Worship Planning
When it comes to worship planning, I typically start by praying and meditating on God’s word. Then, whenever I get the sense of what he wants to speak at that particular service, bible study, or worship gathering, I start to get a sense of what songs, scripture, and prayer I will include. Although I like to be lead by the Spirit, I also like to know what the theme is or even ask whoever is speaking that week if they have a song in mind. After having an idea of which songs I will choose I keep in mind the style, key, and tempo.
I have also used planning center, which has been such a useful tool to schedule people and plan the order of a service. I love using it because it is honestly a lifesaver and keeps everyone on the same page. Also, since I just graduated from my undergraduate and am still getting adapted to many changes and my church’s worship team, I don’t always get the chance to lead. However, whenever I do I try to be clear and intentional about every element that I am adding. Furthermore, after rehearsal or a worship set, I affirm my team and find ways to do things better.
One of the lessons I have learned in worship planning is not always picking songs that are speaking specifically about the theme. For example, one of the first times I was planning a worship set the theme of the service was Faith, and I genuinely thought I needed to choose songs that had the word Faith in it. Although it is important to keep the theme in mind I became more aware of using different songs that would talk about this topic. This is actually something I am still learning and trying to be more aware of whenever I’m planning a set list. Another lesson I have learned is adapting to people’s knowledge of worship and also explaining in a way that is efficient. For example, a couple months ago some friends and I were planning to have a worship night and as we were rehearsing, it came to my attention that my friend Turi who was actually playing guitar was struggling with a strumming pattern. With the help of my friend, we were able to guide him even if that meant extending the rehearsal. This experience has taught me to continue to be mindful of other people’s knowledge with music by sending them a link to the song and the chords personally if I do not have access to planning center.
