WORSHIP LEADERS
“ AND NOW … THE OPENING WORSHIP SONG!”( CUE THE PANIC) | Matt Miller
Photo by Chris on Unsplash
A slightly-too-honest guide for worship leaders of all generations who want to start strong, stay humble, and raise up the next generation of leaders without pulling a hamstring.
Whether you’ ve been leading worship since the overhead projector days or you just imported your first multitracks into Ableton, one thing’ s true for all of us: starting a worship set can be weird.
It doesn’ t matter how many times you’ ve done it. That first moment— lights up, band ready, people filing in with coffee— can feel like stepping on a moving treadmill in flip-flops.
But it doesn’ t have to feel that way. With a little thought, a little heart, and a lot of shared leadership, we can make that moment matter. Not just for the church we’ re leading, but for the teammates we’ re raising up to lead with us. Because Ephesians 4:11-12 reminds us: Christ gave leaders“ to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” That includes the opening of the worship set. Yes, even that.
So let’ s stop white-knuckling the mic and start training others to step into it with grace, purpose, and maybe a little less platform panic.
1. DON’ T JUST LAUNCH— INVITE
The worst way to start a worship set is to just
jump in like you’ re crashing a parade. The lights go up, the band hits hard, and the congregation is still checking their kids in and deciding if they want to sing today.
Build in space. A 10-30 second musical intro( light pads, soft guitar, atmosphere) tells the room,“ Hey, something meaningful is about to happen.”
Then say something. Brief. Warm. Real:“ Hey church, it’ s good to be together. Let’ s turn our hearts to Jesus.”
And here’ s the leadership moment: Don’ t just do this yourself. Train someone else to. Give a teammate the mic. Coach them to invite, not perform. Let a younger leader practice the art of presence. If they stumble? Even better. Growth is messy, and that’ s how we build.
2. YOUR FACE IS A WORSHIP CUE— TRAIN YOURS( AND THEIRS)
Your face preaches. And if it’ s saying,“ I am mildly terrified,” your people will feel it.
Smile. Breathe. Have your heart remind your face that Jesus loves you. Then coach your team to do the same. Pull your background vocalists, instrumentalists, or youth band aside and say:“ Hey, even if you’ re not singing lead, you’ re leading worship. So let your face lead too.”
3. START WITH A SONG PEOPLE CAN SING( THEN LET SOMEONE ELSE START IT)
It doesn’ t matter what generation you’ re from— we all love to overthink the first song. But if you start with something too fast, too loud, or too lyrically dense, people will check out before they check in.
Pick a mid-tempo, accessible song with an invitational theme. And then, let someone else lead it once in a while. Give it to a less seasoned vocalist or acoustic player who’ s been faithful and is ready for a stretch.
You’ re not just starting the set— you’ re building a bridge and a leader.
4. LET THE LYRICS SAY,“ COME ON IN”
The first line of your opener sets the tone. It should sound more like an invitation and less like a theological dissertation.
Try something like:“ Come all you weary, come all you thirsty / Come to the well that never runs dry”( God So Loved – We The Kingdom)
Then talk to your team about how to choose lyrics that invite. Ask,“ If I didn’ t know Jesus yet, would I understand this line? Would I feel welcomed by it?”
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