Helpful Guidelines for Platform Attire

On January 26, we provided all our teams with an overview of the visual image we have chosen for our platform image.  For almost one year we have prayed and deliberated over the this and are confident that these guidelines will help us as we encourage the continual improvement of our worship at FCNB.  Click here to view the Guidelines for Platform Attire

Why Establish Guiding Principles for Platform Attire?

The visibility of platform ministry requires that all of us participating need to seriously consider the things we wear. We want our clothes to represent who we are, but also who we are in Christ.   When selecting appropriate clothing for platform ministry, there are three keys to consider in making our choices:  Contextual appropriateness, modesty, and professionalism.

Clothing is one of the most elemental forms of nonverbal communication. Our choice of clothing is not only an expression of who we are individually, but also serves a variety of social and cultural functions.  Dress is often dictated by the situation.  However, because the social meaning of clothing is contextual and will be different from one place to another, our choices must be informed by our local social settings.

Because clothing is one of the fundamental ways in which we communicate with others, what we wear is not purely a personal matter.  It may be personal, but is never private.  How we dress not only affects us, but others as well.  1 Samuel 16:7 states that while God looks into the heart, people look at the outward appearance.  Thus, for those of us in platform ministry, we must be conscientious about what are we communicating regarding our beliefs, theology, and our view of this sacred encounter with God by what we wear in on the platform.

Worship is a sacred encounter, not an ordinary, common, or simple casual gathering.  While we can come boldly before the throne of God through the blood of Christ, we must still remember that God is wholly other and creator of all.  While the current trend of culture may lean toward the convenient, casual and comfortable, there is an element of awe and reverence that should be characteristic of our approach to God.  Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.  It is the doorway to knowing God and understanding him.  Without a fear of the Lord, we begin to treat God as common; we see Him for who we think he is, and not for who he truly is as revealed by himself through Scripture.

Because God is holy, he commands us to be a holy people.  The core idea of holiness is “set-apartness.”  While we are not to remove ourselves from the world, we are not to be of the world.  It will be the nature of our distinctiveness as Christians that will always set us apart or differentiate us from the world, or at least it should.  The Apostle Paul, giving instructions to Timothy for the Church, recognized the impact of attire in worship and acknowledged that some attire will be more appropriate than others at reflecting the holiness of God in our lives.  Current cultural trends in clothing also lean toward the immodest.  Modesty and style are important considerations in our choices of clothing and should lend themselves toward inspiring true biblical worship that focuses on God, not the messenger, while still coming across as relevant to the culture and people we are leading.

Finally, platform ministry should demonstrate excellence and professionalism.  Because cultural norms and trends do change over time, we must remain aware of the current cultural norms of appropriate professional dress.  Especially because of our climate, Florida tends to be somewhat casual even in the professional arena.  Casual yes, but careless, no. 

Towards More Effective Rehearsals

Come with an attitude to:

• Give your very best
• Risk making mistakes.  That's rehearsals are for!
• Optimistically try all music, and encourge others.
• Watch and respond to the director.

Understand the purpose of rehearsals:

• Rehearsals are not a time for personal rehearsal or to learn one's notes.  Learning notes is the responsibility of each choir member outside of rehearsal.  While some notes may be covered in rehearsal, the goal is to minimize this and work on the more important aspects of tone, blend, style, etc.  Respect your director by allowing him to do his job by doing yours; practice outside of rehearsal.

Remember good vocal habits such as:

• Keeping good posture...head as far away from the floor as possible.  This will mean shoulders back, and if seated, feet flat on the floor to eliminate slouching.  
• Breathing deeply...Chest and shoulders should not raise up every time you take a breath.  You should feel the rib cage expand all the way around, and also sense the muscles of your diaphram working too.
• Continually work on diction.  If it's important enough to sing, then it's important enough to be understood by the listeners.
• Listen carefully.  Speaking of listeners...please be one of those too.  Be aware of your blend.  Tone is important as well as pitch.  We will be continually working on these as a group.  Remember, if you can't hear anything but yourself, chances are, nobody else can either.
• Understand the lyric.  Remember to occasionally look again at the word and narrative of the song.  When you understand them and their importance, then the song can be communicated rather than simply sung with the right notes and rhythms.

Be positive:

• Don't expect every song to tickle your tickler or give you warm fuzzies.  We all have our own taste and preferences.  By singing different styles, hopefully, we will all be encouraged and inspired.  If you do not care for a piece, please do not affect the environment around you with negative comments.

Communicate properly:

• If you have a concern, please voice it only with those concerned and at an appropriate time.  Often, before or after a rehearsal or service is not always optimum for a pastor.  Consider making a phone call or scheduling an office visit.