Onboarding Process for Worship Team Volunteers

Speaker 1 Okay, so let’s talk about onboarding. Usually, exactly at the end of the musical assessment, if someone’s ready to join the team, spiritually and musically, I immediately begin onboarding them. It doesn’t make sense to schedule another meeting unless we both just ran out of time. So onboarding. Once someone passes that musical assessment, spiritual assessment, now we want to really press them and mould them into the type of team member that we want them to be. And this comes through deliberate and clear communication. That is the key to good onboarding is deliberate and clear communication. And so the first thing I would encourage you to do if you don’t already have core values as a worship team, is to develop your own core values for your team. And what I mean by that is you want to be able to tell somebody this is the type of team that we’re trying to become, or this is the type of team member that we want you to be. Like I said, in the academy, we already have a done for you template that will walk you through this entire process. By the way, if you guys didn’t know this, you can try the academy for free for 15 days.

Speaker 1 It’s totally free. You can just get in there, poke around, and grab some of this stuff. But you can create a values document that has 5-7 words. Actually, let me first tell you about the whole onboarding process, and then I’ll tell you about the values document. You’re going to You’re going to walk this person through the team values. You’re going to talk through the expectations of what’s required of them. You’re going to do a little bit of online training by sending them some links for some things to watch. You’re going to do in-person training, which is a lot less scary than it sounds, so don’t freak out. Then you’re going to keep an open dialogue with them for 30 to 90 days, anywhere between there. Just lots of feedback, lots of conversation. That’s what a good onboarding process looks like as an overview. Then I’m going to dig into each one of these separately. The first thing that you’re going to do is sit down with them right after that audition, and you’re going to talk through the team values. There are 5-7 words that you should identify this is our team’s values. At my church, we chose these words.

Speaker 1 We are worshippers, We are servants, we are committed. We are encouragers. We are family. We are creative, and we are progressing. That might be too many, but that’s where we landed. This is who we want our team to be. We want them to be servants, humble. Then you break down what each of those things means. We’re committed. We show up when we’re scheduled. We do the work at home to be prepared. We’re encouragers. We speak well of each other. We call out the best in each other. We build up the next generation. We’re encouragers. You want to create these values for your team so that you can help this new team member understand how you want them to behave. You want to use identity words like worshippers, servants, encouragers, because identity informs behaviour. Who we are or who we believe we are affects how we behave. So create those 3-7 identity words, values, team values, and then give that to your team member and talk through that with them. The second thing you’re going to do at that meeting is you’re going to talk through the expectations. Expectations of everything. How much time they should spend rehearsing.

Speaker 1 How frequently will cancellations be tolerated? I know that sounds like a weird way to phrase it, but you can’t have someone on the team that’s cancelling or someone who’s like, I can only serve once every nine weeks. You’re like, Well, I don’t need that. That’s more of a headache than anything. So what spiritual life is expected of them? What behaviour inside and outside of the church is expected of them? What does it look like to show up fully prepared for rehearsal? What does that mean? So you want to be very clear on what what you expect of them. And again, we talked about this, they are a blank slate. So whatever you tell them, they will take as gospel truth. So use this time. Capitalise on this time. Don’t be shy. Don’t be timid. Say, On our team, this is what we do. On our team, this is what we expect. When I send a planning centre request, I expect that you accept it within 48 hours so that I know whether you’re in or not. That clarity is important in this expectations conversation. Also at that meeting, you want to talk about important information that they need to know to succeed.

Speaker 1 Here’s where you park. Here’s how we’ll be scheduling you. Here’s when the songs usually get sent out. This is the Dory that you get into the building from. This is what you should wear. This is appropriate. This is not appropriate. You can even create a lookbook of, Here is dress that’s appropriate. Then, Don’t wear don’t wear your holy jeans, don’t wear baseball caps, whatever your church’s standards are. Here’s what you should do if you have to cancel. Here’s who you call in case of an emergency. Here’s where you put your in your monitors. So what’s just the FAQ, the frequently asked questions? Make a document that has all that information for them that you give to them at this meeting. So after this meeting, you just send them home with all those documents for them to review and look over when they get home because it’s a lot of information, right? And then what you’re going to do is you’re going to email them some links. And this is where we get into the online training. You want to create some shared Google Docs where you have links for drum. Here are three videos we want you to watch.

Speaker 1 This is the style that we like. Or watch the difference of bad stage presence versus good stage presence for the singers. Or basically create an online course for each position of a few videos that you would want them to watch or articles or podcast. Here’s how to embrace simplicity in your playing. Find some really resourceful articles and podcasts and videos and make a little Google Doc for each musician type and send that to that person. Now, again, you’re like, Alex, this is so much work. Yes, it is. That’s what leadership is. But if you just copy those links one time, it’s like setting up your planning centre song. If you set up your planning centre song and you do it the right way and you put the core chart in the right way and you put all the resources in, it’s there forever to always be utilised effectively. So you’re going to do the same thing. You’re going to put a lot of work in upfront on these Google Docs, and now you have them forever for every new team member. Okay, agree? Yes, awesome. Okay, so then you’re going to send them that and say, Hey, watch these videos, and then I’m going to schedule you to come back for our in-person training.

