3 Roadblocks To Powerful Worship Services-Whiteboard Session
There’s nothing more emotionally deflating for a worship leader or pastor than to look around during a church service and see—for lack of a better phrase—the worship service sedation. There’s the guy cramming powdered doughnuts in his mouth during How Great Is Our God, the folks checking their phones, and the zombie like appearance of blank stares at the screens showing the words to the songs.
Thing is, nobody is singing. By all appearances, nobody is worshiping. Sound familiar? If so, check out this week’s Whiteboard Session with Todd Fields—Director of Worship Leader Development at Northpoint Community Church. He explains the 3 Roadblocks To Powerful Worship Services and gives some practical tips to wake folks up.
DOWNLOAD THE SHOW NOTES HERE!
3 Roadblocks To Powerful Worship Services:
1. The SONGS we choose
-Most churches have WAY too many songs on their lists
-Most attenders have a hard time engaging because of the amount of new songs coming at them.
-Most worship leaders choose songs without being brutally honest about whether the songs are moving attenders.
-Some worship leaders use their control of the set list for an agenda without inviting people into the process.
-SONG SELECTION IS HUGE!!
-SONGS ARE THE BULLETS IN OUR GUN. We only have so many shots..don’t waste them.
-Always balance the NEW with the KNOWN
Solution: Song Sifting
A. HOLD the Hits
B. JAIL the Stale
C. OUT the Old
D. REVIEW the New
E. MAKE your Master List
2. The PEOPLE we use
GIFTING
-When people are operating in their gifting “THE LOAD IS LIGHT, THE FEEL IS RIGHT“
-When we operate out of our gifting…”WHEN WILL THIS END, DON’T DO IT AGAIN“
**We can never blame the people attending our churches for their lack of response. People respond to what they’ve seen, heard or experienced…and will follow our leading. If they aren’t responding then we haven’t done a good job at helping them see something to respond to.
Pastor/Worship Leader Relationship
When it comes to worship…the response of our people is directly related to the way we as their leaders respond.
It’s the Worship Leader and the Pastor’s fault.
Say this with me…
”People aren’t engaging because I’m not engaging”
-The culture of our worship will always look like our personal bent of expression.
CLIMATES-our personal expression helps create our worship climate.
A. INTELLECTUAL—We’re here for the word…most times we observe.
-Thinkers
-Observers
-Emphasis on TEACHING
-Connect to God through Study
B. EMOTIONAL—We’re ready to sing the praise of the King
Emotional/Music Heavy—If we can’t feel it’s not real
-moved by music
-believe that singing is most important
-the longer we sing the better
-I want to feel close to God
Thinkers and Feelers
WE HAVE BOTH TYPES IN OUR AUDIENCES…USE THEM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!!
The wall between Pastor and worship leader produces a wall between the platform and the people.
Worship Leader Excuses
-I don’t understand the way he thinks
-My pastor isn’t musical at all…he doesn’t know what’s good
-My pastor is all head and no heart
-My pastor never talks to me
Pastor Excuses
-My worship leader dresses weird..I can’t relate
-I don’t trust my worship leader to communicate…I’m better at that
-I don’t like the songs they pick
Partner with your Pastor
Solution: Have a conversation to assess your culture and pray/dream about where you’d like to be!
To do what?….Identify MOMENTS
3. The MOMENTS we loose
Identify Elastic moments
1. Move to Moments…Worship Rocket Module…
-Ministry happens in moments
-People encounter Jesus in moments. Sometimes moments are in the middle of a song…sometimes they are at the end and space needs to be made for them. The more emphasis we place on the gospel…the more powerful a response.
2. Communicate during week
-Set time aside weekly.
3. Communicate day of
-Remain Open Handed
If you engage, they will engage
If you lead, they will follow