WELCOME TO THE TEAM!

Welcome to the LH Worship Team! I am so grateful that you are willing to bring your talents, passion, and personality to the LH Worship family. Jesus is doing incredible things in this church and the world around us. We hear countless, incredible stories of people being radically saved and transformed here through the move of the Holy Spirit. I strongly believe that there’s something special about worship, in particular, that allows people to break free from lies and addictions and find hope and encouragement in the love of God. So, we are extremely passionate about what we do. Because, we’re not just playing songs. We’re ushering people into the presence of God through our personal worship and God-given gifts. With that being said, I thought it would be important to break down a bit of who we are and some of the expectations of being a part of the team in order to make sure we’re all on the same page. Please read through the information below and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. Looking forward to leading worship with you!

Jesse Freeman

Worship Pastor

Our Mission

We ultimately want to accomplish the same mission of Lighthouse Church, “To reach the lost and make disciples.” In worship, we specifically accomplish this by being a team with the passion and strategy,

TO LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS THROUGH LIFE-GIVING TRUTH AND AUTHENTIC WORSHIP.

Our mission is simple. We want to see people find the freedom, love, and hope found in Jesus Christ through the gifts He’s given us in worship. We know that there’s nothing we can do to manufacture life change. It can only be done through the powerful Word of God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. So, we make sure the words we sing and say are life-giving truth, and we pursue our personal relationship with Jesus in order to worship in authenticity. Through persistent prayer and our dedication to live out the mission of Jesus, we believe God will do incredible things in this church and beyond.

Our Vision

As we serve the growing vision of Lighthouse Church to reach the lost throughout Maryland and beyond, we will strive to be a team united in our pursuit of seeing revival demonstrated in lives transformed through the worship and encounter of Jesus Christ. We desire to see a room filled with hands raised in surrender, heads bowed in reverence, and voices crying out with joy. We will seek this by being people that model Jesus Christ in serving others in love, persistently praying for the Holy Spirit’s work, and pursuing our calling, competence, and character as we worship God in humility, intimacy, and passion. We will also pursue proficiency in our instruments knowing that preparedness leads to an increase in ability of expression, freedom of worship, and diminishing of distractions as we point to Jesus. Through our personal pursuit of Jesus and our example on stage, we will lead people toward Scriptural Truth, a holy reverence of God, and a joyful, unified spirit in order to bring hope to people and glory to God.

Our Team Culture

The team culture is just as, if not more, important than the technical quality of the team. We hold a high priority over creating and guarding the proper culture. Culture is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization”. While we embrace uniqueness, there are certain aspects we must require in order to be unified.

WE ARE ENCOURAGERS AND HOPE-BRINGERS (PEOPLE ARE OUR PASSION)

One of the most valuable things we can bring each other and the congregation is encouragement and hope. We should always be striving to point out successes and positive things about other team members and should always be a beacon of hope for the congregation. People’s lives are full of criticism, be it from the self or the world around us. At Lighthouse, we want people to find hope Jesus when they enter our doors. We like to live by the motto, “if you think something good, say it.” Let’s be a place of encouragement and hope.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:23-25

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” – Ephesians 5:8

WE ARE WORSHIPPERS ON AND OFF THE STAGE (JESUS IS OUR MESSAGE)

Jesus is the reason why we lead worship. His good news message is what drives us. Therefore, we are called not just to lead on stage but to also lead in the seats and in our homes. We need to consistently examine our hearts as to why we’re on stage. If we’re not worshiping off the stage, that is a sign that there is likely something wrong with our motivations on the stage. True worship comes from an overflow of an ongoing relationship and dependence on God. If we’re only worshiping on stage, we are performing out of our own strength. Our motivations will never be perfect, but we must always be checking to make sure they are in the right direction.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4-5

WE PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN OUR GIFTS (GROWTH IS OUR GOAL)

We want to be a team that is always growing in our skills and in our relationship with Jesus. Stagnation is a quick way to boredom and a lack of passion, but excellence is powerful and inspirational. If we are doing this for God, we should never be satisfied with the status quo. There are always ways we can grow. We are also open to receiving constructive feedback because it shows us ways that we can improve. God has given us unique gifts in order to glorify Him. The pursuit of growth shows a demonstrates respect to God and to the team.

