Coming Down The Home Stretch
The year 2008 is coming to a close. I was talking with one of my friends who is a business owner and he was telling me that he is now evaluating his business and looking at the ventures of 2008 and determining what worked, what didn’t, what needs to be cut and what will continue on into 2009. I jokingly said to him that I need to do the same thing about my business. And, yes, I was referring to the music business. Then it dawned on me… I really do need to see this as a business.
Okay… before anyone misunderstands what I’m saying, let me clarify. There is ministry at the heart of what I do. I am a worship leader, a minister (deacon, if you will) of music, recording artist, songwriter and a producer. But I run a music production company called Hayah Sounds. This company exists to handle the creation and sale of the music I write or produce. It’s very easy to be so focused on the ministry aspect of what I do that I fail to be a good steward over the business aspect.
The Lord provides us with gifts and talents with which to provide for the needs of our families. I know that music is my gift from God by which to provide for my family. But because I work with churches and Christians, sometimes I draw back from making sure that the business is negotiated fairly so that my family’s needs are taken care of. But the bible teaches us to be mature when it comes to handling business. That’s a lesson that I can more readily apply to negotiating with non-Christians than with Christians. But God is helping me.
So, for 2009, things will be a bit different. I’ve got to use the gift that God has provided and do all that God has designed it to be used for. I’ve got to take care of the business that God has made me steward over. One thing is certain… It’s time for me to take the music God has given me into the churches across this great country. This takes me to my big question.
I need your help with this. What are some of the best ways for an independent Christian artist to get engagements to minister at churches? You can even make it more personal… What do I need to do to come and minister at your local church? Please take a moment and reply to this blog and let me know what you think.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
The Starving Church Musician
It’s challenging for professional musicians. Very few of us are able to make a decent living in Gospel music. Very few churches are willing to pay the kind of salary that allows you to be focused on that one ministry. As a result, you have to take on multiple responsibilities – often you end up playing for more than one church as well as in the band for a few groups, choirs or artists. This way, you can make the ends meet.
It is always interesting how many people say, “you should just give your gift to God as an offering – and not do it for the money.” My response is this… the next time your automobile needs repair, take it to a Christian auto mechanic that attends your church and ask him/her to repair your car with his/her tools and not do it for the money… just use their gift to bless you. What do you think they’d say?
Does everyone that picks up an instrument to play at church need to be paid? I don’t believe that they do. But the people that do more than come to a rehearsal and play in one or two services on the weekend… the people that put lots of time and effort in planning the music for the services… the people that develop the music ministry… the people that train and mentor the younger musicians in the church and cultivate their gifts and talents… the musicians that invest 2-3 hours per week in preparation, 6-10 hours per week in rehearsals, and 5-8 hours per week playing in church services… those kind of musicians should be compensated. That’s what I believe. Those are more hours than most of the other volunteers who serve in ministry at the church. These persons who take their gifts and use them to bless the people that congregate at a church for worship shouldn’t be ignored.
Besides… doesn’t scripture teach that you shouldn’t muzzle the ox that treads the corn? Trust me when I say… the music ministry does a lot of treading – every Sunday.
Enough for now… more to come next week.
It’s challenging for professional musicians. Very few of us are able to make a decent living in Gospel music. Very few churches are willing to pay the kind of salary that allows you to be focused on that one ministry. As a result, you have to take on multiple responsibilities – often you end up playing for more than one church as well as in the band for a few groups, choirs or artists. This way, you can make the ends meet.
It is always interesting how many people say, “you should just give your gift to God as an offering – and not do it for the money.” My response is this… the next time your automobile needs repair, take it to a Christian auto mechanic that attends your church and ask him/her to repair your car with his/her tools and not do it for the money… just use their gift to bless you. What do you think they’d say?
Does everyone that picks up an instrument to play at church need to be paid? I don’t believe that they do. But the people that do more than come to a rehearsal and play in one or two services on the weekend… the people that put lots of time and effort in planning the music for the services… the people that develop the music ministry… the people that train and mentor the younger musicians in the church and cultivate their gifts and talents… the musicians that invest 2-3 hours per week in preparation, 6-10 hours per week in rehearsals, and 5-8 hours per week playing in church services… those kind of musicians should be compensated. That’s what I believe. Those are more hours than most of the other volunteers who serve in ministry at the church. These persons who take their gifts and use them to bless the people that congregate at a church for worship shouldn’t be ignored.
Besides… doesn’t scripture teach that you shouldn’t muzzle the ox that treads the corn? Trust me when I say… the music ministry does a lot of treading – every Sunday.
Enough for now… more to come next week.
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