One of the most often asked question I get as I talk with pastors, worship leaders and volunteers is “How do I grow my team?” What they usually mean is, “How do we find more musicians?” Here’s six ways not to do it:
1. Rely only on Sunday morning announcements.
This is the “shot-gun” approach or the “let’s throw stuff against the wall and see what sticks” method of recruiting. It’s OK to use your church’s forms of “mass marketing” – Sunday morning announcements, bulletins, website – but recognize this type of passive promotion works best to just raise awareness or pique curiosity.
Here are a few tips for using mass-market advertisements to grow your team:
- An Opportunity versus a Need. Announce the desire for more musicians/techs, etc. as openings or opportunities – avoid the needy plea. More on that in a moment.
- Call to Action. Point people to the next step by giving them a clear and tangible action. “Pick up an “info sheet” in the foyer” or “Sign-up at the welcome center” or “contact so-and-so” or “scan this QR code to sign-up online.” Each of those ‘next steps’ should have another tangible step that moves them closer to the interview/audition process.
- Qualifications. Be clear about minimum qualifications. We fear, especially in “needs-based” ministries (e.g. we don’t just want another bassist to fill our 5th Sunday team, but we just don’t have one), that we might discourage people who under-estimate their abilities. But honestly, you honor your time and theirs by being upfront about what’s needed on the team.For example, I’ve learned the hard way to be specific with potential piano players: “You have to be able to read leadsheets. We don’t provide full piano arrangements.” If she looks at me like I just told her to stop believing in the Virgin Birth, I pretty much know where this is headed. I’ll even offer to teach note-bound pianists to read chords. If they submit to that process, awesome. If they don’t, that’s fine, too. But the minimum qualification has just saved me from buying another 1000 count bottle of Walgreen-brand ibuprofen.
Recognize that once you’ve posted your flyer, ran your bulletin blurb or made your announcement, the easy part is over. Relationship-driven recruitment is work. Take the time to develop the “next steps” in the process. Cultivate word-of-mouth promotion with your team and key leaders in the church. Be bold and personally ask people to tryout, without guilting or other emotional manipulation. Speaking of…
2. Show desperation: “We NEED people for our worship team…”
Desperation for Jesus, good. Desperation for a drummer, icky. If you’ve got a solid musician hiding in the pews, she’s likely creeped-out by your desperation. And if someone does respond to neediness, he’s probably one of three things: a narcissist, a co-dependent, or someone who knows three chords and has the gift of “helps.”
(A side note: I’m convinced that most struggling ministries in our churches are made up of well-intentioned people with the gift of helps. They see unfilled holes. They’ve been gifted with this self-denying desire to help. So while their passions and experiences and strengths may lie elsewhere, they jump into whatever void they find. Sometimes this is necessary, but only for awhile. People can’t sustain long-term ministry with only a desire to “help-out”.)
If you’d like more lousy ways to grow your team, stop back for the next few posts. Up next – how to carb-feed egos while cultivating exclusivity and elitism.
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What methods of promotion have you found effective to attract new musicians?
Be honest and tell us some horror stories of desperation or not being clear on qualifications.
