Worship Leaders by Stephen M. Newman Pastor of Worship and Arts June 05, 2007
A Must for Good Worship
Do
you ever wonder why people don't participate in worship the way you would
like them to? Have you ever been in a service where it was hard to
worship? Do you know why? If the music is not distracting,
and the style of music is to your liking, there should be no reason why
you can't worship right?
If I came to your church
tomorrow, I could put together two different worship services, and one
would have more participation than the other. If I knew a little
about your churches background, and had a songlist of the songs your people
do, I could plan the two services so that one would have people singing
out loud and the other, they would stand there frustrated and lost.
You know what the answer is. You know how I could do this, and yet
each week worship leaders around the country face this very problem.
Familiarity is the key to
good worship participation. If you don't believe me, try throwing
together songs that no one knows during a service. See how much singing
and participation there is. Then, try using songs that everyone knows
and you will see the difference. Simple, and yet I am guilty of it
on a weekly basis. Partly because I want to sing the new songs.
I get hooked on songs that I've listened to for months before anyone else
hears them. I know them and can worship with them. The problem
arises when I fail to put the people in the middle of my planning.
The worship team may get tired of doing the same songs over and over, but
keep in mind, they may sing a song for months before you use it in
worship. When it gets to the people, it may begin to get old with
the worship team. It's a hard balance to maintain. Also, there
may be someone who is new to your church and doesn't know the songs yet.
The influx of new people on a regular basis only adds to the frustration.
How in the world
As a new worship leader, I have in the past (and still do, sometimes) fall to the new song temptation. I get so eager for the church to have the opportunity to hear a GREAT song, that I rush it. It's a hard balance. Unfortunately, I also am at a chur...more
Submitted by: B Harvey Location: Statesboro, GA
Don't Overdue Familiarity
At our church, the ministers over our worship team sometimes overdo familiarity. At times they get into a place where they will not allow introduction of new songs because they are concerned about the people's response. We have had times when the p...more
Submitted by: Yvonne George Location: Cleveland, Ohio
New Songs
I know that new songs are powerful if you have a worship team (singers and musicians) who know the song, and then of course the words up and changed on time from verse to chorus so that all in attendance can see and sing. Simple songs of people's ne...more
Experiencing Worship, The Study
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
The Paul Langford Project
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.