Many churches prefer not to think about it, but, like it or not, a church’s music and multimedia ministry is a part of the music and entertainment industry.  If music and multimedia is a commodity for day-to-day operations, you are indeed a part of the music biz.

Anyone who is in business will tell you that you must study and analyze your competition in order to survive.  In music ministry, we are in competition with the secular entertainment market.  In order to draw people in and engage them, our “product” (in this case, the worship experience) must offer a viable substitute to what congregants can get anywhere else.  A growth-focused contemporary church’s music, video, multimedia, and visual experience must rival what people find on the radio or at a concert–relevant and “in the now”.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that worship is a concert or performance, but let’s face the facts:  those things get people through your doors.  Now that you’ve drawn them in, it’s the substance that’s combined with the experience that creates true relevance.

So, how can we build a vibrant and relevant music ministry? Let’s take a cue from a real-world business model, by adapting what works in the secular markets, and putting it to work to help further the Kingdom of God.

  • Sales and Marketing. In music ministry you’re engaged in sales and marketing.  You’re basically getting someone else to “buy in” to a ministry opportunity with their time and talents.  You must publicize available positions, special events, etc.  If no one knows, then no one will volunteer or participate.
  • Human Resources. You’re also responsible for seeking the right person for the “job”.  You’re saddled with the task of conducting auditions and interviews.  This task is a weighty responsibility for any ministry team, because desperation to fill a given position most often results in a poor decision.
  • Public Relations. Your team must portray the image of your parent company, in this case, the church.  This image must be exuded both inside and outside the church’s walls.
  • Employee Evaluation. A ministry’s responsibility is to constantly asses the work ethic, attendance, and attitude of each “employee”.  Furthermore, you must assess each team member’s competency in his/her job.  Are they growing and learning their instrument?  Are they progressing with their musical knowledge?  Can they pull their weight?  Are they growing spiritually?
  • Legal Department. Churches all over the world break the law every week, and they don’t even know it.  It’s the ministry’s moral obligation to understand intellectual property rights and the church’s legal responsibilities as it pertains to those rights.  You also often deal with member contracts once players are recruited.
  • Maintenance and Quality Control. The ministry must supply a quality product (i.e. worship experience) each week.  So, the ministry must seek out and address areas of weakness and constantly look for ways to improve.
  • Research and Development. Again, to compete and survive, you must analyze and learn from the competition.  A ministry must learn from the most current trends and seek out ways to push forward.  You must research and implement new ways to improve and become more productive.  You must test ways to make your product become a viable substitute to what’s on the radio and in other entertainment.

While this is just a basic overview, there are many other parallels and lessons to draw from the business world when it comes to building a vibrant ministry team.  See www.butlerproductionsmultimedia.com/seminars to bring this and similar information to your church.

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