How can I get involved?
Participation on the worship team is for covenant members, so the first step would be to go through our membership process. Then you can submit a worship ministry audition form, and Pastor Josh will contact you to set up your audition.
What’s the worship audition like? What can I expect?
Worship auditions are an opportunity for Pastor Josh and other members of the worship team to get to know you and your gifts. They usually take about what 45 minutes, and they consist of conversation and playing. You will be asked to prepare certain songs to play, and you may also be asked to play some additional material on the spot.
Why is membership required for participation in the worship ministry?
We believe that up-front leadership positions in the church should be reserved for those who have made a public affirmation of not only their faith in Jesus Christ, but their submission to the theological distinctives of our church and submission to the pastoral leadership of the church. Most areas of public ministry at Four Oaks are reserved for members.
Why do we play the musical style we play?
Music is a good gift from God, but it has no intrinsic moral value. This means that no style, including the one we use, is spiritually superior to any other style. We worship the way we do because it best reflects who we are as a church family. The lyrical content of our songs, however, is of the utmost importance and thus is chosen very carefully. We take great care to make sure that all the songs we sing are Biblically accurate and faithfully reflect God’s self-disclosure found in the Scriptures.
I’d like the music to be louder/softer. Why do we mix at the volume levels we do?
Much like musical style, volume leves are a matter of personal preference. While we appreciate that everyone has their own preferred level of volume, our music cannot accommodate every person’s preference. We take care to mix within safe levels as determined by OSHA.
Why do we sing so many songs about the cross?
The cross is the turning point of redemptive history. It’s the place where Jesus Christ made atonement for our sins and secured our salvation. In the book of Revelation, we see that the host of heaven is still singing about the cross (Revelation 5:9-10), and will continue to do so in the coming age. Our corporate worship is a foretaste of that reality, and so singing about the cross will always be a priority in our congregational worship.
Why don’t we sing many songs that I hear on Christian radio?
Unfortunately, songs that are played on Christian radio often lack the substantive theological content or precision that we earnestly desire in our offerings of worship to God. While there are many songs that are on Christian radio that we do sing, a song’s popularity in that arena is not a factor in our decision making process.