How to Plan For Christian Worship

Choose a combination of new and familiar songs for your worship service.

Planning Christian worship requires attention to detail, preparation and a passion for helping others engage in worship. While almost every worship service features music and singing, you can also incorporate dance and drama into the worship. If you have never planned a worship service before, be sure to begin your preparations as soon as possible. Planning the content, order and pace of the service well in advance will help you be able to relax and focus on praising the Lord.

Things You'll Need

• Projection system for displaying song lyrics

Instructions

1. Before you begin to plan your worship service, determine what style of worship you want to have. Will your service be more traditional, with hymns and an organ or piano, or more contemporary, with guitars and rock music? This will determine which songs and instruments you choose.

2. Whether you are planning a traditional or contemporary worship service, you should pick a variety of songs. If your service is purely for praise and worship, choose up to ten songs to play and sing with the congregation. If your worship service also includes a sermon or other presentations, limit your song selection to four or five. If possible, discuss the sermon theme ahead of time with the clergy person in charge and select songs that reflect the same themes and ideas.

3. Once you have chosen your songs, decide the order in which they will be sung. For instance, you may start with an uptempo song if possible, then move into something more reflective, and finish with an emotional ballad. You can arrange the songs so that one flows into the other, or allow pauses between each piece.

4. Rehearse the songs with the musician, choir or band that will accompany the congregation during the worship service. Make sure everyone who is leading worship knows the order of the songs.

5. Print the order of your worship service on bulletins or programs to hand out to worshipers as they take their seats. Make sure to indicate when people should stand, sit or kneel if they are able.

6. Set up the projection system to display song lyrics in order during the service. This is especially important if you are using songs the congregation has not sung before. Assign someone the task of running the presentation during the worship service.

7. Decide whether or not to incorporate other art and praise forms into your worship service. You may invite a soloist, or incorporate a dance ministry group or drama team to participate in the service. Rehearse with the outside groups as much as possible before the service.

8. Figure extra time into the service schedule. This will prevent worshipers from feeling rushed while still leaving time to deal with technical mishaps, and to accommodate lengthy prayers and altar calls.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have the space, print song lyrics on the church bulletins instead of creating an overhead presentation.

• Remember to focus on praising and worshiping during the service, rather than making sure everything runs perfectly. If you are leading the worship, your attitude sets the mood for the whole congregation.

References

• DavidSantistEvan.com: How to Plan a Great Worship Set
• Worship4Christ.com: How We Plan Worship Services