WORSHIP LEADERS
FIVE WAYS TO CREATE MORE PARTICIPATION IN WORSHIP | Jon Nicol
Once upon a time, almost every church building won’t engage well. To sing a song from the heart • Read a portion of scripture, and then change
sat empty on Easter morning. Engagement in and not just the screen, your church needs to the wording to make it a corporate prayer
worship had to be measured by views, likes, sing them more often than you and your team you proclaim or plead together. For example,
and comments. Worship leaders had to wonder, members will want. here’s Colossians 2:13 adapted: "When we
were dead in our sins, God, you made us alive
“Are people participating on the other side of the
camera?"
You and your team encounter the song literally with Christ, and you forgave us all our sins.”
10x more than the congregation. You listen (Adapted from the NLT)
As I write this, we’re still in that reality. But I hope to a song, learn the song, practice the song, that when this article is published, we're again rehearse the song, and then possibly lead it 5. TEACH, MODEL, AND INVITE BIBLICAL EXPRESSIONS.
gathering in-person with our church families. during multiple services. So when your team To help your church be more expressive, teach
Many worship leaders I talked to during the starts getting sick of a song, the congregation is your church to see what the Biblical expressions
COVID-19 crisis expressed surprise that they probably just then catching on. of worship are and why they matter. These won’t
be exhaustive teachings, but they don’t need to
experienced such a high level of interaction
during their remote worship gatherings. People Tell your team it’s part of dying to self and serving be. In fact, short, three-minute instructions on
were liking, commenting, sharing, and sending the congregation when you have to do ‘that’ individual expressions repeated frequently are
little hearts fluttering up the screen. song again. better than a full sermon once a year.
One leader, however, lamented to me, “Why 3. PRAYER FOR PARTICIPATION, NOT LISTENING. You also might need to start teaching your
can’t they be this responsive when we're Most prayer times in a worship gathering are team first, so they model these expressions of
gathered physically?” woefully absent of participation. Ideally, people worship appropriately and genuinely. And then
are supposed to agree silently (or with an once you’ve taught and are modeling, invite your
As congregations resume in-person gatherings, occasional amen or yes, Lord). But many people congregation to express their worship physically:
I have to believe there will be a deeper hunger for just sit and listen. So how can you help them • Give God an offering of praise through our
participating together. These months following engage? Here are a few ideas: our COVID-19 isolation offer a rare opportunity to • Recite written or scriptural prayers together. leverage that hunger and raise the engagement • Use prompts to encourage people to pray
level of your congregation.
applause.
• Open up your hands as an outward expression
of inward desire to receive what the Spirit has
silently or together. “Take moments to pray
for you.
for people in need of physical healing.” Or, • If you’re physically able, let's kneel, so our
Let me give you five ways to encourage your “Speak out loud the first name of those who bodies match our hearts as we sing this final
congregation to be more expressive in during are sick so we can pray for them.” chorus of ‘I Surrender All.’
your worship gatherings.
• Invite people to gather into small groups and
pray. If this fits your church, make sure you These invitations are not just reminders or
1. SINGABLE SONGS IN SINGABLE KEYS. give your leaders or other core people in your prompts. They actually give permission and safe
If you want participants instead of spectators, church the heads up to watch for those who parameters to those who might be timid to try it.
you have to choose songs people can sing might not be included.
So, use these five ideas to start to be intentional
who aren’t a part of a worship team. Multiple
octaves, syncopation, and hard-to-remember 4. SCRIPTURE FOR MORE THAN THE SERMON. about finding and creating more engagement.
melodies make it hard for the average, non-to- In 1 Timothy 4:13, Paul puts the public reading And as you do, I pray a blessing of overwhelming
somewhat-musical people to sing. Be selective of scripture on the same level as preaching and participation as you and your church family once
about the songs you choose and the key you teaching. So look for ways to use scripture as a again gather to worship the Father, Son, and
put them in. participatory event: Holy Spirit.
• Read a verse or short passage together. Jon Nicol
Jon’s the founder of WorshipWorkshop.com and
WorshipTeamCoach.com, two sites that help worship
leaders build strong teams and lead engaging
worship. He lives and serves in Lexington, Ohio with
his wife Shannon and their four kids.
WorshipWorkshop.com
WorshipTeamCoach.com
2. FEWER SONGS ROTATED MORE OFTEN.
• Use responsive readings of scripture. Select
If you choose all singable songs but only rotate verses or portions of the passage for the
them once or twice a year, your congregation still congregation to read.
56 May 2020
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