What if the church couldn't pay you?

If your church could not or would not pay you for leading worship, would you do it anyway? Would there be a noticeable difference in the quality of the worship?

Comments

[Albert]

I'm doing it right now. =)

And even if they did, it personally wouldn't change me from giving my best to serve the church.

[Steve]

People get PAID to do worship?

I think a better question would be "If Churches could pay their lead worshippers, would the quality improve?" To which I'd answer: "yes."

[Brian]

Absolutely I would do it even if the church couldn't pay. I'd say the difference in the quality would be directly related to the amount of time I had to prepare for a service. If I still had to work a full-time(+) job in addition to the leading worship, it takes from the time available. That's where I see the difference, anyway.

[Misti]

Yes. Whether getting paid or not, the quality is determined by how much you consider this a ministry to the people of the church and your your Lord! The right focus produces strong worship!!!

[Nathan]

Coming from someone who just plays guitar on Sundays, I don't think anyone who isn't on staff should be paid. This is just how I worship and to pay me to worship would defeat the purpose. It is work to get up early and go to rehearsals, but its also work for the Sunday school teachers and other VOLUNTEERS.

[Chris Deeves]

I get paid to orgainize the worship in my church, but I myself don't worship lead at all (I play guitar, but that's it).
Without SOMEONE on staff organizing things, our church's worship would be a mess (three unique venues each Sunday, three unique worship teams each Sunday). It's a lot of work.
I like to call myself a worship facilitator, or the creative arts director, as I don't lead worship. Every church needs a facilitator of worship, and I think not paying them is only acceptable when you can't afford to (ie the pastor isn't getting paid either). Corporate worship is one of the main reasons for Sunday mornings, along with teaching God'd word. I think you've got to put those things on equal ground when it comes to economic compensation (they both deserve to get paid).
I don't know about amounts, and I personally don't care, as long as I can feed my family and maintain a house and car. I didn't get into ministry to be rich, but to serve God with my gifts. I feel humbled and honoured to be paid to co-ordinate worship at Lakeside here, and I thank God that I am able to be paid.
Has the worship quality been improved by having a Creative Arts Director - yes. Do we pay our worship leaders - no. In the future, I would want to start paying them, only out of pure desire to see them economically compensated for thier time they devote tirelessly to our ministry. I don't think that paying them will make them "better" worship leaders.

[Dan Farrmer]

Actually getting paid, either to lead worship or work technical side (running PA or power point) is not the point in my humble opinion. The actual point is how much is your effort actually appreciated...people say, "Oh thanks for all the work," but laugh behind your back when you kill yourself while they sit in the congregation doing nothing. It's the old "20% of the people do 80% of the work" type thing to me..Hope I haven;t gotten you too off topic...just the circumstance I'm currently observing...

[Casey]

I play the piano at my church and even when I coordinated the music for the worship service I never got paid. It's great if the church can afford to pay the worship team, but I am the only person in my church that can play the piano which is our lead musical instument. The worship leaders have always turned down pay in the past. My sister was visiting a while back and she was shocked that our team didn't get paid almost to the point of being outraged that a church would not support the people who are essential in worship. I explained to her that without the Spirit none of us would be effective anyway, so the church can't pay the Holy Spirit just give themselves to Him each service and let Him work through us all. Would being paid be great; sure, but I cannot see accepting money for a gift that I was given to use as I am doing 3 or more times a week.

[Holly]

It is refreshing to see so many comments from people saying they don't get paid. (and wouldn't necessarily want to be paid) I've been in charge of worship at my church for over 6 years and never been paid. Previous, people were and with most of them it was a "gig" mentality rather than a worship mentality. I have many associates that are paid and tell me how wrong it is that I'm not. Sometimes I feel that way, but these comments have been very encouraging to me. Thanks

[Mark]

Well, think a good question would be why do we even need music to worship God as a community. It seems more and more that "programming" takes so much time, energy, and effort and also $$$$$. It is intresting that this question is asked. We need to look more at the history of the church. Many lessons can be learned from the early church that thrived without "worship Hits" or worship leader performances. Since when did worship have quality??? That is the contrary to very definition of worship. I think only performances have quality. A real challenging question would be how many people would still show up if we could not worship without music?

[Michiel]

Hi!

I'm from the Netherlands where I serve our local church as worshipleader and, together with my wife, as teamleaders overseeing both the worship team as the sound and projection teams. There's only one full time paid 'pastor' and that's it.

I'd love to be able to spend more time on leading in our church, but next to a full-time job and three young kids that's quite a challenge.

Will worship improve when I'd be paid? No. Would my attention to our teams improve? Yes.

Being paid has nothing to do with how good the worship is. Worship is a matter of the heart. Never about getting payement..

