3. A commitment to learning

How many of these terms can you define? A capella, modulation, chord progression, I-VI-II-V, compound time, straight beat, tenor, dominant chord.

Just like medicine, law, carpentry and virtually everything else you can think of, music has a whole lot of unique terminology. And if you're serious about this as a ministry, you'll commit yourself to learning as much about your trade as possible.

Books are a great source of musical information. I realise that a lot of people want to avoid musical theory, but how much you know will have a direct effect on your ability to minister effectively.

Unless you are in a really traditional church, look for books (such as - shameless plug here - my book Contemporary Music Theory) that explain theory as it applies to the modern musician. A good book should give you an understanding of chord structure, chord substitution, as well as scales and how they relate to improvisation.

Now read: A commitment to time