Tag: Leading a congregation

What Am I Supposed to Be Doing Right Now?

Many worship leaders, without realizing it, expect the congregation to be able to read their minds. Sing here, don’t sing here. Stand up now, but sit down in a minute. Listen to this verse. Think about this in light of what we just heard. We’re learning this because… Men sing a line and women echo. The list goes on.

There are a variety of instances during the course of a worship service when people are expected to participate in a particular way. But do we as worship leaders do a good job of communicating that to them? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

In a room full of people, whether it’s 15 or 150 or 1,500, one question that at some point will be on every single person’s mind is: what am I supposed to be doing right now? And I think most people genuinely want to be involved. There are always those who, for whatever reason, don’t want to be involved regardless of how clear the instruction. But for most people it’s not that difficult.

Effective worship leaders are able to, at all times during the service, be aware that this question is being asked. Most of the time we know what’s going on because we’ve done it many times before, been through rehearsal, been thinking about for a week or more, talked to the pastor about his plan, and are the ones who have a say in the direction of the service. Because of this, if we’re not careful, we’ll assume that since we know what’s going on, then the average person in the congregation does too. The problem is that it’s not always as clear to them as we think it might be.

The longer you serve a particular congregation, the easier it will be for both of you to trust each other and move in the same direction. But one thing is the same for worship leaders who are just starting out and worship leaders who have been at a church for thirty years: your congregation can’t read your mind. Growing in sensitivity to when (and when not), how (and how not), and why (and why not) to communicate to the congregation the why’s and how’s and when’s is crucial to helping the congregations we serve.

Always put yourself in their shoes. Look at the service through their eyes. Be a helpful tour guide. Be an effective usher. They will go with you if they trust you!

The Difference a Few Words Can Make

What’s the difference between saying “let’s clap our hands” and “let’s celebrate God’s greatness by clapping our hands together”?

Just a few words.

And a big distinction.

In the first case, I’m asking people to respond to my desire for them to clap – by clapping.

In the second case, I’m asking people to respond to the greatness and glory of God by clapping.

Would most people notice the difference? Maybe not. Is it a huge difference? No. But do those few words make any difference? I would argue that they do.

The scary reality is that if a worship leader asks a congregation to do something, a good majority of people will do it. For example, if I got up on Sunday morning and said “let’s kneel as we sing this song”, then most people will kneel. Will they know why I’m asking them to kneel? No. They’re mainly kneeling because I asked them to.

Some worship leaders get used to this power, and get in the habit of giving short posture instructions every know and then. If you’re really brave you’ll say something like “let’s lift up a shout!” and maybe some brave people will.

We don’t often get the opportunity to give lengthy exhortations and/or teachings on the topic of physical expressiveness in worship. Sometimes (most of the time?) all we get is those five seconds in between a chorus and a verse. If we beef up those few-seconds-long exhortations with a bit more God-centered truth, the cumulative effect over a year could be substantial.

I encourage all of us to look for ways to add context to our brief exhortations, if and when they occur. Instead of “let’s lift our hands” try “let’s exalt our Savior with our bodies and lift our hands in praise”. Instead of “clap your hands everybody!” try “In Psalm 47 we’re encouraged to ‘clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!’ let’s respond to God’s glory by clapping our hands together.”

It might feel clunky and unnatural at first. You’ll definitely revert backwards once in a while. But stretch yourself and feed your congregation, a few words at a time.

Here’s an example of how I did this a few Sunday mornings ago at my church while leading Matt Redman’s “The Glory of Our King”.

Don’t Teach Too Many New Songs During the Summer

It’s summertime. In Washington D.C. that means two things: First, it’s ridiculously hot. Secondly, everyone goes on vacation.

This is the time of year when people take advantage of the kids being out of school and the weather being warm to get away. Especially in the nation’s capital, when congress isn’t in session, people scatter. It’s amazing how much shorter my commute is to and from work!

During the first couple of summers at my church I made the mistake of introducing too many songs. I began to realize that, especially during July and August, a larger percentage of people are missing on Sundays than usual. So when I was introducing new songs, it took them longer to catch on since they were newer to more people for longer.

In the months of the year when most people are in town, it might take a song two or three Sundays to get familiar. In the summer months, it might take four or five. It depends on the song, of course.

It’s good to keep your repertoire from getting stale and to introduce new songs – but during the summer months you might want to slow the rate down. Introduce a new song and then wait three weeks to introduce another one. In the interim, if you’re desperate for something fresh, pull out an older song you haven’t done in a while and change up the arrangement. Or find a hymn your congregation doesn’t know very well and use it. A critical mass of people will have heard the hymn before and they’ll help you carry it.

You never know how many people are going to be away on a Sunday. Some Sundays are more full than usual, and then other Sundays you wonder where everyone went. You’re probably better off leaning towards more familiar songs in either case and introducing new songs more slowly. Make sure you get a vacation too!

The Wonderful Relief of Not Having to Dress Cool

I only own one plaid shirt. And I feel silly wearing it. Sort of like a farmer but for some reason farmers can actually pull it off. Oh, and cool people. Sure, I know plaid shirts are “in” but I just can’t do it.

And tight jeans? The jeans that make your legs look like twigs? No way would I ever even try those things on. I can tell you right now I’m not cool enough to wear them.

Last July, when the national worship leader conference was taking place in Kansas City, I remember following what was happening at the conference on Twitter and seeing a slow but steady stream of comments on how many worship leaders were wearing plaid shirts. Someone referred to them as the “staple of the cool worship leader uniform”. That and thick-rimmed glasses.

And for a moment, I found myself thinking, “I don’t dress like a cool worship leader”. And I was right. I don’t. And I felt self conscious about it. For a few minutes.

There is a wonderful relief that comes from not having to dress cool. A pair of khakis and a blue shirt never get old. Nor do jeans and a polo shirt. Hey, I’ve even been known to wear crocs to a Saturday evening service from time to time. They’re comfortable. Horribly ugly, but comfortable.

By the way, I was roundly mocked by members of my worship team for wearing socks with crocs. Apparently that is not cool. I did take their advice on this one.

In the words of my old youth pastor, I say all of that to say this: worship leaders shouldn’t feel the need to dress cool. Once you start down that road, it never ends. There will always be a new fashion trend, a new shirt you have to buy, a new pair of cool shoes, a graphic tee, glasses frames, and maybe even a tie if you’re fancy. And it’s not worth it. Who does it impress? And why does it matter? Why spend all the time and energy on something so fleeting?

(Caveat: being too far on the “un-cool” side of things can be just as great a distraction as being “too cool”. Rocking a Santa Claus sweater at Christmas time, sporting a nice pair of knee-high black socks with flip flops and jean shorts, or showing off your 1970’s era orange bell-bottoms might not be a good idea either.)

I would argue that worship leaders should be comfortably neutral in what they wear. Be yourself, be modest, be mindful of your context, and beware the temptation to “dress to impress”.

If I accomplish “dressing cool”, but in the process cause the man in the third row to be distracted by trying to read what my shirt says, then I’ve failed. I’d rather fail at dressing cool and succeed in not getting in the way of God receiving people’s attention. Khakis and a blue shirt. You can never go wrong.