7. Don’t just execute the plan. Read the moment.
This is as true of a sermon as it is a worship set. In the planning stage, it all makes sense. But then you get into the service, and a spark of intuition tells you, “The last song we planned doesn’t fit. We should be slowing down and giving people space, not amping up and trying to be triumphant.” It can be maddening for everyone around you if you do this too much, but you need to have some flexibility to change the plans.
And, at the risk of stating the obvious, to read the moment you need to be there for the moment. Often worship leaders will do their songs at the beginning, leave, and then return for a song or two at the end. Nothing is worse (or more obvious) than when the worship leader wasn’t there for most of the service. What you say and sing at the end should dovetail with what came before. So, you now, be there for that.
8. Never re-preach the sermon.
It’s a common temptation for worship leaders to step up after the sermon and feel the need to say a few things before launching into their songs. Resist. If the preacher knows what he’s doing (even if he doesn’t), his sermon will end by leaving people worshiping. Your job is to take that handoff and to worship. One brief line does the trick, and then you should get into the music.
This doesn’t mean you should refrain from speaking or preaching at all. There are several other moments when a short “sermon” from the worship leader works well. But to jump from one sermon immediately into another shorter one doesn’t help people digest what they’ve just heard.
9. Guard the time for preaching.
I’m aware of the irony here. I’m a preacher, so this may sound self-serving. (Like I mentioned above, I’m ready to receive words of wisdom from worship leaders to us preachers.) But as Protestants, the preaching of the Word has been and should be the centerpiece of the service. It’s the reason most of us choose to come to church: We want to hear from the Word of God. Keep that element of the worship service in mind as you struggle to balance singing with teaching.
10. No one is as enamored with your music as you are.
We write a lot of our own songs at the Summit. I think they’re incredible, and I want more of that. I think more worship leaders should be trying their hand at their own stuff, offering it to their congregations as a way of contextualizing and applying the gospel to their context. But with this one of the worship leader tips, I want to point out it’s easy to buy into your own hype a little too much.
Balance your songs with music from the broader church—both contemporary songs and hymns. And don’t take yourself too seriously. The mission is serious, and we should care deeply about it. But we are servants, and we should think of ourselves rather lightly.
11. Don’t lead for the artists. Lead for the congregation.
Part of your calling and unique gifting is to push and challenge the congregation; that includes in the style and forms of music you use. But remember that you’re likely to be surrounded by more artists than the average Joe in your pew, so what you think is “pushing it a little” will often seem like dramatic and horrific change to many people. Be patient with them, and know that they aren’t trying to stifle your creative spirit.
When I get sick of saying something around the Summit, I find that our people have just heard it. That’s how leadership and vision works. It works the same for music, too. For songs to stick in people’s hearts and minds, they’re going to have to hear them a lot. You’ll get sick of those songs right around the time people start to really ingest them and love them. Stick it out for their sake, and don’t shift too rapidly.
12. Affirm
This one of my worship leader tips is probably good advice for a lot of roles. Assume the weaknesses, and notice the strengths. I tend to do the opposite, pointing out other people’s weaknesses and assuming their strengths. Flipping that pattern is a discipline but one that bears a lot of fruit.
My wife is my biggest preaching fan. She knows I don’t always do well, but she also knows that I have other people intentionally critiquing my preaching. So she lets them do it and just “notices the positive.” You should probably assume a similar posture toward your pastor. If he feels like you are his biggest fan, it will be a great long-term relationship. If he senses that you have a long list of ways he could improve things, you aren’t setting anyone up to succeed.
13. Don’t sweat the themes too much.
We strive for alignment in our services, but that goal can easily become too all-encompassing. Let the theme of your service or your series serve you, rather than serving it.
