Real worship is the act of authentically expressing praise, adoration, confession, or thanksgiving to God in response to His character and His works. This does not begin or end with being on stage or even with music! Worship is more than the handful of songs we sing on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night. It is anything that we do with the intent of glorifying God, be it our work, practice, or daily interactions.

LOVE GOD - Our job first and foremost is to bring glory and honor to God. Everything we do is meant to point back to Him. Worship is our expression of love, thankfulness, and praise for God.

LOVE PEOPLE - Our job as musicians/AV Techs is secondary to our job as servants and stewards. when joining any part of the Worship Arts Ministry, you are agreeing to serve our congregation and community in the capacity of your position.

SHARE JESUS - Giving God our best by skillfully creating memorable worship moments and quality content communicates the importance of the Gospel message.

MAKE DISCIPLES - Encouraging and engaging in individual worship practices, creating worship resources, and providing corporate worship opportunities enriches the spiritual growth of our church.

From the moment you commit to being on this team, you have entered the position of a leader. Your team will rely on you to do what is needed for your position and people are watching the choices you make on and off the stage. You are accountable to your team and leadership to fulfill your new role as best you can. The best advice anyone can give is to remain in prayer and read your scripture. We know mistakes will be made, and you will never be asked to do this alone. You will lead together to create a culture that puts God and each other first.

Hope City Worship Arts Core Values
1.   Be Highly Organized
2.   Be Highly Relational
3.   Be Highly Energized

How do I lead the Congregation?
1.   KNOW THE MISSION
2.  KNOW THE VISION
3.  KNOW THE HEART

One expectation of the Worship Arts Team is that you will have completed the City Connect class. This is where you will learn about the mission, vision, and heart of Hope City. If you have not taken this course, you can still submit your application, however you will not appear on the schedule until that course has been completed.

BE ABOVE REPROACH The following are guidelines for the quality of life expected of all worship arts team members. When putting together these guidelines, I looked to I Peter 3:13-17, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Timothy 4:12. The goal of these guidelines is that we as not just servants but leaders in this church should always be above reproach. Our lifestyle should be one that continuously brings glory to God.

ALCOHOL - I ask that all members of the Worship Arts Teams refrain from drinking in public settings. And all members are expected to remain sober in both public and private settings.

SOCIAL MEDIA - As a visible leader in the church, your personal social media feeds (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok) are a reflection of the church. All of the above expectations should be upheld in the photos, posts, and videos that you share (including videos you share from other sources). Please be diligent in making sure all posts are honoring the kingdom of God before posting and do not include profanity, sex, drugs, or alcohol.

DRUGS - The use of illegal substances are strictly prohibited.

SEX - The Word of God is clear that any sexual relationship outside of the Biblical covenant of marriage is forbidden. Philippians 4:8 also instructs us to think on things that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. In that, we are expected to keep our minds, eyes, and hearts pure by not viewing pornography or any other form of inappropriate media.

DRESS CODE 1 Samuel 16:7 says “… People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We acknowledge that although God is looking at out hearts, people still look at our outward appearance. Our dress should aim to show excellence just as we lead with excellence. This list is not made to condemn, reprimand, or target any individual person or people. It is to maintain a standard of excellence as our team expands. We understand that everyone has their own personal style and we want you to be able to express that while maintaining the standard listed below.

If you come wearing clothes that violates this list and do not have a change of clothes with you, for the sake of honoring the time of our worship team, you will be asked to sit out from that Sunday. If you are not sure if your outfit meets that criteria, you can send a picture to the worship pastor or a fellow team member before hand to check. If you are still unsure, you are encouraged to pick an outfit that you know falls within the guidelines listed on the following page.

MEN’S DRESS CODE
No Flip Flops Shoes should be clean and in good condition No Wide Neck Shirts (No chest hair should be seen)
Thin button downs should have an under shirt
No tank tops
No T-shirts with brand or secular band graphics (graphic tees) Shirts should be an appropriate length as to not show midriff if untucked (should cover stomach when you raise your hands
Pants and jeans should not hug or cup anything (front or back) No distressed pants or jeans
No shorts
No Hoodies or sweat pants

WOMEN’S DRESS CODE
No flip flops
Shoes should be clean and in good condition
Jewelry and accessories should not cause unnecessary noise
Low cut tops should have an undershirt to cover cleavage (no nude colors)
Midriff must be covered (should cover stomach when you raise your hands)
Sheer garments should be accompanied with an appropriately colored under shirt (no nude colors)
No T-shirts with brand or secular band graphics
Dress and shirt sleeves should be at least 3 inches wide
The thickness of your bra should protect from all temperatures
Bra straps and padding must be covered at all times
Bodycon dresses and skirts must be accompanied by a sweater, cardigan, or kimono that covers your bottom
Dresses and skirts must come past the knees if not worn with leggings or tights
Skinny pants and jeans must be worn with a top that is loose fitting.
Pants must have minimal distressing (no distressing that shows skin above the knee)
No shorts
No hoodies or sweatpants

Leading worship is an important responsibility as the Worship Team is one of the most visible places that a person can serve at our church. As a member of the Worship Team, you are automatically seen as a leader in the eyes of the congregation, and many people may approach you for spiritual guidance and encouragement. We cannot lead others where we are not willing to go ourselves. Each member of Hope City Worship Arts must call Jesus Christ their Lord. This is reflected in moral conduct on and off stage that indicates a pursuit of personal holiness and living in a way that is “above reproach”. Read Galatians 5:16-26. If more specific information on this requirement is needed, please contact the Worship Arts Pastor

