I don't want it to look like I'm just giving excuses but the biggest problem is I don't have the library (actual CD version) of the music that I've taught the choir. I can start from scratch but that means my entire library of music that we've done is automatically shut down and I have to only do new songs that I can provide the CD music for.
If anything, I do not have the money to buy CDs left and right or MP3 files either...
MrSparrow
That's cool. Show your Dance Leader where she can get the music. Maybe some of the members of the dance ministry can locate the song(s). Until then, the best thing would be for the dance ministry to have rehearsals on the same day as P&W rehearsals this way they'll know the songs. ;)
Other than that, she's being complicated about the whole thing.
BINGO!!!!!!!!
Sjon, this is what I've been hinting at all along. If you know of any other M.o.M. that have a Music Ministry that is seperate from the Drama and Arts, ask them how they handle situations like this please...
I can't tell them anything, we can't even pray together and my I've been asking for help from my Pastor for a while now...
I'll just tell you what happened two weeks ago...
The dance director called me on Monday asking me what songs we were going to do for Praise and Worship. I told her I didn't know (TRUE) because I didn't know who was going to show up. Our male group is fairly new and we were going to be rehearsing on a different night... I told her I would tell her on Wednesday. She AGREED and UNDERSTOOD.
I taught the men Love the Lord (Lincoln Brewster) and Here I Am to Worship. On Wednesday as promised, I gave her the music to Love the Lord (a CD) and I gave her the lyrics for Here I Am to Worship. I told her that I didn't have the recording available that night but I told her that it is exactly the same as the Isreal Houghton version. She told me that she "thought" she had that song on a CD. So I thought I covered my bases in a timely manner.
The director of the Drama and Arts department asked me why I gave the dance director lyrics with no music. I told her the same thing that I didn't have the music for the second song available but the dance director said that she "thought" she had the music. END OF DISCUSSION RIGHT???
NOPE!
I left to go to Tampa for a workshop that Thursday, Friday and Saturday. When I got to church that following Sunday we were rehearsing the song with the men and the dancers eventually came out to practice the song with us during our sound check. (30 minutes before service). I started the first song and the dancers had some movements (very basic but they did something) to it. I switched to the second song Here I am to Worship and the ladies went and sat down. ?/? ?/? ?/?
I didn't recieve a phone call saying that the dance director couldn't find the CD or a call asking for the music. I had my cell phone and they (the drama and arts director and the dance director have my numbers)...
They said that they didn't have time to put movement to Here I am to Worship. I told the dancers that I didn't know that they didn't have the music to the second song because I was told that the dance director "THOUGHT" she had the music.
A few days later I get a NASTY email addressed to the Pastor and the dance director from the Drama and Arts director saying that I'm being a stumbling block and I'm not cooperating with them among other lies...
I'm pretty upset that things are the way they are, for a church our size (300-600) we shouldn't have two different ministries for music and one for drama...
That's another issue...
I just need your prayers and some REAL solutions folks...
MrSparrow
I was actually thinking about just not having a rehearsal at all and just singing all of the songs that we're currently using in our songbook to get them together. We have the capacity to record our services on CD and DVD. I guess I'm just going to have to set up a time and record my Praise Team songs, Church choir songs and men's choir songs and possibly my youth choir songs, catalogue them and give them to the dance director along with the new material I teach.
UniquePraise, I got blasted in another email because I didn't tell them that I switched song order of our watch night service. It was truly because I didn't remember or write down the order. We sang the same songs but instead of doing songs ABC and then D.. What I did not know, because there's no communication from them to me (see they just didn't warn me) was that they had two sets of dancers, one young and one elderly. We did 4 praise and worship songs and the younger dancers did song A and the elderly did song B etc... After song B, I went to song D and the wrong dancers were out there. The email says that I did that on purpose to embarass them... Once again, instead of checking with me and telling me that there are two seperate dancers doing specific songs they just left it up to me to read their minds. Once I saw them switch, it was too late for me to stop and ask the director what song I told them was next...
