It’s a scary question, isn’t it?
I don’t know about you, but I want to lead people to Jesus and disciple them enough so that they stay there.
I don’t want to simply leave them with a talented performance or a memorable concert.
I want people to know the presence of God and begin to live there on a daily basis.
But it makes me wonder – are our worship services structured to accomplish this? Or are they simply a concert to entertain and inspire?
Are God’s people being connected to the greater story of life?
Is the name of Jesus being lifted high?
Are we really living in community or just attending a weekly show?
Are we making disciples or simply entertaining God’s people?
I think this is important for leaders to ponder. Otherwise, we vouch for what is most efficient, simple, and keeps the machine running with the least amount of headaches.
3 Tips For Planning God Centered Worship Services
I don’t have all the answers, but here are some actionable steps you can take as a worship leader, planning services that encourage participation and action:
1. Saturate Yourself and Your Worship Programming in Scripture – I’m sure you know that the Word of God is living and powerful. One Word from God is more powerful than a lifetime of conversations anyone else. Work hard to saturate your service with God’s Word.
Choose songs that are rich in theology and not merely subjective responses. Incorporate creative spoken word declarations in between your songs. The more your life and your programming are filled with God’s Word, the more confidence you can have in what you do, knowing that God’s Word never fails or returns void.
2. Stop Trying to Be Cool – There is no shortage of cool worship bands, cutting edge churches, and witty songs. I’m not bashing anyone, but what we need more than cool is true, heartfelt, and God-centered. Cool and cutting edge has its place, but not at the expense of glorifying God, making disciples, and leading people to the fountain of living water.
For this weekend, don’t ask yourself “What could we do that would be cool?” Ask, “How can we shape the spiritual perspective of our people? How can we lead them to Jesus? How can we set them on a path of spiritual formation?”
3. Coach Your Congregation – Do you wonder why your congregation doesn’t seem to worship? It’s probably not that your people are less spiritual, or lazy, or have hard hearts. They may just need coached. Your job as a worship leader isn’t to sing songs or perform slick worship sets. It’s to grow worshipers. It’s about teaching people to pursue Jesus. Lead them, love them, and worship God with them.
When you get frustrated, ask yourself, “Am I doing all I can to teach my church how to worship?”
OK, worship leaders, let’s hear it. I’m really interested in hearing your thoughts.
What would you add? How can we make sure our worship is done in Spirit and truth?
Let us know in the comments! You can leave a comment by clicking here.
[ois skin=”Beyond Sunday 2″]
This is a confirmation for me David! I have determined this week, before reading your post today to memorize more scripture this year and to infuse our set lists with God’s word throughout our services. Silence is also another tool we are going to be using as we wait on the Lord in our services to direct us according to his spirit. Just finished the book this week “We are not Rockstars” by Stephen Miller which I would highly recommend. As always thanks for sharing. Be blessed!
Sounds like an awesome plan, John! Keep up the good work.
I think worship leading should extend beyond the stage and beyond the music as well. There has to be a connection with the congregation before there can be trust and growth. I also think that the worship leader should be a service leader too. In Romans 12, Paul states, ” …to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (ESV). If people see you do more than play a guitar or piano on stage and sing, if they actually see you serving Gods people through hard work and sweat, growth will be made there too.
Couldn’t agree more, Jeremy. Trust is built off the stage. It’s about how you care and love people.
Perhaps the better question is “are we worshipping?, Or entertaining the church.”
I remember as a young man starting out on the worship team, my worship pastor asked me the question- What is our primary job as a worship team? I replied To lead others into the presence of God. He told me that that was the wrong answer. I was baffled. He said it was to minister to the Lord.
There’s so much cultural stigma with the term “worship leader”. We shouldn’t be chearleaders, but rather worshipers. We get so focused on the church sometimes (or ourselves for that matter), that we forget that it’s about God. It’s no about forgetting them, or leaving them behind. But we should lead by example. If we never touch heaven how can we expect the congregation to?
Good Point Casey. That is why I prefer the term “Lead Worshiper” instead of the traditional Worship Leader. It is semantics but I think an important distinction.
Powerful, Casey. How does this look for you? How do you keep a healthy balance of “leading” as well as simply “ministering to the Lord”?
My snarky answer would be that ministering to the Lord IS leading.
It’s a very hard question to answer. For me it’s largely instinctual which is hard to teach.
First off, I’d say that being a “Lead worshiper” or “worship leader”, heck, anything with the word “leader” in it starts off of the platform. We are only leading people if they’re willing to follow. We start by loving people and doing everything in our power to remove the line between “us” and “them.” Build trust with them so when it’s time to lead, they’ll follow.
Also, I think it’s important that the congregation knows that they are to be active participants in worship, not observers. Perhaps they think they’re supposed to be entertained, or “get something” out of worship. I’d say that this part lands heavily on the shoulders of the head pastor. I could tell you how a church worships simply by watching the head pastor.
I know that’s all foundational stuff but I think when we have those things in place, when the people are “with us” even before a note is struck, the “leading people vs. ministering to the lord” stuff takes care of itself.