“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”– 1 Corinthians 10:31

WE HAVE FUN TOGETHER (CONTRIBUTING IS OUR PRIVILEGE)

Worship should be fun. Our desire is to see the team leaving a weekend transformed and feeling inspired and excited for what’s next. This is the responsibility of the whole team. Each of us must be conscious of how our demeanor and words affect the team. While we should never have fun at the expense of reverence to God or what we are doing on that stage, but it should also not be an overly weighty endeavor. Some weeks will be more challenging than others. Authenticity means sharing struggles as well. We should be willing to share challenges with the leaders or fellow team members and seek encouragement and prayer. However, as we pursue the hope found in Jesus, we should also seek to posture our hearts in positivity as much as possible. Joke around. Have fun together.

“That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God.”– Ecclesiastes 3:13

THE TEAM LEADS

The worship team is headed by the Worship Pastor and the Music Director. If you need to reach out to either one of us for any reason, use the contact info below:

Jesse Freeman

Worship Pastor

Hunter Lindsey

Music Director

TEAM EXPECTATIONS

The 4 P’s of an LH Worship Team Member

Passion

Our passion for Jesus, his Church, and music is what fuels our worship. Our passion bleeds and runs out into everything that we do. The words we sing are the greatest Truth, and our passion should match the power behind them.

Positivity

People live difficult lives. Church should be a place of hope and encouragement. We are carriers of the greatest news, and this should be reflected in our lives through our attitudes and actions. We are encouragers and hope bringers to the congregation and fellow team members.

Punctuality

Being on time demonstrates that we are dependable and value others’ time as much as our own. If we consistently make sure that we are in the right place at the right time, it creates trust within our team and with those we lead.

Preparedness

Practice on your own time eliminates distractions and respects others’ time. We practice and rehearse so we can engage others in worship without distractions. This allows us to approach the platform confidently and enthusiastically so that we can worship authentically.

What is the “WIN”?

When a band is playing together for a service or event, the “win” is two-fold; both vertical and horizontal. Simply put, we win when we worship God (vertical) personally and usher others into worship (horizontal). In order to lead our congregation well, we must worship the Lord with our own hearts and minds while simultaneously engaging and encouraging others along with us.

Practical measures of vertical worship:

1. God’s Word informs our worship.

2. Prayer is a natural part of life onstage and offstage.

3. Humility, joy, and reverence is on display through postures, countenance, and preparation.

Practical measures of horizontal worship:

1. Energetic and authentic body language encourages others to worship.

2. Singing while playing encourages others to worship.

3. Skillful playing of instruments encourages others to worship.

Dress Code

There are 3 questions you should ask yourself when contemplating dress on stage:

Does my attire honor God?

We want to point people to Jesus in everything we do. There are times when our clothes (or lack of) can distract people or hurt their ability to avoid sin. An inappropriate printed message on a graphic tee or too tight of clothing could distract from what we are trying to accomplish on the stage.

Does my dress reflect our church’s culture?

Likewise, dressing too uniquely can be a distraction. Notice what others in our congregation are wearing. We know that in social settings, like attracts like. This is not to become all the same but to maintain that the spotlight is off of us and on Jesus. It would benefit our mission to use every tool at our disposal, even our dress, to usher people into worship.

Does my dress distract?

Because we are on a platform, under lights, and on cameras, it is important to make clothing choices that help facilitate worship and not conversations about the band’s attire. The heart in this is to not call attention to our clothing, but to Jesus.

Some choices to avoid (not an exhaustive list): shorts, flip-flops, inappropriate graphic tees, spandex leotards, pajamas, tank tops, sunglasses, short skirts, low cut tops, tops that show the stomach, hats that cover the eyes, jeans with holes that show too much skin above the knee(s).

In-Ear Monitor Policy

We currently use in-ear monitoring (IEM) systems. We have some earbuds available. However, we encourage that all team members get their own. We are not responsible for provided earbuds working properly. If you need help choosing earbuds, please check out some recommended options below:

Easy KZ – $25

Great for musicians with a limited budget.

Shure SE215 – $100

Works as a great mid-range option for guitar players and vocalists.

