Our Goal

Our team should always strive for excellence (not perfection). We define excellence as "doing things in a God-honoring manner." Henry Blackaby says "Excellence generally describes tasks and tasks are usually a means to an end. People are the end." Because people are the end, we are committed to continually leading and equipping the body of Christ so that people might connect with Jesus in a real and personal way.

Important Issues

• RESPECT - We recognize that the leaders of Thrive City Church have been positioned to direct, lead, challenge, and nurture the church as a whole, as well as their respective team members. We recognize the importance of honoring leadership and its role in developing a healthy team atmosphere. Conflict resolution, respect, and relational reconciliation are important aspects of our team.

• TEAM - Respect and honor amongst peers are just as crucial. We support each other in our conversations, actions, and preparation. If someone arrives unprepared or late, don’t treat them with disrespect. Your leader knows about it and will personally attend to the situation at the right time. We will continuously challenge each other to raise the standard, individually.

• THE BODY - You are a part of a family at Thrive City Church. We will do our best to protect unity. Reject slander/gossip and uphold the reputations of those with whom you serve.

• INTEGRITY - Integrity is a major aspect of our team culture. It is important that we live in a way that displays Jesus, not only on Sunday mornings but also throughout the week. Our personal lives off the stage will either lift up or tear down the vision of our church, as well as our personal reputations. You represent Christ and Thrive City wherever you go.

• INTENTIONALITY - People are people, not just instruments or things we use to fill a spot. Create a culture on and off the stage that is both encouraging and connecting for the people with whom you serve. Our off-stage relationships with other church members strongly influence how our on-stage leadership is received. Often times a worship team is only seen getting on and off the stage. Let’s strive to be leaders off the stage by intentionally meeting people, engaging new people, following up with new acquaintances, etc. Your influence on the stage will be magnified by your relationships off the stage.

• GROWTH - Let’s not get so wrapped up in doing God’s work that God can’t do His work in us! Sit in the congregation during the message. We are privileged to serve our church family and should not let our service remove us from growing personally and corporately. Don’t be so busy that you miss out on what God could be saying to you.

• OWNERSHIP - Taking ownership of where you are serving is an important part of being excellent. You should feel like the area you serve in is something you have a real responsibility over and it should be something you are excited about. When you take ownership of what you are assigned, then excellence, passion, and a joy to worship will follow you. 

Preparation Is Important!

PLANNING CENTER ONLINE

Thrive City uses Planning Center Online (PCO) to schedule musicians and make resources (MP3s, chord charts, and lyrics) available to you in a timely fashion. You will receive an email from PCO that will guide you through the process of setting up your profile.

Please promptly accept or decline any requests sent to you. Also, as soon as possible, block off any dates that you know you are not available. If you have any questions on how to use PCO, please contact us.

Unless otherwise posted, please learn your parts exactly like the reference track. As a team, we rely on you to play your part accordingly. While we absolutely encourage creativity, additional/alternative parts must be communicated with the worship leader prior to rehearsal. We also ask that musicians learn the lyrics so they can sing along, engage the congregation, and lead from their instruments

SPIRITUAL

While we emphasize and require musical excellence, spiritual preparedness is our first priority. How can we lead where we’ve not gone ourselves? What does this look like? Take the song list and worship with it! Worship at home on your instrument. Pray for the team, the service, and all that God has planned. Let’s come together with our hearts in sync with His and a readiness to be used by God to change lives.

TRANSITIONS

Smooth transitions are crucial to an effective worship experience, and the band plays a big role in this. Think through the order of service and your transitions before rehearsal. Think about the tempo changes and key of each song, how one song ends and how another begins, and how the band can make it feel seamless.

PUNCTUALITY

If you are on time, then you are late. Arriving early is always a great idea so that you’re prepared to start on time. We are very serious about being punctual. Being on time shows respect to our peers, our leadership, and our church. People serving in team leadership roles should come a half hour early to rehearsals as a habit to have time to communicate with the worship coordinator. Worship practice starts Wednesdays at 6:30 PM and Sunday mornings at 8 AM. If you are leading a song, or are scheduled as the MD (musical director) you should be making an effort to come at least half an hour early to prepare with the worship coordinator. 

