1. Worship is a lifestyle: Becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ is the first step to becoming a genuine worshiper. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices unto God daily is our primary spiritual service of worship (Rom. 12:1) as we learn to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and might (Deut. 6:5-14).
2. Worship is a spiritual encounter with the risen and living God of the universe: We recognize only one guide to worship–the written Word of God, which says we are to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).
3. Authentic worship is an exercise of relationship, not religion: We do not define worship by the kinds of instruments used, the clothes worn, the time we gather, or the music sung. Authentic worship comes from the heart as we: respond to God in prayer, praise His name and character, remember His works and promises, surrender our will to His, voice our satisfaction of His grace, mercy, love, justice and salvation (1Sam 1:12, Ps 100:1-5, 1 Chr. 16:11-31, John 4:20-24, Eph 5).
4. Discipleship: We believe true Christianity requires lifelong devotion rather than a one time decision. Thus, we expect worship team members to be submissive to His Word, accountable to the body, and active in the discipline of prayer, Bible study, and church service.
5. Excellence honors God and blesses people: We serve an excellent God! As worshipers we are to declare the Excellencies of Him who has called us... (1 Pet. 2:9), and to work heartily in everything we do (Col. 3:23-24). Therefore, we expect and encourage artistic excellence and Biblical integrity from its members.
6. Leadership: God places leaders within the church to equip the people to do the work of ministry. This is true of the worship ministry as well (1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4).
7. Ownership/Membership: We are committed to the leadership, vision, mission, values and strategies of Faith Evangelical Free Church and the Worship Ministry. We commit our time, talent and treasures to God’s purposes here. (Ex. 23:16, Acts 2:42-47, Eph. 4:16).
8. Servanthood: We are to follow Christ’s example by serving with humility and love (Phil. 2). Jealousy, a competitive spirit, unreconciled relationships and hypocritical performances inhibit corporate worship and should have no place within the Worship Team (Acts 13:45, James 3:16, Jeremiah 12:5, Matt. 5:22-24, 6:5).
9. Creativity and Diversity: Beauty is a craving of the soul. Music and the arts are powerful tools to communicate the timeless message of God’s Truth. Art is a means of worship, not an end. Variety in style, musical genre, presentation, color, format, instrumentation, etc...opens new windows into the souls of both the saved and unsaved.
10. Community: God has designed us to know one another, love one another, serve one another, and celebrate God with each other.