Alclair UV3 – $340

Higher end in-ears that work well for all musicians, particularly drummers and bassists. Use promo code LHWORSHIP15 for 15% off.

Alclair also offers multiple higher tier, custom molded models that would be better suited for musicians who need more low end or more clarity. Of course, get what is within your budget. If you’re looking for something higher quality, feel free to contact Alclair, and they will help you find the particular in-ears that you need.

SCHEDULING POLICIES

To ensure that we allow enough time and resource for all teams involved in a rehearsal, service or event, we have the following policies for scheduling:

Scheduling Rotation

Our goal is to schedule our musicians and singers for a service at least once/month and at most twice/month and send out 2-3 months worth of a schedule in advance. However, there are various circumstances where both are not always possible. If you find yourself getting overscheduled or without enough time to prepare, please let your Instrument Lead know.

Responding to Requests

Please confirm or decline promptly. Leaving a request unconfirmed or unacknowledged puts a strain on our staff and team. As you receive the schedule, make sure you look over it to see if there are any conflicts so that they can be fixed well in advance.

Block Out Dates

We all need vacations and time-off. You can help the team by blocking out the dates in PCO that you know you will be unavailable.

No Shows

If you are scheduled for a service and do not show up after confirming, you seriously hurt the team. It’s like a guitar without a string. We understand emergencies occur, but please communicate. If you are a no show, you will be asked to re-evaluate your commitment to the team.

OUR TEAM COMMUNICATION

Offstage Communication

When scheduled in a band at your designated campus, you will receive updates to setlists, songs, or anything else from the Worship Leader scheduled that week. Ideally, this will be in the form of an email through PCO a week prior to your rehearsal. If you have any questions about the set or your parts, please contact the worship leader.

Band Emergency

In case of an emergency situation, i.e. “I’m late.”, “I’m sick.”, “I’m locked out of the building.”, the Worship Leader’s contact is listed on PCO under the “People” tab.

Childcare

Childcare is provided for services 20 minutes prior to service. Please try to find childcare for rehearsals if possible. However, if you are unable and feel like your child won’t be a distraction, feel free to bring your child to rehearsal. In order to keep from distractions, children will not be allowed in the green room prior to or during services.

Onstage Communication

The Worship Leader will be the primary communicator onstage at any rehearsal, service or event to keep the band on the same page. If you have any questions related to the service that you’re scheduled, reach out to your worship leader. The Production Lead will also request certain things from a sound and flow perspective. Please listen to their feedback as they desire to make everything look and sound as good as possible.

WORSHIP TOOLS

We want to set up our teams for success, so we provide various tools to help you prepare:

Rehearsal Tools

Planning Center Services App – Please download the Planning Center Services app in order to access the service flow and any files that are attached to services in which you’re scheduled. In it, we provide an mp3 of each song in order to help you learn your parts. Please use Planning Center for the song version as YouTube may have a different flow than the leader desires.

Planning Center Music Stand App – We use the Music Stand app to view our lyric/chord sheets for rehearsals. At home, you can use this app for your practice and to take notes which carry over through your account when you log in at the church. We operate off of chord charts and provide one for every song. However, we strongly encourage that all team members memorize their lyrics/chords for the service.

Worship Online – We use a great resource called Worship Online which has tutorials that break down each instrument for most of the songs that we do. Check out Worship Online for these resources. There is also an app available for your smartphone or tablet. If you do not have a login, please contact Jesse Freeman to get access.

RehearsalMix – RehearsalMix is a tool through Multitracks that provides upmixes for each instrument that is in the track for each song that we do. These upmixes can be found in Planning Center as audio files for each song. These provide the ability to hear your parts well as you practice. Access to these requires a Multitracks login. Please reach out to Jesse Freeman for access.

Workshops

These are focused intensives that are designed to promote and develop your musical skills, along with your unique gifting. Look for workshops to be announced when available by your Instrument Lead.

Song List

We have 40 songs that we rotate through when we build our sets. Some of these 40 will change with each schedule or as we’re led to implement new songs. You can check out our list below and listen to our song list on Spotify to familiarize yourself with what we play. You will be updated on any changes to the list.