As you can imagine, we have a flow with praise and worship when we don't have dancers but I can't really flow if I told the dancers we're doing song A and B but that morning song Z is laid on my heart. I don't have the authority to say to them, I'm sorry but we're not going to do the same songs we did at 8 am for the 11 am service.
When a prophetic song comes forth, they don't dance, they just stand there or rock from side to side... as you can imagine, I am very frustrated...
I like the idea of generic movements that go to different songs but I can't suggest movements to them because that would mean that I'm "micromanaging them"...
Please continue with your advice and prayers...
MrSparrow
I hear you SJon but I know I'm making progress already with the suggestions I've got from Diverse and UniquePraise. Things that I will mention in our airing out conversation that we will have eventually...
Thanks again everyone,
I'm still wondering how others do things so I won't have to reinvent the wheel...
MrSparrow
You don't think other churches have liturgical dancers during Praise and Worship or you don't think other churches don't have the communication issues I'm having...
MrSparrow
There are a few problems. I've suggested that they rehearse at the same time but they don't want to do that.
Then, that's not your issue that's theirs and they should handle that.
I've been teaching choirs/praise teams for YEARS and a lot of the times I not only don't know who sings the song but I don't know where to buy it again. If I do know who sings the song, I shouldn't have to go into my pocket and purchase the whole album for one song. I guess I could tell my Pastor that if they want music, they need to put money in my budget to buy music or money in my budget to download songs as needed.
You should start a list or a catalog of the songs that you have done. This way when someone asks, or you need the info, you'll have it. ;)
I guess I could go to itunes.com but I'm not going to pay for that either.
No, YOU don't HAVE to, but as the MOM AND a minister of the gospel, you may want to. Or, make the suggestion to the leader of the dance ministry.
The dance director wants the songs and the cds with the songs the Monday before the Sunday they serve. I don't feel like I should have to do all of that running around especially since there is no gaurantee that they will have "time" to put movement to the songs. There have been several times in the past that I did get a CD with music to them only to be told the morning of service that they ARE NOT going to do it...
Get over how you feel about it; God will bless you because of your sacrifice. And, when the dance ministry isn't ready to minister, THEN you can find out why, because they'll have no excuses.
This is about getting God's work done. As a result, we must be willing to go the extra mile when we are in leadership positions. Sometimes, that means coming out of our own pockets (but, I'd see if the church could foot the bill); sometimes, it means giving folks no room for excuses or complaints.
Feel me? ;)
MrSparrow
YES JONATHON YOU ARE definitely growing in wisdom and compassion it must be the new woman in your life softening those rough edges you were sticking us with the past year.
keep ut with the sagely advice.
it is very much appreciated and a pleasure to read your words.
I don't like it when a dance team dances because the people are just there standing and watching and not praising God. So if I had a choice for a dance team to dance I wouldn't let them, and besides they are distracting.
Hey guys,
I just wanted to thank you again for your advice.
This is what I came up with. I tell the dance director ahead of time the songs we're going to sing and she goes to www.itunes.com ($.99) or www.walmart.com (much cheaper at $.88) and downloads the song. That way she has a library of songs and she can burn her own copies etc...
I will get the names of the songs and the artists and they take it from there.
I went out of my way last week and made a CD of the songs so the kids could dance to praise and worship. I put the CD in the mailbox of the dance director. I didn't get a phone call saying that there were any problems. I assume everything was OK. I realized that I didn't tell them the order of the songs and then I noticed they never did ask me either. So I went online and checked my school email acount to find out that late Friday afternoon (after I left the school) the Drama and Arts person said that the CD didn't work and they weren't going to dance.
Since I saw that they weren't going to dance I changed the song selection altogether.
We still have issues and I still need your prayers but I will be meeting with my Pastor tomorrow and possibly the drama and arts director so we will finally get this mess settled.
Keep praying saints,
MrSparrow