A time to step aside from the everyday rush and connect with God. An unhurried, uninterrupted night of worship. Believe it or not, it can be rare for a church to have times of extended worship. It makes sense, particularly for a larger, growing church. Multiple services and full programming make it difficult to linger for too long. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need it. Our hurried hearts are starving for peace. Our scattered minds are longing for rest. Our weary souls are desperate for Jesus. That’s why it’s essential that you work worship night ideas for your church. But knowing how to plan them can be daunting, to say the least.
An hour of music? For some people in your congregation, that’s enough to make them shudder. For others, it’s a breath of fresh air. How do you plan an evening of worship that is engaging? We’ve all been to worship services and prayer meetings we wish we could beam out of.
8 Tips for Developing Worship Night Ideas
I recently planned a night of worship for our church’s live recording. Here are some worship night ideas I learned that you can apply to your next worship night:
1. Hold a Creative Brainstorming Meeting (three months ahead)
Your church’s worship night should look different than mine. You have a unique team of people with unique giftings and ideas. Gather those people together a few months before your worship night.
Brainstorm what could be possible. Write down any and all ideas. Pray together. Dream together. Plan a life-changing night for your people.
2. Develop & Execute a Promo Plan (two months ahead)
Begin to promote your worship night two months before the event. Make sure you have a detailed plan.
Create videos for social media. Set up a Facebook group. Email a “save the date” announcement. Have a specific plan for each week leading up to the event. Get intentional.
3. Pick a Balanced Setlist
When choosing songs, don’t just pick your favorites. Balance familiar and new, hymns and choruses, simple chants and theological declarations.
Meet your congregation where they are and ensure they will be engaged with your songs. The last thing you want is a room full of people watching you perform worship. Make it easy for people to enter in.
4. Plan Engaging Prayer
Prayer should be huge priority in your worship night. There’s nothing like the unified prayer of a local church. The problem most of the time? We don’t plan our prayer moments.
