7-7.5-8 - and variations on that basic theme -Restart from the 3 - repeat until told to stop... literally!) . There will come that inevitable moment when the holy ghost will hit and you may be doing this for a while.
Learn to follow the foot pedals if you have a Hammond B3 player. And try to get them to lay off of them when you finally catch the groove or know what you are supposed to be playing. Trying to get them to ease up on the left hand or foot pedals will be a constant struggle. IF they don't stop - you stop playing and stare at them.... they'll get the message.
In addition, don't compete with the drummer for rhythmic stuff. He's the beat master... lock with him and you'll experience a groove that will rival the grand canyon. It'll be that deep. It's almost addictive... The first time it happens, you'll want to do it everytime.... patience grass-hopper.
Get some kind of set up that allows you to play a cd, run it through a mixer that you have your bass plugged into and get some good headphones. This will be the best practice set up you can ever get. You can practice to CD's forever and no one will hear your mistakes...
Don't underestimate how much you need to practice... not learn new stuff, but improve the techniques you already have.
Don't underestimate the application of the KISS principle. There isn't a lot of Wooten-esque style in Gospel. Slapping and popping has it's place, but good solid finger style will be your best friend. As such, so will some theory. You may not always want to play the root.... learn what else there is to play.
If you're not accustomed to entended range instruments, make the shift. You don't need a conklin 7 or 9 string, but a good 5 with a B string is a must. In fact, take the journey into tuning down a half step or a whole step... you'll be surprised. You may have to experiment with string gauges, but it's worth it to see if you can become comfortable.... careful... you'll eventually want to have multiple basses tuned B, Bb and A.... you'll get GAS, and become a gear snob....
I've played 6'ers for a while and I'm comfortable with it... but I could get by with a good 5.
I don't use a whole lot of FX... don't know many players that do... I don't think you need them.
Churches that I've been in are afraid to let me get a line to the board... as such, I have a Crest CA9 that will do 2000 W to a 4 ohm load... I don't need no stinkin' line to the board. Being heard clear to the back of the church may or may not be an isssue. If you become a regular church player, you'll want to think about your setup. I don't think 1000 W of headroom is too much... I think its about right.
As for cabs: 10's are fine--- 410's are good.... 12's are better (for me...) but 15's & 18's and anything smaller than a 10"... I don't think you'll need. Oh... and make sure your cab has a tweeter. For those percussive moments when you're NOT competing with the drummer, tweeters help make it sweet and articulate.
