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I lead worship at Saddleback Church, and I also lead worship for my small group. Leading worship for my small group is one of my favorite times of the week. But it's an entirely different experience than leading worship before a big group. Here are a few tips to help you and your small group worship more effectively through music.
Lead with a clean heart. You can't do something spiritual without being connected to God. You can't have a clean heart if you have sin in your life.
Plug into the power source. It's not about having to have the right song; it's about having the right connection with God.
Keep it simple. This is especially important in small groups, but it's important in all worship settings. It's a corporate worship experience, so it's important to be so simple that everyone can participate.
Be sensitive to the Sprit's leading. Watch the people you're leading. I'll watch at times and notice that people need a word of encouragement, so I'll share a word of encouragement at that time. But remember, the Spirit won't lead you to go over your scheduled time so that other parts get shorted.
Tune your instrument. Sometimes people just play louder instead of tuning the instrument. That's distracting.
Prepare before leading. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as you prepare, not just when you lead. I find that God leads throughout my preparation time.
Keep songs between A and D. Try to make sure there are no notes lower than an A or higher than D. Go higher or lower than those notes, and it's tough for people to stay with you.
Try starting the song with the chorus. It's usually the most familiar part of the song. This will help everyone get started with a part they know.
Line up your songs by key. Go a little higher with each song. That'll build momentum for your group.
Mix up the tempo and the feel. People get bored with the same tempo song after song. Many songs can be played at different tempos, so depending on what you need you may pick it up or slow it down.
Provide lyric books or a group songbook. I like using a group songbook because you can plan your songs. You can give your group members the seven or eight songs you're going to be using and they can use them for devotional times as well. You'll want to check and make sure that's legal with your song copyrighting system.
Use the IMPACT worship flow formula.
Inspire Movement with a song you can clap your hands to.
Praise God with a song that's about him, but is not as intimate as other songs.
Adore God with a song sung to him.
Commit with a song dedicating yourself to God.
Tie it together.
Sing songs people know. Sometimes we pick songs for thematic reasons, but group members don't know the songs. Stick with songs other people know. The point is for people to know what you're singing. You should use new songs from time to time just to keep things fresh, but they should be songs that are easy to learn.
Don't play a song for more than five minutes. People get bored quickly.
Eliminate the dead time between songs. Know what you're doing so you don't have a long time in between songs. Think through your transitions particularly. This isn't about performance; it's about communication.
Singers follow melody not chords. Make sure you aren't playing your guitar too loud. Many people don't realize how loud they are playing. Remember that people are following the words more than the chords.
Ask the group for song suggestions. That works a lot better than just playing your favorites. It should be about connecting people in the group to God, not your own preferences.
Pray with the group before you play. It's really important that we realize this isn't a performance. It's a time for worship. Prayer will start you off in the right mindset.
When you sing to God, close your eyes. Don't look at the group. Depending upon the lyrics, you can put yourself in some awkward situations when you are singing love songs to God but looking at someone else.
Remember, you're representing Christ to the small group. If you're rude during the group meeting, it will be tough to convince the group to worship later.
Don't get lost in the worship. I think it's great to get lost in private worship, but not when you're leading worship. You've got to remember that you're leading others.
Be prepared spiritually and relationally. Make sure your relationships with God and others in the group are right.
