“The hour is coming, and now is here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.”-John 4:23
We are thankful that God has called you to Cornerstone and that He is inclining your heart to consider partnering in worship leadership. Our prayer is that God will use this application process as a means to broaden your understanding of what it means to truly worship, to deepen your love for Jesus Christ, and to confirm a Spirit-directed call in you. This process is extensive due to the higher standard required for those who stand in front of people, elevated on a platform and lead. Scripture indicates that those who place themselves in and are assigned to a position of leadership and/or teaching are take the responsibility very seriously. Our desire is simply to help each other live life to the full as God designed. This questionnaire is a part of that process. Thank you for taking the time to journey with us.
What Defines Us
1. God-centeredness: We put a high priority on ‘vertical focus’ for our Sunday morning services. The ultimate aim is to experience God in such a way that he is glorified in all we do. We should strive to expect the power of God’s presence. We do not just direct ourselves toward him; we should always be earnestly seeking him, and drawing near according to the promise of James 4:8. We believe that God will draw near and be present in our worship, for our benefit as well as those who do not yet believe who might be in our midst.
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” –Gal. 6:14
2. Bible-based Worship: The content of our songs, prayers, welcoming and preaching should always conform to the truth of Scripture. We should always be striving to have God’s Word woven through all we do during our services and beyond.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” –Col. 3:16
3. Non Distracting Excellence: We will try to always sing, play, pray and preach in such a way that people’s attentions will not be diverted from the substance of the material. Natural worship, without excessive finesse or elegance will let the truth and beauty of God to shine though. Allowing Him to speak to each person individually.
“If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”-1 Peter 4:11
4. Inclusion of Historic and Contemporary music: No church or service can be all things to all people. Only God can. But, as a worship team we believe there are ways to be sensitive to other people’s tastes. We know that God can speak to different people in different ways. We strive to incorporate different genres, texts, etc. Not always our own taste. We will seek God’s guidance in each worship setting.
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.”-Romans 12:6
Guidelines for Cornerstone Musicians
We must always remember that first and foremost, we are team serving God. But, as always, being part of a team does pose some challenges. Healthy communication is a must as to expectations and roles. The following are some ways to help every member of the team work together to serve one another well.
1. It is our belief that everyone on the platform during a worship gathering is a worship leader. In a sense, the leadership of the band members, tech team and backing vocals are more powerful than the lead vocal. No one person is more important than another, everything each of us does matters.
2. Visual leadership is very important in musical leadership. We don’t propose “fake” worship, but simply encourage awareness that people are watching what we do and looking to us for leadership. Although the spirit and motives are different, the practices of good performance and good worship leadership are very similar.
• When we are on the platform during another element other than music (such as: announcements, family matters, offering, video, etc.) each musician should be sure to focus his or her attention on the intended focal point.
• Although it makes sense to try to stay “warm” during times in the service when other things are going on, it is also important to keep your focus on where the attention of the congregation is.
3. We will be considerate of each other by being on time for rehearsal and sound check. All musicians are expected to be set-up, tuned, warmed up, and ready to play by the designated “line check” time.
• During the “line check” of each instrument, it is important for all others to remain quiet so that the sound engineer can do his job more quickly and efficiently.
4. Sundays are very tight in terms of time. We need to remain very task oriented so that we can get everything accomplished. The team will meet together during one of the sermons. It is our desire to build our relationships and become closer as a group. Each musician is expected to participate at these gatherings. They might take a more ‘casual’ form like a coffee/snack run, or a more formal discussion time.
5. Each band member and vocalist is expected to individually rehearse all uploaded songs prior to rehearsal. This allows for more time to smooth out issues or make changes to the songs or line up. All audio and charts can be downloaded through the Cornerstone page of
Planning Center
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Planning Center is a very important tool that is to be utilized for all team members. All scheduling, service order, and practice times will be uploaded to this site. There you will also be able to block out dates you are not available, listen to song tracks, and communicate to other team members.
If there are questions about songs, order of service, or any other concerns about Sunday’s service, always feel free to contact the Music Coordinator via
E-Mail.
Worship Team Ministry Requirements
1. Prospective team members have attended Cornerstone Church regularly for 6 months.
2. Worship team members have clear evidence of trust in Christ for their salvation.
3. Worship team members strive to live a lifestyle that reflects the values of the Kingdom of God.
4. Willingness to guard and support the unity of the Worship Team.
5. Willingness to follow the leadership of the Worship Team.
6. Be committed to the Worship Team by regular involvement and regular practice.
Next Steps
1.
Written testimony: We ask that all prospective members of our worship teams write out a brief testimony, included in the questionnaire below, highlighting God’s saving and sanctifying work in their lives.
2.
Audition: This is an informal time where we will talk a bit about your written testimony. We will sing/play together and seek to get to know you.
As part of your audition, please prepare the following two songs:
Great Are You Lord - A | chord chart
Lion and the Lamb - A | chord chart
3.
Commitment to rehearsals and services: Rehearsal times are Tuesday nights starting at 6:00 pm for vocalists and tech team, and 6:30p for band members. Wednesday Rehearsal starts at 5:45, service beginning at 6:30. Sunday rehearsal starts at 8:00 am, and service times are 9:00 and 10:30. Team members are usually scheduled to serve once or twice per month, depending on their preference.
4.
Deferrals: On occasion, it may necessary to ask prospective team members to wait anywhere from 6 months to 2 years before participating in our worship teams. Deferrals are determined by taking a number of things into consideration. Including but not limited to: spiritual maturity, competency, personal circumstances, or length of time attending Cornerstone. Refer to requirements for more details.