Speaker 1 Now, in-person training sounds scary, but it’s really, I just want you to come in for three weeks to observe our rehearsals. It could be three weeks, it could be four weeks, it could be however long you think. You want them to come attend rehearsals and observe and acclimate. This gives them time to absorb the team culture, to learn what’s normative. It also gives you time to observe them to make sure that your initial impressions of them were accurate. Because sometimes we’re off and people’s character gets exposed with time and you’re like, Oh, wow, he just dropped a F-bomb. Or, Oh, that person’s making inappropriate jokes or being creepy or staring at the girls or whatever. Having them attend rehearsals and not actually get involved yet, it might seem like, But Alex, we need the drummer now. No, you don’t. Not if he’s a creep. Just give it some time. It’s better to have this three-week buffer period where you can observe them, and then they can also get acclimated to you as well. Also ask some of your other key players or key leaders on your team to put eyes on that person as well to give you feedback if they see things that you’re not seeing.

Speaker 1 Because they might behave one way in front of you, but maybe around the other younger people, they’re a little a bit more cuckoo or talking about how they got drunk last weekend or whatever. So have them come and attend your rehearsals. And during this shadowing period, what you want them to do is you want them to shadow the position of whatever they’re going to play in the future. So if it’s a bass to the bass player, Hey, we’re going to give you in your monitors. We want you to stand. If you have in your monitors of your church, I’m assuming. If you don’t, that’s fine. Hey, take your bass, stand on stage next to the bass player, watch what he’s doing. Listen to how he’s approaching the songs. Use your current musicians as the standard for that person. And then let them watch, let them ask questions to that bass player in between songs, and then you ask them questions during that time as well. So for three weeks, they’re around the team and they’re watching their player and they’re maybe even practising along, but they’re not plugged in. Okay, so that’s what in person training looks like.

Speaker 1 Now, the last step is to let them actually serve and to provide loads and loads of feedback. This is the final phase of onboarding is to schedule them, try to put them with the best band you can so that they’re feeling supported musically, they’re not feeling vulnerable. And then after they serve, give them feedback and tell them beforehand, Hey, okay, last step of onboarding is I’m going to schedule you to serve. If you need to meet in advance, if you have questions in advance, be over the top, make yourself available to them and then let them serve and say, Hey, I’m going to give you a lot of feedback after this first one, okay? And then try, as your leading worship, try to pay attention to how they’re doing. Or if it’s at a rehearsal, Thursday night rehearsal or whatever, listen extra to them and then afterwards, give them some private feedback. Feedback. Don’t do it in front of everybody because they’re already nervous. And then just tell them, Okay, for the next 60 to 90 days, I’m going to give you lots of feedback every time you serve. And eventually, you’ve given them enough feedback.

Speaker 1 Obviously, be encouraging, not just critical. So be encouraging with your feedback. So encouraging stuff and work on this, just like the same thing you did in the coaching conversation. And then, yeah, you get the feedback, and eventually, they’re going to start doing everything the way that you want, and you’re not going to have to give as much feedback. And pretty soon, you won’t have to give any feedback. And now you’ve got an ideal team member, someone who is spiritually and musically perfectly in line with what you’re trying to build at your church. So that is how you onboard a team member the easy way. I think easy. Any questions about onboarding? I know that was fast.

Speaker 3 No, it was good. Do you have a established for how you keep track of where individuals are at within the process and how those things are done?

Speaker 1 That’s a good question. No, because I’ve never pumped through that many people. You know what I mean? In my context, even at that really large church, it was always one or two people all at a time. It’s not scientific. I’m feeling it out. Like, oh, man, this guy needs… Right now, I’m onboarding a percussionist at my church, and I’m meeting with him every Wednesday after Youth Group, and we’re practising two songs together, and I’m just telling him what to work on. It’s taking way longer than I thought. I thought he would already be on stage serving, and I’m like, whoa, he has these little weird hiccups with his percussion. He’s getting closer, but it’s already been six weeks or eight weeks, and I was thinking it would take two weeks. It’s just playing it by ear with each person.

Speaker 3 Then do you also do all the stuff on all the instruments? I can’t do all the different stuff. What would be a way to also bring people on your Coast and not something new?

Speaker 1 No, that’s a great question. Obviously, if you’re able recruit your current musicians to help you. So your best bass player. Hey, will you take so and so under your wing and every two weeks work with him for an hour? Or I always tell people, double stack your time. Hey, will you come before rehearsal or after rehearsal and work with so and so for a season. You can recruit other people to help you in that as well. It doesn’t have to just be you, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 Yeah, okay. Then my other question is just about putting the values. Do you set that or did you bring your team in to help establish?

