PROPOSED MUSIC MINISTRY DRAFT POLICY DOCUMENT

CHAPTERS

  1. ROLE OF MUSIC MINISTRY

Music ministry is a subcommittee in the Christian union mandated to facilitate corporate worship in all the Union’s activities as well as any musical presentations as and when called upon e.g. choir ministration etc.

  1. MUSIC MINISTRY STRUCTURE

The ministry is headed by the music director who is responsible for spearheading the vision and strategic direction of the ministry. He/she is also the link between the members, the other leaders with the executive committee.

Other Leaders include: – Technical team head, praise and worship coordinator, choir director, worship team leaders.

Role of leaders

Technical Team Head

  • To facilitate training, & integration of new members in the technical team
  • To ensure adherence of the sound equipment policy to the later especially regarding borrowing and handling of instruments.
  • To plan and schedule duties and responsibilities of technical team members regarding set up of sound during services.
  • To facilitate repair of worn out instruments as well as advice the MD on issues regarding procurement on equipment.

 

Praise and worship coordinator

  • To plan and schedule members into their respective worship teams.
  • To allocate session leaders for the various sessions in the Union.
  • To schedule practice times for all the teams.
  • To coordinate all the joint evaluation activities for the ministry.
  • To handle extreme disciplinary issues regarding members.
  • To coordinate prayer retreat planning, Unashamed Praise devotions, worship afternoon devotions etc.
  • To facilitate communication from the MD to the respective team leaders and members.

 

Choir director

  • To facilitate all choir practices in the ministry
  • To facilitate trainings i.e. vocals and all aspects regarding skill in the ministry.
  • To ensure choir lyrics are projected in the service.
  • To facilitate training on skill for all worship events e.g. UP, worship afternoons etc.

 

Praise team leaders

  • To facilitate meetings, practices and activities at team level.
  • To ensure there’s mentorship, teamwork, growth, discipline as well as implement strategies at team level to meet the ministry’s objectives.
  • To ensure lyrics are projected during the services led by the specified team.
  • To note down any key challenges or notable aspects to be handled at the joint evaluations.

 

Chief instrumentalist

  • To plan and schedule the instrumentalists program for the sessions.
  • To facilitate training of instrumentalists.
  • To liaise with the MD and sound & lighting head on issues regarding procurement and repair of instruments.

 

 

  1. MUSIC MINISTRY MEMBERS

Joining the Ministry

All new individuals who want to join the ministry must go through a compulsory auditioning process before they are allowed to serve. All willing to join must be born again believers. Upon successful auditioning, a member will be placed on a one month probation where he/she will not go on stage but will be expected to familiarize oneself with the ministry, attend prayer meetings without fail as well as practices. His/her progress shall be assessed by a respective leader assigned to him/her who shall give a report on whether or not the said individual shall join the ministry. Any potential member who would not have passed the probation evaluation may be placed on a further 2 week probation period to allow them to re-evaluate their standing on ministry.

 

DISCIPLINE ON MEMBERS

All members are expected to adhere to high standards of discipline as regards to ministry as well as their interactions with their respective leaders.

A member who shall miss 3 consecutive meetings without prior notice and with genuine reason to their respective leaders will attract a disciplinary corrective measure by way of a warning letter from their respective team leader.

A member who proves inconsistent (i.e. missing out on 3 subsequent meetings) even upon being served with a warning letter shall thereby be suspended for a period not less than 3 weeks.

 

Other aspects of discipline

Time keeping-Everyone in the ministry is expected to observe time in attending ministry. An individual who shows up at a meeting 20 min after the start of the meeting without prior communication will not be allowed to attend the meeting.

Decency on stage– The dress code shall be strictly official wear for both the ladies and gents thus jeans, t-shirts, sleeveless tops, tights, shorts, open shoes (for men), miniskirts, transparent wear shall be deemed as inappropriate and any member who violates this dress code shall not be allowed on stage. This includes even the instrumentalists. New members shall be taken through this aspect of decency during their probation period as a way of inducting them into the ministry.

 

Mid-semester progress evaluation – All members shall be subject to a progress evaluation by way of a scorecard assessment. The pre-printed scorecard shall capture aspects like:- spiritual disciplines, skill growth, consistency, time keeping, decency, social aspects, teamwork etc. An individual who attains a below par (i.e. 50% or low) will be noted down and a follow up modality set up (so long as they are not liable for suspension for any breach of the above).

 

Prayer Retreat (2 days)- The prayer retreat is a music ministry initiative whose emphasis is to unite all members in the discipline of corporate prayer and the word of God before the  commencement of any other music ministry activity at the beginning of the semester.The prayer retreat shall also serve as an audition for the continuing students who would wish to serve in the ministry for the new semester.

 

 

Keynote music ministry activities

Major activities

  • Unashamed Praise
  • Afternoon of Worship
  • External exchange program for each of the worship teams every semester
  • A structured syllabus training on technical aspects on music and other spiritual disciplines for new members during the probation period.

Minor activities

  • A split joint evaluation between Jewels and manifest in the ministry with an external minister
  • A children’s home visit
  • Small group BS meeting during one of the joint evaluation
  • One joint evaluation facilitated by music ministry associates

 

UNASHAMED PRAISE

The Unashamed Praise is an all-night worship experience initiated by the Music Ministry that seeks to bring campus students to jointly and corporately seek God through music, song, dance, prayer and the word.

UNASHAMED PRAISE STEERING COMMITTEE

The purpose of this committee is to handle matters pertaining the event prior, during and after its occurrence.

The 8 member committee shall be set up 6 months prior to the event to allow them to efficiently and adequately plan for the event.

 

Key dockets in the committee include:-

  • Skill and training
  • Sound/equipment and video recording
  • Lighting and décor
  • Prayer and Bible devotion – In-charge of theme expositions, prayer and BS groups, discipline, nurturing and discipleship
  • Publicity and media
  • Finance and Resource mobilization – Responsible for budgeting, treasury, acts as the link between the CU treasurer and music ministry.
  • Secretary – (in charge of minutes and all correspondence)
  • Hospitality – in charge of refreshments, retreats, bashes etc.
  • Ushering

Compulsory Members to the committee shall include: – Praise and worship coordinator, Technical Team Head, and the Choir Director. The rest of the membership shall comprise of any member of music ministry or outside the ministry with experience on the docket he/she shall be appointed to.

Appointment to serve in the committee shall be done by the music ministry leadership.

 

External Exchange Programs

The purpose of this initiative is to forge strategic partnerships between the music ministry and other worship teams so as to increase growth, knowledge and Unity with other Unions.

There shall be 2 External exchange Engagements per semester, where a section of music ministry shall visit another CU and facilitate the worship session and the other C.U’s team also visit and facilitate the worship session.

 

Joint Evaluations

The music ministry leadership should consider the following to be included in the semester’s joint meetings:-

  • A split evaluation for Jewels and Manifest – with an invited guest with sound biblical doctrine invited to share on a pertinent topic(s) to either gender.
  • An interactive forum facilitated by music ministry associates – the forum could take the form of a Q and A, bonding, presentations etc. as deemed fit by the leadership.
  • Small group meetings facilitated by the elders – where a book could be studied or other members engage the elders as the elders share out their experiences in the ministry.
  • Sharing done by members to groom them for future leadership responsibilities.
  • Invitation of a guest minister to talk to members – at least one guest minister per semester.