20 Things to Remember When Leading Me in Worship

One of the joys of my life has been to lead corporate worship in local churches over the past forty years. During that time I have had the privilege to work with all types of people and congregants. Now that I am on “the other side of the fence” I can speak more clearly to principles of worship-leading that, for me, lead to affective worship experiences.

Please, if leading me within the context of corporate worship:

1. Let me participate.
I want to sing songs to my Lord that are spiritually meaningful. Include “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs” (Col.3:16) in the mix of the worship set. A variety of musical styles is welcome.

2. Help me learn the occasional new song.
I want to learn new songs but not at the expense of the old. And when a new song is presented in worship, have it sung or played before we try to sing it. Few things are as frustrating as when trying to sing a song that is unknown. I catch on pretty quickly but if too complicated I will drop out and simply listen. Select songs that are sound theologically and doctrinally with melodies that are singable.

3. Protect my ears.
I know the younger generations like the music loud but too loud can cause irreparable damage to my ears. I don’t need to “feel” the music – just hear it. And please keep the volume of the accompaniment subservient to the voices. At times, even moments of silence can be very worshipful in the flow of worship.

4. Don’t talk too much.
Let the words of the songs speak for themselves. Brief spoken segues between or prior to songs can be helpful but if a song’s message has to be explained maybe it should not be used.

5. Help me focus.
Reducing distractions during worship of the living God is very helpful in keeping my eyes on Him. No jokes, please.

6. Be real.
Let us worshipers relate to you. We need to see that you are like us with hurts, questions and joys as we walk though this thing called life. We can spot a fake.

7. Be humble.
Live out the direction of Micah 6:8. Don’t be afraid to share the leadership on the platform.

8. Lead me to deal with sin.
Don’t shelter me from the truth of God’s Word. Help me “scan” for sinful areas in my life and deal with them according to scripture. Speak the truth in love.

9. Shun entertaining.
There is no way you can compete with the secular world’s entertainment found in sports, movies, stand-up comics, etc. I did not come to church to be entertained.

10. Be refreshingly different from the culture.
Remind me that I am in the world but not of the world. If Christianity is to shape our culture it must start by being in contrast.

11. Love your pastor and staff.
Speak to us positively about the pastor. Regularly introduce or reference the various staff members. Let us see that you and the staff are unified. Can the church be unified if the staff is not?

12. Encourage, don’t scold.
At church, I need to receive encouragement for my walk through life; not a reprimand for not attending a particular church activity last week. You don’t know what my week was like.

13. Help me connect with the living God.
There is something supernaturally therapeutic about coming together with brothers and sisters in Christ to give Him our worship. But it won’t happen accidently.

14. Pray for me.
Prior to the worship time, pray for me and the other people of the congregation to hear from and submit to God.

15. Don’t be afraid to rearrange the furniture.
From time to time, create a different look or atmosphere in the worship space. It helps keep things fresh. Creativity can be a good thing.

16. Care for each generation.
Don’t aim for a particular group to minister to or reach. Neglected generations will recognize what’s going on and not feel included in the unity of the church. It is encouraging for me to hear you say how you are for ALL of us.

17. Don’t embarrass me.
I don’t respond well to being singled out from the congregation.

18. Be prepared.
Do detailed planning of the worship service then effectively communicate that plan to everyone involved. Rehearse with musicians and tech teams.

19. Don’t force the use of cutting edge technology.
When distractions happen, it frequently comes from the tech side of things. Don’t try to “push the envelope” with fancy, unproven audio/video techniques. Stick with what you know will work. Don’t try to impress me with neat stuff.

20. Bathe your worship planning in prayer.
Worship is the most important thing our church does. Spend time talking with the Lord about what should and should not be included.