I've heard various opinions on the subject but the choice basically comes down to the environment, the quality of the current gear in question and budget. Speaking from a drummer’s perspective, I'm personally not a big fan of being cutoff from communication with the rest of the band in a live setting. However, we all know that drums can very easily over power the other music in a service and can actually be a hindrance or distraction in a service rather than a blessing. Since I prefer acoustics over electronic drums and even though isolation is not my preference, still being able to play acoustics is a good trade off, even in isolation.

Drum loops are being used more and more widely in worship services with good reason. If you not familiar with drum loops, they are a pre-programmed segment of percussive instruments in 2, 4 or sometimes 8 measures in length. This segment is played in a loop for the duration of a song. When properly executed they can add another dimension to the music and really make the music much fuller. When improperly executed, too loud, off timing etc, they can totally destroy a worship service.

If your department is like most, sooner or later there may come a time when your opinion doesn't quite line up with that of the director or you may feel like you've been wronged in some way. I think in the secular circles this is commonly referred to as "artistic differences". When that happens, there is a right and a wrong way to approach the issue.

When I was about eighteen I sat down at our family piano, which we had owned for around eleven years or so.  I had never put forth any effort to learn music until that day.  I am now thirty-one and the music director of my church.  I remember going to different functions at other churches before I was a musician and one thing really stood out to me about the people who were singers or musicians.  For some reason which was foreign to me at the time, they didn’t seem to praise or worship with the rest of us.