Why plan and prepare for our worship experiences every Sunday? The Bible has a clear answer: God is seeking for true worshippers. True worshippers are prepared worshippers. Both in spirit and in truth.
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24
Proper planning ang preparations include prayer, people, details, and practice. When we do these simple worship team habits, we will have Spirit-filled celebrations on any given Sundays.
The Spirit will move when we prepare the way for the King! Planning and preparation, then, for your worship experience is the key to successful worship event.
There are 4 reasons why worship leaders and teams revisit the planning and preparations of worship services.
First, there is a scarcity of training on the process of worship planning.
The last time I attended a full course called “Creative Worship” was when I was in seminary 32 years ago! Which is not so much creative anymore today!
How about you? When was the last time you attended a Worship Planning Course or seminar, whether online or live? Probably a long time ago, or never.
Almost all of us have the same story when you became a worship leader or a team member. The worship leader of the church left the ministry for any reasons. There’s a vacuum that needs to fill-in. After days of desperation of your pastor, his eyes were opened! He saw you. Then, there you are. The savior of the day! Your pastor assigns you and told you that you are now the ‘bigtime’ leader of the band. The only training you have was being an active participant on a pew during praise and worship time.
In spite of our weaknesses, God is using us by His abundant grace. Thank You, Lord.
Now it’s time for you as the leader to train your team.
Second, someone must stand up and lead the worship planning.
The head of the worship ministry will lead the worship planning. In some churches, that person is the MAIN worship leader delegated by the head pastor.
Other ministries have Worship Pastor responsible for worship events. And planning should be part of their job descriptions.
The worship leader or the worship pastor will gather a core of people who will sit down, brainstorm and plan. Again, the person responsible will initiate the worship planning.
Gather a worship planning team (3-4 members only). More than these numbers may be counter-productive! Keep your team small but well-verse on the worship of topic.
Third, your pastor needs ministry partners to create excellent worship flow.
Your pastor’s best sermon accompanied by a great music by prepared worship team will create an awesome and reverent worship experience.
What is your next step? Consult the pastor. Explain your purpose, plans and what you are about to do. Ask his sermon series for the following weeks or for the next month. (Don’t be shocked to his answer, ok?)
Start your plan by asking your pastor his “Big Idea” of the sermon series for the coming month. Just ask the overview, not his comprehensive preaching plan. If the pastor cannot provide it immediately – go back to him another day. Ask with respect and courtesy.
If you are the pastor, don’t make it hard for your team! Put in writing your preaching plan!
Next, there is a suggested Planning and Preparation Guide below this article where you can download to use as a tool for your planning.
Last, you can empower your team and lessen dropout casualties.
How can we keep your worship team on the same page? A worship plan with vision casting will keep your team on the same page and most likely will serve long-term.
There is an ugly noise without harmony. Imagine the guitarist plays the song “How Great” in key-D, and the pianist on Key-E, while the worship leader is on falsetto mode and the congregation is like a sheep w/o a shepherd!
Do you have an experience in your team where a simple chord progression or a vocal style of a member causes hurting discussions?
When the team fails badly, someone will think it’s time for that person to leave. And when the team keeps failing… someone will surely leave. We don’t want that to happen.
But imagine a worship experience where everybody expressing “God is now moving in our midst.” We want that. We want the move of God – starting to the pastor, the worship team and overflowing to the congregation.
Who will dropout and leave the team with that kind of weekly ambience and atmosphere?
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