Rehearsal is essential. I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen Praise and Worship done where the Praise and Worship leaders and the accompanist(s) were uncertain as to what will happen next. It amazes me when they have this confused looks on their faces.
Make it Smooth
In order for Praise and Worship to run smoothly, those up front need to be on the same page, not only spiritually, but also logistically. What is the order of the songs? Who will say what and when? What keys will the songs be played in? These are all important questions to ask, and they should never be asked (with your eyes) while on stage.
When a Praise and Worship experience is well planned, and well rehearsed, it makes all the difference in how it is received. Spend the time that is necessary to perfect the sequence, the parts, and any other logistical elements that you might want to incorporate.
What Will God Do?
God can take anything you give and make it into something great. He can take an unorganized, unplanned event and use it to touch many lives. The planning isn’t for you to help God. God doesn’t need help. However, that planning does something in us. It’s a part of refining our characters to give us the heart of a servant – the heart of God. Leading out in praise and worship is an act of service.
It is in that planning that we can be FULLY used by God. Once again, God can do anything. But he won’t do everything. He has called us to minister to others and be servants. The ministry of music is no exception.
I’ve already alluded to this in one of the previous tips. Lets explore this a little further. Song selection is part art, part science, and all Holy Spirit lead (at least it should be). It is not a task to be taken lightly.
The melody of song, poured forth from many hearts in clear, distinct utterance, is one of God’s instrumentalities in the work of saving souls - Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 493
That quote emphasizes the importance of song selection. Way too often, song leaders rush to put songs together at the last minute in order to lead a song service that is about to start in the next 5 minutes. Yes, God can still bless this. However, I strongly believe that God asks more of us.
The Plan
When you know where you are trying to go, you’ve activated your GPS system, and entered in your target destination, you can plan out the most effective route to get there. Song selection is the process of planning the route.
The Flow
When you are driving in a car to get to a destination, the roads are connected. When you are navigating your way through praise and worship, the songs should also share a connection. It is a good thing to look at song selection this way. The message of one song should flow into the message of the next.
Introducing new songs
This can be a great way of adding to worship. It’s always good to add more songs to your arsenal. However, do not introduce all of your new songs at one time. What usually happens when people try to do this is that the congregation ends up listening and not participating. So introduce them one at a time. Give the congregation time to digest one before moving on to the next.
I spent the summers of ‘04 and ‘05 in Germany. Let me tell you, it was an interesting experience indeed. There were some exciting times, and also some depressing times. I was there doing research for my master’s degree, and it was there I realized how much I hated research. Anyways, that’s beside the point.
I woke up in the morning, and before I went to work, I usually spent time in worship. There was one song that got me through that entire summer. With my guitar in hand, that song got me through some tough times. The song was “It is Well With My Soul”. Such an awesome song, and it means so much for me.
If you do not know the story behind the song, I invite you to watch the video below. To be able to say “It is Well” after such an experience is an awesome thing. And on that note, let me ask you the question:
I’ve already mentioned the issue of cultural differences in the beginning of this series. This is an issue that you need to keep in mind. However, there are not only cultural differences that affect the way in wish Praise and Worship should be executed. There are also age differences (and others) that play a large role.
Everything doesn’t appeal to every one. God made each and every one of us in a unique and special way. Because of this, everyone doesn’t enjoy the same style/genre of music. Praise and Worship ranges from conservative to contemporary. Knowing and understanding which category your audience/congregation fits into is a big part of knowing how to tailor your praise and worship sessions.
Your goal is to lead them into a truly worshipful experience. Do not take that job lightly. Prayerfully decide on song selection and order, in a way that will allow those you are leading to enter into communion with God.
The Caution
Let me end by saying this – In no way am I suggesting that you should do whatever it takes to make your congregation happy at the expense of compromising biblical principles. One of the problems in the church today is that there seems to be a thin line between the music in the church and the music of the world. You are NOT trying to entertain them (at least it shouldn’t be). You are leading out in Worship.
A few weeks ago, my family came to Michigan to attend my graduation. However, they came into Chicago O’hare. We were planning on spending the night in Chicago, going shopping in the morning, picking my sister up in the afternoon and then driving back to Michigan.
The Problem was that I had no idea how to get around in Chicago. So I decided to spend the money and by a GPS system and let me tell you . . . I LOVE IT. You put in your final destination and it tells you where to go. If you go off track somewhere, it says “Recalculating”, and then shows you how to get back on track.
It’s the same thing with Praise and Worship. Many times Praise and Worship “leaders” get on stage with no end goal. The problem with that is, if you do not have a final destination, you will always arrive, but not necessarily at the right place.
Having that goal makes it easier to have checks in place to know when you are heading off track, so that you can recalculate, readjust and get right back on track.
You should have 2 kinds of Goals
First, you need an overall goal. What do you want to accomplish with your Praise and Worship sessions? What is your purpose? Establish one and you will be a step ahead of the rest.
Second, you need an immediate goal. In your next Praise and Worship experience, what do you want to accomplish? What is the theme? What message do you want to get across? What is the Pastor preaching about? Having these things in mind helps you to tailor your worship experience to be most effective.
Call to Action
So, here’s what I want you to do.
1. Sit down and answer the following question: What do YOU want to accomplish in Praise and worship?
2. Choose a few themes, and find songs that fit those themes. Having a list like this is good for when you have to conduct Praise and Worship sessions.
Tue, Aug 19, 2008
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