40 SONG LIST
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

INSTRUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Acoustic Guitar

Your guitar must have a pick-up system. We don’t mic acoustic guitars. A wireless pack will be assigned to you when you arrive.
Please keep your strings fresh, replacing them every 3 months or so.
Have your guitar setup and intonated, if you haven’t before.
Make sure you tune prior to every service
Sing, even if you’re not a singer and don’t have a mic.
Though the audio team will help you with this, make sure you check your own battery levels on your wireless packs between services.

Vocals (WL, Vocal 1, Vocal 2)

The Vocal 1 position is typically the lead position. They will likely have at least one song to lead and the primary harmony for most songs. The Vocal 2 position will typically be a 3rd harmony and help lead the congregation through their stage presence. This may change due to the worship leader’s preferences, however.
Warm your voice up with vocal exercises before taking the stage.
Be aware of and avoid the things that irritate your vocal chords, especially right before you sing such as sodas, dairy, caffeinated beverages, and spicy foods. Drink a lot of water prior to and on the day of leading.
Your stage presence and body language are extremely important. Your body language speaks just as loudly as your vocal parts and should be treated as equals.
Be aware of conversations during the day. They can add up and cause vocal fatigue.
Be careful not to cover the antenna on the base of the microphone which is located at the bottom.
Though the audio team will help you with this, make sure you check your own battery levels on your wireless packs between services.

Bass Guitar

All you need to bring is your guitar.
Sing, even if you’re not a singer and don’t have a mic.
Make sure you tune prior to every service.
Try to be engaging with body language and facial expression. It is very easy to look down at a guitar for long periods of time while playing.
Have your guitar setup and intonated, if you haven’t before.
Don’t overplay. Ensure that you play solid, clean parts that are in rhythm and compliment the drums. Your instrument, along with the drums, is the glue that holds everything together in the mix and with that comes great responsibility. Every note you play is heard and felt.
Though the audio team will help you with this, make sure you check your own battery levels on your wireless packs between services.

Drums

You will be playing our house kit, so don’t worry about bringing anything but your sticks. We do this to keep a consistent and predictable sound. If anything breaks, looks out of place or needs maintenance, please let the Music Director know.
Please, treat the house kit as if it was your own.
Don’t overplay. Ensure that you play solid, clean parts that are in rhythm. Your instrument, along with the bass, is the glue that holds everything together in the mix and with that comes great responsibility. Every note you play is heard and felt.
Sing, even if you’re not a singer and don’t have a mic.
Though the audio team will help you with this, make sure you check your own battery levels on your wireless packs between services.

Electric Guitars

Bring your guitar along with any additional cables that are needed. We supply an amp to use. There is also a pedal board available if needed. Talk to the Music Director for details.
Look for the most obvious, lead or rhythm parts in each song. Communicate with the Music Director or any other guitarists to make sure all of the important guitar parts are covered.
Make sure cables are organized and look clean from offstage.
Strive to make tone and effects sound like the recording.
Try to be engaging with body language and facial expression. It is very easy to look down at a guitar for long periods of time while playing.
Make sure you tune prior to every service
Have an extra pair of strings in case one breaks.
Sing, even if you’re not a singer and don’t have a mic.
Though the audio team will help you with this, make sure you check your own battery levels on your wireless packs between services.

Keys

When practicing songs, find the primary piano part and learn to play that. Tracks will supplement some of the other keys parts.
All you need to bring are your fingers. You will be playing through our house keyboards. No need to bring your own unless it is planned in advance by a worship leader. We do this in order to keep a consistent and predictable sound.
You will be using a digital keys rig run through the Nord Piano. You will be trained on this, but ask the Music Director if you have any questions.
Don’t just play the chords on the chord sheet. Learn the particular parts that are in the recording including lead parts as well as chord inversions.
When playing behind a host or pastor, keep your playing simple – pads with slower chord movement. Keep embellishment to a minimum.
Sing, even if you’re not a singer and don’t have a mic.
Though the audio team will help you with this, make sure you check your own battery levels on your wireless packs between services.

Once again, thank you so much for your heart for worship and for joining us as we lead Lighthouse Church to be more engaged and passionate worshipers. If you have any questions or concerns on any of this, feel free to reach out to me or your Instrument Lead. Looking forward to worshiping with you!

– Jesse