Character & Integrity Commitments for Music Ministry
“My children, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to Him.”
2 Chronicles 29:11
As leaders at Reality SF, we are committed to living a life of true example and servant-leadership.
As we do, we are not only impacting the way others are formed and experience Jesus, but we are being formed ourselves. Joining our team as a volunteer requires a conscious recognition of what it means to volunteer not only your time and talents, but to volunteer your life as a model for others to follow as a worshipper of Jesus. We commit to a posture of humility when it comes to the trajectory of our lives towards Christ-likeness.
As a team, we have a high value on that call of servant-leadership and ask our team members to agree to model lives of faith, humility, purity, sobriety, unity, generosity, passion, and excellence, as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13:
“In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 3:8-13
Rather than viewing these qualifications as a legalistic set of rules to be followed, we believe that living according to these boundaries points us to a deeper sense of health and wholeness, while protecting us from broken relationships and the kind of self-centeredness that can keep us from living in generosity and humility toward our brothers and sisters. We invite all volunteer leaders to seasonally self-assess the condition of their hearts as it pertains to these values.
This means that as leaders, we commit to like-mindedness in these ways, and agree that the best life Jesus has for us involves:
- Generosity with our time, talents, homes, and money/resources (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
- Using our words to build up one another in sincerity, rather than to contribute to gossip and divisive conversation (James 3:9-12)
- Using wisdom in the exercise of our freedoms (drinking, spending, social media usage, etc.) for the sake of the community — in other words, pursue moderation and modesty in all things, for the edification of your brothers and sisters (Romans 14)
- Treating all people as Image-Bearers of God in the ways that we pursue relationships. In sexuality, this means abstaining from sex outside of marriage, as well as other forms of sexual intimacy that have been created to be celebrated only within the covenant commitment of marriage, and other unhealthy forms of sexuality that train our minds to see another person as an object of sexual satisfaction rather than as a beloved child of God. As leaders, we believe that a decision to pursue sexual intimacy with someone who is not (or even someone who is “not yet”) our spouse is unwise and invites emotional and spiritual harm to ourselves and to our significant other — and therefore, it is in opposition to the calling of marital faithfulness in leadership (1 Timothy 3:8-13)
- Faithfulness in service, so as to model the faithful servant-heartedness of Christ for others (Matthew 20:28)
Should there come a season (even if that season is now!) where you want to see healing and growth in one or some of these areas, there is safety and welcomeness to come and share these things in the hope of restoration (James 5:16). In these moments, I (Tyler Madsen, Music Ministry Director) want to be the kind of friend that pushes you toward Jesus, asking Him to meet you in your desires and to bring restoration, even if that means taking a break from service for a season to find healing. I care so much more about your health and wholeness than about your gifts in serving at Reality SF, and I want your involvement with this team to contribute towards your development as a follower of Jesus and not to create a fear of punishment or judgment. These kinds of honest conversations are how we are strengthened in our identity as God’s children. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
My desire is to see you grow as a leader and follower of Jesus, and I believe these values will help to guide that growth. I invite you to commit to these things alongside us as a staff and leadership team and to choose to share these values with us, as we work towards like-mindedness and unity in the story that we are telling with the substance of our lives here in San Francisco.
If there is anything in these values that you would like to have further conversation about — or that you have a difficult time agreeing with — I would love to hear from you and process through why I see these values as guiding qualifications for leadership in the Reality SF Music Ministry.
Otherwise, thank you for your desire to commit to joining us in these values and for your heart to serve God and His church here in San Francisco.
With love and thankfulness,
Tyler Madsen
Music Ministry Director