Your commitment to participate as a Worship Leader requires a high level of trustworthiness and respect in several senses. This includes general character and integrity as well as things like humility, punctuality and dependability. Maintaining an attitude of humility and respect for fellow team members and the leadership team is essential. One of the great things about our team is the way we are always learning something new and tweaking the way we do things in order to improve. Our band lineup may look a little different every week, so we must be prepared to learn new ways of doing things, worship through new songs, use new technology and develop new skills as we grow together as a group. Additionally, the Worship Team isn’t a platform to showcase or affirm individual talents. Many of our musicians are of varying skill levels and backgrounds, and should be treated with respect and grace. We should always strive to operate with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to serve, which is shown when we prepare privately, how we treat each other, and how we communicate. Please also respect the members of leadership within our church and the Worship Arts ministry. We believe everyone has been placed in their position with a purpose and calling. If you have a dispute with any member of leadership or any volunteers, please use the Matthew 18 principle.

Creating worship experiences may be what brings our team together, but we make the greatest impact through our personal relationships. While we do not require a membership at our church, we do expect you to consider Hope City your home church and to be a part of our community outside of just the Sundays you serve with the Worship Team. This means regularly attending church services if you are not scheduled to play, and participating in events outside of Sunday morning. In other words, we aren’t looking for team members that just want a “gig”. We are looking for people who want to serve their church family.

We believe excellence matters to God. Members of Hope United Worship must be able to demonstrate an appropriate level of skill for the specific area in which he or she wishes to serve, but it cannot stop there. We are looking for team-minded, trustworthy and flexible people who will take the commitment to the team seriously. Worship Team members must be dedicated to excellence in their respective fields and able to demonstrate consistent proficiency in their instrument. They must also be prepared, punctual and able to communicate effectively through the systems we have in place such as Planning Center Online. Essentially, we believe that being a servant-leader means being committed to becoming the very best you can be at what you do. This is not to be confused with perfection, which is certainly not the expectation. Instead, this dedication to excellence entails regular practice and growth exercises on a personal, spiritual, and corporate level, and always being open to learning new things as the needs of the ministry change.

Communication with the Worship Pastor or other ministry
leaders through Planning Center Online as to when you will be able to participate [as outlined in the communication procedures section of this document] is an extremely important part of your service. Failure to block out dates in PCO prior to the schedule being created will almost certainly
lead to uneven distribution of serving opportunities throughout the team and an unfair burden on your leaders. Schedules can change and things can happen that unexpectedly prevent participation from time to time, but communication is key to our team working together effectively.

Serving on the Worship Arts team requires a significant amount of time from our volunteers. Our weekly schedule is outlined on the following page. On top of Sunday services, we ask for participation in our quarterly Worship and Prayer nights; as well as extra time commitment for special Sundays/Events like Easter and Christmas Eve services, which may add an extra service time or additional practices. We ask that all volunteers be available to serve at least once a month and may call on volunteers to serve more depending on the needs for each position. 

Preparing personally is a way of honoring God and respecting everyone else on the team. Each team member is expected to come to rehearsals with their parts prepared and ready to rehearse with the rest of the team. This means thoroughly familiarizing oneself with each song and playing / singing through each song with your instrument PRIOR to rehearsal. AV positions can prepare by watching online tutorials or ask directors for training materials prior to Thursday practices.

Rehearsals for Sunday Services are every Thursday at 6 (unless otherwise directed). Rehearsals for Special Services such as Easter and Christmas are held in the main auditorium on Thursday evenings at 7 PM as scheduled If you are scheduled to serve on a Sunday, the expectation is that you attend the preceding mid-week rehearsal with punctuality and preparation unless discussed prior with the Worship Arts Pastor or your director. 

We have two Sunday morning worship services which take place at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Each service typically lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Worship Team members need to be on site and ready to play at 7:30 AM on Sunday Morning unless earlier call time is communicated during the week.

READ - Read this entire document to help determine if the Worship Team is something you are still
willing and able to be a part of. Most importantly, pray and seek God’s direction in regard to your desire to audition. If you have questions or concerns, email music@hopecityrc.com.

APPLY - If you are interested in auditioning, complete the application provided on the last page and
return it to the Worship Arts Director or any of the ministry leaders.

PREPARE (stage team only) - Once your application is received, you will be contacted via email to setup an individual audition session and you will receive specific audition materials. Take time to prepare the audition pieces that are provided to you. Be sure to prepare spiritually, mentally, physically and musically. Auditions can be held in person or submitted virtually to music@hopecityrc.com

Approval to join the stage team - by demonstrating the skills necessary to be a part of our team, you will take part in at least two midweek practices to get used to the equipment and get to know the team. Once both you and the Music Director/Worship Arts Pastor think you are ready, you will be scheduled for your first Sunday.

A little work is needed before you are ready to join
our stage team - The Music Director or Worship Arts Pastor will explain what needs worked on and suggest another position in the worship arts department to serve in until you are ready.

Other Ministry Suggested - We appreciate your preparation and willingness to serve, but feel that your skills and style would be best utilized in another area to serve. We would love to meet with you regarding the many ministries and serving opportunities here at Hope City.

If you aren’t selected to be a member of the Music Team at this time, it does not mean that you are not musically skilled or gifted in ministry. It simply means that the current needs of the Worship Team may not be a match for your current set of skills, we may not have a position available at the moment, or that we feel your personal gifting and service may be of better use in another part of the church body here at Hope City Church.