[Philippa]

I'm South African, and have been involved in worship/music ministry in a couple of very different churches and different types of music ministry (from Salvation Army brass band to currently playing the piano in an interdenominational church worship team) for many years. I have never heard of anyone being paid to do worship! My feeling is that this is where my gifts lie, and this is how I am able to serve my church.

[Philippa]

Sorry, I realised that I didn't actually answer the question. I think that unless the church is big enough to warrant a full-time worship ministry (I know of none in South Africa), then involvement in worship (whether as a musician, leader or technician) is a service, and therefore being paid or not should have no effect on quality. Worship is not about us, it's about God.

[Philippa]

Sorry, I realised that I didn't actually answer the question. I think that unless the church is big enough to warrant a full-time worship ministry (I know of none in South Africa), then involvement in worship (whether as a musician, leader or technician) is a service, and therefore being paid or not should have no effect on quality. Worship is not about us, it's about God.

[Bridget Willard]

I lead worship three times a week for my church and once a week for outreach. I have a full time job. My church doesn't pay me. We're a very small church. I would like other musicians to join me but they usually want to get paid. You have to go to a much larger church for that to be in the budget.

Love bridget

[Daren]

An interesting question on being paid to serve in the worship ministry!

I guess this question relates culturally too, to where you are located.

I am from Malaysia, and i have not heard of any churches in Malaysia who pays their team or Worship Coordinator or Musicians or Singer or Choir or AV Team for their worship service.

The people who are paid are those who are working full time in church, ie we have a Worship Pastor and a Systems (AV) person who works full time.

But apart from that we have a huge worship team that we schedule each month consisting of over 80 people in five different worship services each week.

To answer the question, since i don't get paid so i will definitely continue serving in the worship ministry without being paid.

Would the quality in worship improve? I do not think so to. Cos we have always been giving our best as volunteers, and i doubt money would be a motivator to improve on what we currently have.

Its really interesting to see how worship is done thru out the world! :)

Everyone thanks for sharing!!!

[Allan]

Wow, I've never been paid to lead worship or for any involvement I've had in the church in the last 20 years. In fact, that's unheard of in our church. I'd love to not have to work another job and just to concentrate all my efforts on developing the worship team at our church and building the arts ministry (which might be possible if you were earning a decent salary as a creative arts director or similar) but I doubt our church would have the funds to cope with that any time in the future.

It's an interesting conversation to have with others about how various resources are funded. The only "staff" at our church are the two ministers (husband and wife). Everyone else volunteers their time, but still serves with great passion and fervour.

[Louise]

Absolutely I would do it anyway! I do.

The quality of the worship depends on the worshipper.

[Mike]

Honestly? I'd probably look for a different church.

My degree is Pastoral Ministries with a concentration of Worship & the Arts. It's not like I have much practical education to do anything BUT work in the church.

[John David Coupland]

In traditional Scottish churches the organist is usually paid a retainer. The fees vary depending on whether he is expected to turn up to mid week choir practice and of course how afluent / desperate the church happens to be. Needless to say his instrument is supplied!

Not so the humble guitarist who rarely if ever gets paid and has to buy his own gear.

I do both and it makes not a whit of difference to the quality of the music becuause the quality depends on the annointing.

[Cheryl]

None of us get paid, though I have been paid in the past. Sometimes I get paid for a funeral or a wedding. It's nice if they at least ask, especially if they are not regular attenders.

I do think that pay makes a difference in whether people think more about the time commitment, thought it shouldn't.

[Andrew Rios]

I just recently started to play piano at my home church. I get paid for it. For the last 7 years I have played guitar and /or keyboards at churches acros So Ca. At times, not getting paid. It has always been a blessing to play music . Let me first say that I have always given my all weather getting paid or not. I have been at a church on Sunday for 6 hours and no pay. Getting paid is a nice pat on the back, a nice thank-you. A lot of churches do expect one to do something for free. I have been told that "God wants it from us" This is the same Pastor that gets $60,000 a year to preach.
Do i play better i when i get paid. No I play for Him Every note is for HIM.

[sdc]

people get paid to lead worship?!?!?! shoot. i gotta talk to the last ten years of pastors.

[Keniel]

I think a church pay it to worship leaders. But not all, only worship leader who are serving full-time like pastors. In Korean worship leaders can not serve in church without money paid. Korea Gospel Music market is so small, and Many Koreans do not pay it for buying CCM albums. They just liten it on internet. So, Like pastors, a church should have to need to pay it for thier worship leaders.

[chris gates]

I lead the music at our church and play guitar. I also work a full-time job to support my family. Annointing or no, the quality of music is definitely related to how much time I have to put into it. How I transition from song to song, or how I arrange a certain hymn, or how I organize musicians and vocalists practically depends on how many hours I have logged the previous week. If you never practice, the "annointing" won't help you.

As for the act of worship itself, that depends on the heart of the Christian and the annointing of the Spirit.

I would do it for free, forever, If I had to. I am, however, hoping to be paid soon.