Over the years, I have found myself answering countless questions as well as helping folks with their song selection for worship sessions. In time, I have come up with what I hope is a straight forward approach to mastering this little activity that could potentially be the make or break of a congregational worship session. I considered using the word "perfect" in the place of "effective". But you probably know there is no such thing as a perfect song list. Plus if you lead worship, you probably already know of those times the Holy Spirit seemingly messes up your 'perfect' song list.
I know there has been some negativity towards the worship song list, the general idea being that the Holy Spirit should be allowed free reign. Whilst I agree with this 100%, I don't see how the worship list works against it. The worship song list helps you prepare..."zone in", if you like. Besides, If you give Him free reign right from the song list preparation stage, there shouldn't be an issue, right? Great! Glad we are on the same page (I pray!) Before I get to down to business I'd like to state some matters of fact:
1. The fact that the song is current does not mean it would work in today's session, in today's list. I have been in gatherings where because the song is current, the worship team squeezes every ounce of life out of it. Oh c'mon guys, you can do better than that! That's not to say you can't sing it frequently especially if the song was recently introduced to the congregation and the idea is to get the church used to the song. However, there is a way to do frequent and not do overuse.
2. The fact that you personally like the song does not mean it should make it on the list. Now, don't get me wrong. You should be happy and comfortable with every song on your list in order to give your best. But the non-negotiable phrase in the preceding statement is 'Give your best' and if you have to work the songs to the point where you are comfortable then so be it. The fact is this: you are not priority on the song list. Your song list really should reflect the heart of the father at that point in time. So if you are not really "feeling" the songs, work it! But don't worry, God's got you covered. The Holy Spirit's help, brings the scripture "He works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" to life.
So unto the crux of the matter:
1. Liaise with the Helper himself- Okay, I'm sure this goes without saying that, if you intend to lead from the Father's heart you would at the very least liaise and work hand in hand with His Spirit. Why? Because your task as much as it is an art is very much a spiritual exercise. And whilst you can do without it, if you goal is to be as effective as you can be, then you would be wise to involve Him in your song selection. I've been leading worship for almost 17 years and till date, I still start my song list preparation with "OK Lord, how would you want me to lead your people?" (Sounds a little cheesy but understand my heart behind it). However you choose to do it, you save yourself a lot of unnecessary angst by just involving Him. So, you've got that out of the way...now what? Well, step out in faith and apply the steps below as He leads...
2. Find a theme- This kinda depends on how God works with you. With me, sometimes I get an actual theme...like 'God's love' or 'Encouragement'. Other times it is an actual song. Whichever way, hone in on a theme and structure your list around it. Trust me, this singular step will revolutionise your song list preparation.
3. Look for the "headlining song" - Now that you have found a theme, you need to find a headlining song. If you got your theme from a song, then that song usually ends up being the headlining song. If you only got the theme as a message, you would then have to find a headlining song that fits into that message. What is a headlining song and how does it help in preparing a song list?A headlining song is just something I use to describe the song that ends up being the focal point from which the other songs on your list build around. It is the pinnacle of your list. Usually this song is found in the middle or end of a song list. Why do you need this? Because an effective song list is one which takes the people on a journey, not a merry-go-round. Think of any good book you have read: It would most likely have a beginning, a middle and an end, to put it simply. It would also have a climax (headlining song). The most impacting worship sessions are like that and your song list should express this. Remember, when you lead people in worship you don't just lead them to sing a bunch of songs. You lead them to express love and devotion to God. It is an experience, not a chore. With headlining song in the bag, you are ready to start on the actual list.
4. Song thread. The journey- Now that you have a theme/headlining song, you need to find songs that you can build round the theme. So say, we are honing on the holiness of God. It is pretty obvious that your list would contain a song or two (including the headlining song) speaking on the holiness of God. But for the rest of your song list, it is best to focus on other facets of God that compliment the actual theme and find songs that fit into those facets. For example, when you think of God's holiness you imagine the awesomeness of His presence, His being etc. so find songs that speak of these. One of the easiest ways to find 'complimentary songs' is to say the words of the song instead of sing it. This is the starting point. Then, you would have to free style your words kinda like you were praying and expressing worship using just words not music. Here is an example:
Holy is the Lord God almighty. The earth is filled with His glory (Lyrics to Chris Tomlin's Holy is the Lord)
(Free style starts from here) What an awesome God He is, I stand amazed in the beauty of His Holiness. Who is like unto our God...
...and so on.
The challenge is to then find a song that fits nicely into my 'freestyle' words...with the words I just used above, songs that speak of the awesomeness of God (Like William Murphy's Lord 'Awesome' comes to mind. Do I hear you ask 'what if I can' t find any songs'? Well, make one up! It doesn't have to be perfect. Just trust God to give you utterance as remember you liaised with Him before venturing out. Mind you, several amazing songs have actually been written in a bid to fill such song voids. In my early years as a worship leader, I found I had to do this quite often as I didn't know a lot of songs at the time. If your time slot is say, 20 mins, you are probably looking at 3-4 songs in total including the headlining song, depending on the length of the actual song and transitions between songs. Mine tend to be pretty long so sometimes I end up leading only 2 songs. My advice is to always start off light and then increase intensity as you go down your list to either culminate in the headlining song or to prepare the ground for the headlining song, meaning you would likely end with something less intense than the headlining song. There is really no hard and fast rule to this. This is just what has worked for me over the years.
I should probably mention the importance of the music and keys to the songs and whether a key change would be necessary. First the music: Some songs are more suited as "start off"songs and this is not only because they are up tempo songs. Drawing from our examples above..the song 'Awesome" works better as a start song than "Holy is the Lord" so if I was doing both songs I would start with 'Awesome' and transition into 'Holy Is the Lord'. As for the keys, though this isn't always possible but I would advise trying to stick to the same key where you can. Keeps things simpler. And no, you don't have to sing the song on the key it originally was written in, though it is good place to start when considering what other keys that might work. Again, it is important to take the congregation on a musical journey, just as you are doing with the lyrics. Work with your fellow musicians to achieve this because there is nothing worse than having lead singer and musicians on different pages.
Transitioning between songs- For those who may not know what I am talking about here, I am referring to those spaces in-between your songs. Worship leaders tend to use these periods to encourage the congregation or introduce the next song...I know loads of people prefer to just "wing" this bit but I actually think in the spirit of all I have have shared about having theme and taking the congregation on a journey, it is wise to consciously prepare or have a very good idea of what you will say and do at these points so you are sure to stay in line with your theme.
Those are my 5 steps done, guys! Again, please know that the essence of this post is not to make your worship sessions so rigid and regimented that God Himself couldn't break through the ranks, even if He tried! Simply use as a guide if or when you get stuck.
Remember:
Thoughts and tips?
Comment please!.
Much love and blessings!
Tosé