DRESS CODE

Every person who sets foot on stage automatically becomes a representation of Thrive City. Keeping this in mind, we want to ensure our appearance is consistent with our church culture and never distracting.

• REFRAIN FROM WEARING

  • Revealing attire for men or women. The bottom line is, clothing that is too form-fitting or too low-cut is distracting in a worship service. Don't be afraid to ask someone you trust if what you're wearing might be viewed as a distraction on the platform.

  • Dirty/sloppy/wrinkled clothing

• A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB

  • While everyone has their own personalities and unique styles and expressions, we as a team must do our best to look cohesive and consistent with our culture.

REHEARSALS

• DO

  • Come early enough to set up your equipment, tune-up, and be ready to go by the time rehearsal begins.

  • Keep your ears open. It’s important that we are not only confident in our individual parts but are also listening to the band as a whole. Listen to what each player is playing. Is it blending well with the rest of the team? Think big picture during rehearsal.

  • Only use your music as backup. Try your best to have music/lyrics memorized.

  • If you need something from the production team, clearly communicate the problem and be patient. We are on the same team!

  • Rehearse with energy and passion. The energy and excitement you bring to rehearsal is just as important as your musical preparedness!

  • Tidy up! Make sure water bottles, coffee cups, purses, and other personal items are off the stage after rehearsal and run-through.

• DO NOT

  • Don’t get lost in noodling. If someone is speaking with a team member or the production team, keep instruments and voices quiet.

  • No complaining. If there are technical, musical, or miscellaneous complications, keep attitudes positive and morale high. We are the ones responsible for the atmosphere created at a rehearsal. If you notice another member being negative or complaining, don’t feed into it. Instead, speak positively and redirect the negative attitude.

  • Do not overly rely on your chord charts. This will not help us grow as musicians. We want to constantly push ourselves to be the best musicians we can be.

STAGE PRESENCE

So much is communicated through our eyes, face, and body language. Look alive, smile, and be joyful! If we don’t look free and excited about worshipping God, neither will the people we’re leading. What an honor it is to be the ones to teach people how fun, expressive, and life-changing worship is! Make eye contact with the congregation or the focus of the moment (i.e. a pastor leading an invitation or giving announcements). If there is a video playing, make sure your attention is focused on the screen and you are not being a distraction.

GO TIME

Be on stage no later than 4 minutes before the start of the service. This gives us time to quickly get settled and make sure your instrument is ready for the first song. If you are returning onstage following the message, make sure you are attentive to any cues from the speaker or worship leader. Be attentive and sensitive to where the Holy Spirit might be leading.

Individual Roles

Each musician plays an incredibly important and unique role on our team. Be familiar and confident in your role in the bigger picture.

BASS

• As the bass player, you are the backbone of the rhythm section. It’s imperative that you focus on consistency in your playing. Your primary job is to be tight with the drummer’s kick and snare pattern and to use good layering when your building.

• Don’t focus on playing unnecessary extra runs and scales. Focus instead on playing simple, and playing the songs as they were recorded.

• Presence. Make sure you’re comfortable and free in your worship. It’s important for us to show energy and passion in our playing!

• Tone is an important part of our sound at Thrive City. Listen closely to the tone of the bass player on the recording. Match the tone as closely as possible, whether it be by using a pedal, or even playing with a pick.

DRUMS

• Be familiar with the BPM/tempo of each song to ensure smooth and quick transitions.

• Dynamics. You play a crucial part in the dynamic flow and emotional impact of each song. Be familiar with the dynamics and ebb-and-flow of each song.

• Let your facial expressions and singing show your passion for worship. Have lots of energy, but don’t play uncontrollably. Give your full 100% effort.

• Focus on consistency and be intentional with your playing.

• Know and be prepared to play all the parts on the record, but be prepared to be flexible with your playing during worship.

LEAD GUITAR

• If you’re using effects for a song, please come prepared with the equipment needed to get the correct tone. This saves crucial rehearsal time by not experimenting during rehearsal or the run-through.

• Take ownership of excellent tone. Your sound doesn’t have to match the original, but you should strive for an appropriate and pleasing tone. Remember, tone doesn’t just come from your gear! Half of a guitarist’s tone comes from the hands:

• Focus on good hand-to-hand coordination.

