Where is Your Mission Field? (an excerpt from the Instrumental Music Ministry Handbook)

In addition to the priority of leading in worship, the instrumental music ministry can also be mobilized to fulfill other functions of the church, such as outreach. The instrumental director should consider these outreach options, as a way of furthering God’s kingdom, and creating personal ministry experiences for instrumentalists:

1. Ministering through music to those in need - prison trips, nursing homes, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, etc. It is always healthy to venture outside the four walls of the church and focus on the needs of others, rather than our own needs.

2. Pops concerts and other outreach events into your local mission field. Make sure your goal is more than just entertainment. Explore creative ways to present the gospel. This may be the “first touch” for someone who may visit your worship services later. Send them home with information about your church in the form of a keepsake program. A unique example of this for an outdoor concert is a fan, with the program printed on one side and church information on the other side (service times, address, phone number, web address, etc.).

3. Musical mission trips – across the world or across the country. There is nothing quite as fulfilling for a Christian instrumentalist as going on a mission trip and getting to play your instrument at the same time!