Speaker 1 That’s a great question. Like I mentioned, the team building course that you guys can all have access to for free. I’ll show you how to get it. This team building course talks about how to develop your values. One of the key elements of that is you should start the ball rolling on the values and then bring some people. Or if it’s not just you, keep it really tight, like two or three people to develop the values. And then once you’ve got those two people in, bring in a slightly wider circle of five people to be like, Hey, this is what we’re thinking. Does this sound good? And then once they’ve said yes, then roll it out to everybody. But I wouldn’t bring too big of a group around. There has to be a point person or at least a colonel or a seed to start with and then let people speak into that instead of just like… Now, if you’re on staff and there’s really close worship leaders with you, then you could start together. But I would say keep it pretty small. But you’re right. You do want to have other key leaders involved in the process, at least early on in the process, to help create buy-in and to make sure everybody’s on board.

Speaker 1 Any other questions about onboarding? Do you have any successful resources or suggestions for vocalists, especially those who aren’t super comfortable with Harmony? Actually, on Friday the 26th in the academy, we’re doing a training for how to learn to hear harmony and sing Harmony, and how to teach people who don’t hear harmony how to begin learning it. So that’s happening this month in the academy. In fact, if you guys don’t mind, I want to share with you what is the academy because I keep talking about, but I want to show you guys. So in everything I’m doing, I really just want to try to serve and resource worship leaders. What I try to do is I try to make as much free content available as possible and say, Here, if you want more, there’s more. And so the academy has basically four facets. There’s the community portion where people are asking questions. Basically, everybody’s just posting constantly and they’re helping each other out. So the community portion. Then there’s courses. So we have courses on every topic that you need as a worship leader. So we have the theological foundations. We have the Theological Foundations. We have the Administration and organisational side of Ministry, Musical Excellence course to help your team become better musically together, team building course.

Speaker 1 What I taught you today are two lessons out of 14. There’s 14 in the team building course. The set building course to help you build beautiful arcing sets that thematically and musically flow towards this climactic view of Jesus, helping your church engage in singing and participating more in worship, running effective and efficient rehearsals, vocal technique, group communication. Those are the courses that we do. Then we have live events. Like I said, learning harmony to teach your vocalists. That’s happening this next Friday, April 26. I’m bringing in an expert to help me teach that. We do two events every month that are topical. And then we do a Monday huddle, like Zoom call, where everyone shares highs and lows or throws out a problem that they’re facing and lets other people. And then I share a five-minute encouragement, and then I pray for everyone, and we jump off into the week. So that’s the live stuff. We also have group discussions once a month around a specific topic. So for example, this month we’re talking about discipleship. And so they watch three videos that I’ve created. And then we talk about discipleship on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

Speaker 1 Then The docs is what I was telling you about earlier, where we have an audition template. It’s completely done for you. Everything, including those Dropbox files, they’re created for you. You just take the system and plop it into place at your church. We have the onboarding template that’s going to help you craft your values and create those onboarding documents. It basically walks you through step by step and has prompts for you just to fill out, so it saves you tonnes of time. We have the Musician Training Documents for those onboarding things we talked about. We have Acoustic guitar training videos. We have electric bass drums, piano vocalists, music director training, and you just send these to each of your musicians, and we’re constantly updating them and adding to them. We have vocal warmups. We have a task template that you can use software to keep yourself on track. And then annual team member survey questions, budget template, 15 done for you, team building activities. There’s a lot here in the academy for you to just fast forward your way through a lot of having to do the grunt work. We’ve created optimised versions of everything for you that you just take and you can utilise that.

Speaker 1 That’s the Academy. Like I said, it’s 15 days for free. I don’t charge you. It says $1 to try, but we don’t actually charge anything. Then it’s only 35 bucks a month. The price is going to be going up next month to $45, or if you pay annually, it’s $19 a month. If you could get your pastor to give you 200 bucks, that’s basically the cost of the academy for the whole year. If you guys are interested, I can post a link for you to try it. But that is that.

Speaker 2 Hey, friend, this was a live training that I did for the Evangelical Free Church Worship Leaders. If you are a part of a network of churches, I would love to train your worship leaders for you just as a free way to say God bless you. They did donate in the end, but I’m happy to serve the global church for free. If you have a group of churches that you would like me to speak to, I would love to do that. If you are interested in really taking your ministry to the next level, I would invite you to join the Worship Ministry Training Academy, which you can try for free for 15 days. We have 11 now in-depth courses on every topic that’s important to you. We have live monthly trainings. We have live workshops like the one you just watched. We have expert interviews every month with some of your favourite worship leaders. We have live stream reviews where I give you feedback on your live stream. We have a supportive community, forums where you can post your own questions and get help from thousands of other worship leaders from all over the globe. We would love to have you inside the academy.

Speaker 2 You can try it for free for 15 days by going to worshipministrytraining. Com. God bless..