• Dexterity of fingers, which comes from doing finger movement and finger strength exercises.

• Play with finesse. Less is more. Play with confidence and sensitivity to what thepart requires.

• Your parts need to rise above and cut through the mix. Make sure your tone is conducive to that.

• Unless it is specified otherwise, learn the parts of the original reference track. If you feel you have something that might work better than the original, make sure you are still prepared for both and consult the band leader regarding your proposed changes.

• Know your role. If you are a lead player, play lead. No need for lead and rhythm guitars to overlap parts (check Planning Center to see who’s designated for the rhythm and lead roles for each song).

• Make a conscious effort to keep your parts solid with the tempo of the song.

RHYTHM GUITAR

• Know your role. If you’re playing rhythm for a certain weekend or even just on a song, then play rhythm. Sometimes this means having a discussion with other guitar players to avoid playing the same parts.

• Do NOT underestimate the role of a rhythm player. This role supports the song, fills space, and drives the song.

• When learning/practicing parts, don’t just hear a chord or riff and play it the way you want. Sometimes artists use certain chord “voicing” or play things at certain spots on the fretboard to achieve the best sound for that song. Those parts and placements are crucial to playing the song correctly.

• A rhythm player’s tone should be tailored to that role. Make sure your sound doesn’t have too much high-end and is thicker than a lead player’s, without sacrificing clarity.

• A rhythm player should be perfectly in sync with the drummer’s patterns. Like a bass player, a rhythm player can make the foundation of a song excellent, or they can make it messy by not locking in with the drummer.

KEYBOARD

• The pads and lead lines that a piano creates really bring the music to a new level. Pay close attention to the tones of the pads and synths that the keyboard players use on recordings. Tone is crucial for this role!

• Pads, organs, and other patches may seem simple, but they do wonders when you fill the holes that the rest of the band cannot.

• Get creative with your playing and equipment! Spend time searching out new patches that would fit well in songs that might not have a defined keyboard part.

• Don’t overplay! With so many instruments playing at once, keep all parts tasteful and limited.

• Be prepared to play at the end of worship, during host segments after worship, and behind the pastor as he is speaking. Play light, simple chords and melodies, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit moving. This may mean staying on the stage longer than other team members after worship and going up earlier than others after the message.

VOCALS

• Your voice is your instrument! Similar to all other instruments on the stage, your voice has its own place within a song.

• As soon as you confirm and receive the song list on PCO, check to see if you are leading a song. If so, immediately rehearse with the track to make sure the key is appropriate for your vocal range. Please let the worship leader know as soon as possible if you need to adjust the key.

• Do your best to memorize ALL the lyrics. Although we use reference monitors in case of a memory lapse, we should never be forced to rely on them.

• Pay attention to the timing of the lyrics and where phrases begin and end in relation to the beat/click. Be intentional not only in intonation but also in the cadence or rhythmic pattern in which the melody line follows.

• Watch your tone! This isn’t limited to just pitch. Make sure you don’t narrow out your tone by becoming too nasally. Many vocalists make this mistake by not opening their mouths wide enough and by singing words the same way they would say them. By not opening your mouth wide enough, you are forcing more air to be released through your nose, thus causing the unwanted nasal sound.

• Take control. Many vocalists have been trained classically(which uses big vibrato) or have just let their vibrato develop naturally without learning how to control it. Vibrato is simply a bend in pitch. This can cause big problems on a stage where we have multiple vocalists. When using multiple vocals, each vocalist must align themselves with the other vocalists in regards to: pitch, vibrato, timing, etc. If people deviate from a streamlined sound (even a vibrato tempo), the pitch of the whole song can be thrown off.

• If you are not leading the song, listen to the track’s background vocalists, their parts, and when they sing. Your vocal part is meant to support the leader. This happens through timing and specific parts.

• Sing! Regardless of whether or not you’re leading the song, make sure you are always singing. Even if you’re not directly singing into the mic. At all times during the song, keep singing!

• Engage the congregation through eye contact and body language. Smile, clap, and move. Make motions and gestures BIG! Every movement and facial expression appears less dramatic to the congregation than it feels to you on stage. Become comfortable with being on stage and leading with confidence and boldness!