Good stuff. I try to create the culture that everyone present in the room is part of the worship team and we’re all following the Holy Spirit as we glorify Jesus. That mindset has really helped me. Thanks Casey!
all you said AND (for me) worshiping more in my personal time than I do practicing for Sunday!
Yes! AND…worshiping with your kids, right?
Great post Dave, I think there has to a be a middle ground and thats pretty hard to find. Especially when it to comes our youth if we can influence them on what true worship is then our churches worship will be in good hands. When I teach in my blog http://www.de-aragon.com I always make sure the youth or beginners understand what true worship is.
How about men with a base voice. Is there anything for us? We’ve been pretty much shut out with most popular music
How about singing in a choir? That would best suit a bass voice. We had a guy with a bass voice in our large worship team years ago. We had many singers but his voice would stick out and not blend. He sang in his lowest octave. When we tried to give him some input about it by telling him to try to sing in a higher octave, he got offended. It’s all about the blend. If you always are in your lower register it will not blend. Try singing an octave higher. If you can learn to blend with the surrounding singers you may be able to fit in with a contemporary worship band. It’s always good to stretch ourselves in our craft especially when it’s hard. Don’t give up.
Amen and Amen! Content is everything not musical style. Yes, more theology in songs because truth ministers to us and honors God!
Something you said at the end of the article David was that our people may not be lazy or un-spiritual if they are not singing but need coaching. Exactly how can we do this? I would like to hear more on how we can draw out the responses of God’s people. I’m not a “stage” kind of person, don’t ever yell around during worship, or even talk much during the worship set. Sometimes I pray as a way to get their focus on something in the next song or the previous song but anything more than that I would be afraid of being too showy. Any input on this “coaching” subject would be helpful. Blessings~
At first, its also my care, seeing the congregation worshiping as if a living dead(funny but true). I’m asking God why does it happen or how can it be? I get a revelation from the LORD, He said ” if you know really what did God did for us, we don’t need to push ourselves to worship(but there are tough times, needed a push) because deep inside you know and you know, He is worthy, alone worthy to be praised!!! But me personally, esp. when i’m not at the stage, I very crazy dancing and worshiping Him even the worship leader don’t say anything, we’ll maybe because of that revelation. Be Blessed!!!
I’ve really enjoyed what you have shared. I think it should also be added to please be careful not to fuss at the people to get them to worship according to how YOU feel they should. God people worship in many ways, everyone isnt a screamer, nor a runner, etc. just lead them and those that want to follow will. We have to understand we will have all types of spirits there. Some come merely to be a destration. But where two or there are gathered together in Jesus name, He will be in the midst. So lets just set the atmosphere for yokes to be destroyed, chains to be broken, lives to be saved, backsliders return. DONT FUSS, you act like God hadnt done anything, I said stand on your feet and you still sitting down, the rocks gonna cry out in your place,etc… You have now made many get an attitude with you, verses joining in as you go forth and speak life and allowing the presence of God be so thick that they do all those things themselves. Once again we all worship differently. So because Im sitting doesnt mean Im not worshiping. Maybe I pressed my way, and Im racked with pain, but as long as I can make it to the house of God, I know He can touch me. Then during my worship God touch my body and now I can stand with you… So we cant take it personal if a person isnt doing our commands!!! Just worship God lead me to worship, by the anointing flowing though you and allow God to do what only He does anyway.
This is a great post, and I am in total agreement with all of it and am challenged to grow in these ways. However, this raises a question for me. I’m not strong with coaching the congregation on how to worship and have used up almost all of my ideas on this. Is there a different post about this or would anyone be willing to share with me what they have done to help coach their congregation with worshipping?
Thanks!
Great post! 🙂
I would like to add on point no. 3… IMHO I would say that as worship leaders we should never allow ourselves to OVER-emphasize on our role to teach/coach/grow worshipers because that could perhaps ‘influence’ us into leading a worship service that pleases people rather than a worship service that actually pleases the Lord. The truth is that in every worship service there will always be people who will not be inspired/moved and who will not enjoy the worship service – now that is an issue of a person’s heart which only God has the power to change (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
My point is that there is only so much a (worship) leader can do to teach/coach/grow worshipers and that role alone is NEVER enough to teach/coach/grow worshipers to become awesome A+ Christians ~ thus the importance of every congregation member doing his/her individual part(s) (1 Corinthians 12).
By virtue of Romans 12:1 (Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.) – every Christian (whether a leader or not) has a personal responsibility to live a life of worship… every moment of a Christian’s life is an opportunity to worship.
Often times, worship leaders are “expected” to be ready and well prepared to lead a worship service but how about the rest of the other congregation members? Aren’t they “supposed” to be ready and well prepared too?
To close up, I believe that putting into practice 1 Timothy 4:16 (Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.) is the best way to teach others. Let’s not become too consumed about what a worship service should be and what our roles supposed to be when we neglect our conduct during the many hours we spend outside of the worship service.
It’s when we are honest, real and at peace with God, with our individual-self, with our life and with the people in our lives that make us better worship leaders… and this is not something that can be achieved in a short time span; but rather it’s a lifetime pursuit.. 🙂