Let me preface this post: I am not an expert Worship Planner. There are, however, a few tricks and patterns I have implemented over the past 20+ years. Some of the hints may help a Worship Leader just starting out in ministry. Some may not. Take it all with a grain of salt and find what works for you!
The A, B, Cs of Worship Planning:
Appeal
I know what some of you are thinking, “Why is it important for worship to be appealing? Who are we appealing to?” Maybe that particular word is a bit of a stretch, but for the purpose of this article, I don’t think it is. You see, it’s all about your church’s context. First off, we must always plan vertical worship that is appealing to our Heavenly Father. His opinion is ultimately the only one that matters. Next, we must look at what type of worship is our congregation attracted to, ie-horizontal worship. In other words, what is going to appeal to vast majority of people in your church? Our main goal is always to glorify God in worship, but if our secondary directive is to maximize worship for the betterment of our congregations (promoting horizontal worship), then it stands to reason that we need to be looking for songs that fit our church’s worship context. I bet you can look around your geographic area and discover the different worship contexts that exist in your own area. Some churches are more “high church” with organs and robes. Some are more open and free, incorporating Beatles songs barefoot before the Lord. Neither is better than the other, but they each appeal to a different groups of worshipers.
Biblical
This would seems self-explanatory, but you would be surprised. I’ve been very discouraged at what passes as solid, biblical worship in today’s generation. There is this mentality in some churches that if it’s on the Christian radio stations it must be good. Folks, we must be more discerning than that. There are even some hymns that I would never put in a congregational setting. Take “Bringing in the Sheaves”… What are sheaves? Why are we singing about fortunes, not souls? Does it mention Jesus specifically or just an ambiguous God figure? When in doubt, throw it out…The Gospel, and your role in sharing it, is too important to sing questionable songs. If you are unsure where to turn for biblical truth in worship songs, I recommend checking out the Berean Test. By no means are they a perfect resource (only the Bible takes that spot). However, they do a very good job of utilizing scripture to verify their points of emphasis.
Congregational
After you have established what is appealing to your congregation and what it biblically sound, it is important to make sure that the worship is congregationally sound. In other words, is it singable? Not everyone in your congregation has the vocal range of Brandon Lake or Chris Tomlin, so maybe, just maybe, you need to adjust the singing to where the maximum amount of people can participate. I once had a professor that offered a suggestion to finding that sweet spot in congregational singing. He referred back to the 1991 Baptist Hymnal and informed the class that no music goes past the ‘F’ above the Middle C. That should be your guide.
In Conclusion
Finally, please bathe your whole process in prayer. Stay in the scriptures daily. Spend time listening to the Lord and learning from other believers. I find that my head and my heart have an easier time discerning what is good and true when I am focusing on my walk with the Lord. We were never meant to do this alone.
Earnest Worship 