Is this really what we’re supposed sing this week?
What if I pick the wrong songs?
What if no one responds?
What if they don’t like this new song?
You’ve probably asked yourself similar questions. For a long time, I mystified the selection of songs in worship. I felt like if God didn’t speak the title of each song by name, in order, I was going to somehow miss out on what He wanted to do. I over-spiritualized and overcomplicated my planning process. This led to hours and hours of frustration and anxiety.
Thankfully, I’ve gained a new perspective. The stress and anxiety are gone, and replaced with a reminder of the grace of my God. But the question remains, how do you select the right songs to sing each week? How do you know if they are “the ones”?
1. Release the pressure.
There is no such thing as the “perfect set.” Sure there are times where God might lead you to specific songs or themes. However, it’s not as if God is up there saying, “Well, they didn’t sing the song I wanted to hear so I’m not going to respond to them today!” The Bible says the exact opposite. God is already there before we start singing. You don’t have to wonder. Worship sincerely and do your best.
2. If you live prayerfully and worshipfully, you’ll plan the same way.
There is no on-and-off switch. The best worship leaders live lives of worship, and lead out of the overflow of those personal experiences. You cannot be effective in corporate worship in the long term without a strong personal culture of worship. When your personal spiritual life declines, so will your platform life.
3. Don’t neglect God’s role in the process.
This is the extreme where we look at the process as strictly administrative in nature. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. God has already seen the weekend, He’s actually there right now and still with you as you’re reading this. It’s just part of being God – He sees and knows it all. When you sit down to plan, ask God to guide you. Take some time to sit, reflect and listen.
4. Select good songs to begin with.
If you have a bunch of hit-or-miss songs in your repertoire, remove them. Every song you sing should be intentionally selected and vetted for theological accuracy, sing-ability, and relevance to your congregation.
5. Don’t be afraid to kill the songs that don’t work.
Just because it’s a #1 hit doesn’t mean it’s going to work. Your church has a personality, and even the most well written songs might not connect with them. Be aware of how songs perform with your congregation. If the song still isn’t working after a couple times, kill it.
6. Be aware of your team’s skill level.
Plan songs that will help your team play and sing their best. If you need to do a specific song, make appropriate changes to the schedule if need be. Set your team up for success. Poorly executed musical arrangements will suck the life out of a great song.
7. Recognize when a song has “worn out”, and people begin to sing it mindlessly.
At a certain point, people will sing a song so much that its lyrics may lose impact. This normally happens to our favorites. They know when the big chorus or build is coming. They know the roadmap, and could seemingly lead it without you! Don’t fret, all is not lost. Revive a familiar song by rearranging it, or even putting it on the shelf for a few months. It will snap people out of their routine, and help them sing the song with fresh eyes and ears the next time.
8. Always balance complexity with simplicity.
Don’t fill your set with overly wordy or complicated songs. It’s important that people have the opportunity to sing without having to keep their eyes fixed on the words, especially towards the end of a set. Remember the average person doesn’t have a thorough understanding of music theory. They may become frustrated by weird counts and too many unpredictable melodies.
9. Keep track of your song rotation with a master list and schedule.
I use PlanningCenterOnline.com to coordinate our planning across all of our teams and venues. It is a fantastic tool. I’ll share more on that in an upcoming post.
10. Take notes.
After every set I lead, I take note of everything that I observed. Were the transitions between songs awkward? Did the keys work? Did people stay engaged? Asking questions like this will help you become a better leader and planner. You will begin to plan proactively to avoid some of the common pitfalls.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I’ll be sharing more in-depth content on this topic in the coming weeks. Still, I hope this gets you started in the right direction. Worship planning is a skill like any other, and every congregation is different. Embrace the challenge.
Allow yourself the space to develop, and remember that things are usually never going as bad as you think they are! If you have a less-than-stellar week, remember that God is not critiquing your song selection. Dust yourself off quickly, because next week is always coming!
