Discover Your Purpose
Something that you should decide at the outset of your journey is the
direction you are being led. The most important thing to do is pray about
the way you are supposed to go and get others to pray for you. Talk to
your pastor and ask for his guidance. Since the calling to preach is much
like the calling to write and/or perform, he's already been through what
you are just beginning.
Partners in Rhyme
One of the best investments you can make in your songwriting endeavors
is to find someone who shares your vision and complements your abilities.
If you're good at writing lyrics but can't come up with catchy melodies,
find someone who can. If chord progressions are a piece of cake for you
but every lyric you write sounds like "Mary Had a Little Lamb," find someone
who can do better (much better). The best a good musical composer who wants
to write songs can do is find a lyricist who can see into his heart and
find just the right words to convey what's there. One of the most successful
examples of a team like this are Michael W. Smith (music) and Wayne Kirkpatrick
(lyrics).
Also, if you take two mediocre songwriters who inspire each other (and
are not afraid of some constructive criticism), you may come out a winner.
Find a Voice
If you are a songwriter who also has a great voice, you're in good shape.
You can take your songs into churches or other venues and perform them
yourself. If you're not the greatest singer, you should try to find someone
who can do it for you. This person has to have more than just talent, however.
The two most important qualities to look for in a "voice" are vision and
dedication, not vocal talent (although that's always a plus).
By vision, I mean the singer's agreement with the emotion you're trying
to get across in your songs. If someone is singing a song they don't really
agree with, the performance will suffer.
Dedication is a quality of utmost importance. No matter how good a singer
may be, if they are not willing to commit to the relationship (yes, it
IS a relationship) then the whole thing is going to fall apart.
Patience Is a Virtue...
Above all, you have to believe in what you are doing. If you believe
you have been called into music ministry, whatever the capacity, you have
to be patient. You may not get the recognition you think you deserve right
away. What you have to remember is that God not only has a plan, He also
has a timetable and it rarely agrees with our own. I found this one out
the hard way. It's seldom easy to find your place in the ministry. But
if you keep the faith and work hard, you may look around one day and discover
that you're already there.