- 1). Pray before, during and after the service for the Holy Spirit's leading and ongoing direction. Worship pastor Ken Haynes of Calvary Chapel Worship Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, counsels that "A worship leader must be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit" and avoid getting too attached to his own service agenda. Recognize that God knows your congregation's hearts and what they need to draw near to Him on any given day better than you do, so He may change the best laid plans mid-service. Pastor Campbell-White reports that he enjoins his people to "practice their music to such perfection that the Spirit can change everything in the middle of the service without throwing anyone off." Even if the music is not technically perfect, the worship will be sweet when the Spirit is there infilling the worship.
- 2). Get to know your worship team, their skills and their talents. Plan music that fits the skill levels of your team but encourage each individual to always keep growing and learning the music craft. Whether a musician plays by ear or reads music, he should strive to master both skills so that he can serve God no matter where He leads. Pastor Campbell-White reminds worship leaders that "God will use the talents you have when you dedicate them to His service."
- 3). Select "vertically-oriented worship songs that connect worshippers' hearts to God," recommends Pastor Haynes. Check the theology of each song before introducing it to the congregation to avoid promoting incorrect understandings of God through worship music just because it has a catchy tune. Check that the song is in a singable key without a wide range of notes that start low and end high or vice versa.
- 4). Create a set of worship songs for a particular service under the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pay attention to the music styles that best put your congregation in a worshipful frame of mind and contribute to the flow of the service. Many worship leaders start and end with celebratory, upbeat tempo songs to break people away from the distractions of their own lives and help them enter into the presence of the Lord. Sandwiched in between are a mixture of slower, introspective songs and songs of confession that help people seek the Lord for forgiveness and repentance. There is no perfect formula for song order, however, which is where prayer and the Holy Spirit's leading come in to help the team facilitate the worship experience on any given day.
- 5). Set an example of worship as you lead. Veteran worship leader Rod Best of Taigum Community Church, Taigum, Queensland, Australia, points out, "The best worship leader is a good worshipper." People will imitate the enthusiasm and sincerity of worship that they see on stage. Let them see a true heart of worship in you and they will desire that for themselves. But don't make it all about you or your worship team. Your stage performance should not distract the congregation from the fact that you are all there to worship God, not the musicians. Some churches reinforce the central point of glorifying God by having most of the worship team off to one side rather than front and center.
- 6). Follow the injunction in Psalm 33 to "Sing to Him a new song." Avoid getting into a rut with the same old songs week after week so that people become lackadaisical and apathetic about worship. Teach new songs on a regular basis, recommends Pastor Haynes. However, don't overdo it to the point that the effort of learning new words and music distracts the congregation and interferes with their ability to enter into the worship experience.
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