Leading praise is an important aspect of church worship. A good worship leader will motivate you and the rest of the congregation to pray and sing meaningful praises with all your heart.
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Part 1 of 3: Preparing Before Worship
Step 1. Define your goals
Learn how to make good and bad compliments. Bringing praise means praising God and as a worship leader, your main task is to invite the whole congregation to praise God by singing and praying together.
- Focus on the congregation you lead so that they can sing well, instead of just paying attention to your own performance on stage.
- Giving compliments is not a way to show off your talent or make yourself look great. Even if you don't mean to brag, be aware that this can go unnoticed.
Step 2. Pray
Thank God for the opportunity to lead others so they can praise Him, ask for guidance, humility, and strength so that you can lead praise well.
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When praying, ask for the following:
- The ability to understand the lyrics of the song to be sung and the ability to convey this understanding
- The ability to love the people you lead
- Wisdom in choosing songs and verses to be delivered during leading the praises
- The ability to do the truth according to your song and speech
- Humility so that you are able to lead praise that glorifies God, instead of glorifying yourself or the community
- Ability to guide the congregation in fellowship to be closer to God
Step 3. Prepare a praise that fits the theme of worship
Consult with the pastor about the theme of this week's worship and choose hymns that match the theme to make the service feel more solemn and meaningful.
Choose a few scripture verses that fit the song and the theme of the worship
Step 4. Choose songs that the congregation is familiar with so they can actively participate by singing along when you lead the praise
They may not want to sing if the song you choose makes the worship atmosphere less pleasant.
- People usually don't want to sing songs they don't know. Prioritize songs that are already known by the congregation. If they want to sing a new song, schedule the next few weeks so they have enough time to learn it.
- Some songs can be performed by a soloist, but there are also songs that are more suitable for a group to sing. The songs you will perform when leading the praises should be songs that many people can sing together.
- The range of notes (ambitus) you can sing may be very wide, but not everyone has the same ability. Choose a song with an easy-to-reach range so that more people can sing along.
Step 5. Determine the order of the songs
You should know how many songs you need to prepare. Some churches apply certain rules during worship and some are more flexible. However, you have to choose a song that fits the worship rules and assign the right song for each session during the service.
Step 6. Memorize the song
Understand well the lyrics of the song you are going to sing. Memorize the verses you are going to say. You may place scriptures or song texts in front of you during worship, but don't rely on them.
- When practicing saying song lyrics or scriptures, place emphasis on verbs, not on personal pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Verbs can explain actions and their meanings precisely. Therefore, emphasize the verb so that you can express the truth of the text you are saying.
- Learning the words you will sing or say before worship will make you feel more comfortable when singing in front of a large group of people so that you can lead the praise more naturally.
Step 7. Practice
Maybe you are the only worship leader in the church. Additionally, you may need to work closely with all members of the praise team. Regardless of how many people will be involved, you'll need to rehearse all the songs several times before you sing them at church.
- Make sure each member of the praise team knows when a particular song should be sung. Tell them the order of the songs in advance so they don't get confused.
- Listen to input from each member of the praise team. If the collective agreement conflicts with your opinion, reconsider your idea and change the song if necessary.
Step 8. Encourage yourself before worship
Praise is spiritual, but as a physical being, you also have to keep your body in good shape. Try to get a good night's sleep before the day of worship. Drink water and eat enough breakfast so that you can carry out your duties properly during worship.
If you tend to feel uncomfortable when you are too full, eat enough to keep your body energized and not to make you feel nauseous
Step 9. Warm up before work
Invite the worship team members together for a short practice and a final check before the service begins.
As the worship leader, you must be at church at least 15 minutes before the members of the worship team arrive for final practice. While waiting, check the readiness of the audio equipment to function properly, tune the musical instruments to be used, and organize your song sheets/notes so that everything is neatly arranged
Part 2 of 3: Leading Praise During Worship
Step 1. Pay attention to your body language
Show passion and sincerity through your body language. While leading the praises isn't a great time to present yourself, you must have the ability to master the stage in order to attract the attention of the congregation. If you don't seem enthusiastic about leading the praise yourself, those you lead may quickly become bored.
- Ask someone to help you record as you lead the praise. Watch this video afterwards and pay attention to your body language. Observe movements that seem awkward or distracting and those that are already good.
- Pay attention to your appearance. Keep your body clean, wear neat, simple and appropriate clothes and accessories.
- Maintain good posture and make eye contact while leading the praise. Smile at the right time and be friendly while on duty.
Step 2. Watch the congregation
Observe the worship atmosphere and the instructions they give as you lead the praise to make adjustments. Be prepared to make small changes during worship if needed to create harmony during worship.
- If the congregation looks bored or confused, maybe they don't know the song or are not comfortable singing along. Invite them to sing by saying, “Let us praise the Lord together.” However, don't make them feel guilty by saying, "I don't hear anyone singing along with me."
- Technical problems can hinder the display of song lyrics on the screen. Therefore, take the time to look back every now and then to make sure that all is well.
Step 3. Give a heartfelt compliment
The easiest way to sing a heartfelt compliment is to sing with your heart. Focus on the words you sing and speak while leading. The congregation can sense if you carry out your duties without sincerity.
Try to use body language and verbal language according to the theme of the song you are singing, but don't overdo it. Smile and walk around as you sing a happy song. Be calmer when performing a serious or reflective song. Don't look like you're in theatrical action. Proper gestures can be a great way to emphasize the importance of what you're saying
Step 4. Don't overdo it
Try to keep the congregation actively involved during the praise sessions. They will start daydreaming when they hear the strains of instrumental music that is too long. Even if you like it, don't do it this way if it doesn't support the worship atmosphere.
Consider carefully when instrumental music is needed and don't omit it altogether. For example, interlud music that supports song transitions is fine. Eliminate or shorten the music if the arrangement interferes with the smoothness of the praise session
Step 5. Pray and quote scriptures
The verses that you will say must be selected and memorized first. You can write prayers or pray spontaneously if this makes your prayers feel more sincere.
As with songs and scriptures, the prayers you bring must also be in harmony with the message or teachings that will be conveyed
Step 6. Pay attention to other praise leaders
You should give equal attention to the pastor who is preaching or anyone else who is speaking in the pulpit. You are the leader in the church when you are on duty or not. So your actions will be noticed by all in the congregation, even if you are not singing or talking.
Step 7. Be what you are
Although you are required to put your personal interests aside, don't push yourself if this method is not comfortable for you. When you're sad, offer compliments in a calmer way. If you're excited, share your passion.
Being candid can help, but don't focus solely on yourself as you lead the congregation in singing praises. Instead of saying, "I'm having a problem," point out that there are certain times when it's hard for us to sing praises. However, also say that we must keep praising God, no matter the circumstances
Part 3 of 3: Reflecting After Worship
Step 1. Pray fervently once again
Prayer is the most important thing in carrying out this task. Thank God after the service is over, even if the results are not what you want. Ask Him for guidance as you reflect and make plans for the next service.
Step 2. Take notes
After the service is over, write down what you think is good and what is not good for consideration to plan the next praise session.
- There are several things you need to pay attention to, such as articulation, volume, and tone of voice. You can only recognize what your own voice sounds like in the worship room if you have led the praise once or twice. Adjust the volume of your voice to avoid echoes or make up for poor room acoustics.
- If others give you criticism or suggestions, listen with humility and an open mind. Some advice is hard to apply, but some is helpful. You must be able to distinguish between constructive criticism and objective criticism.
Step 3. Forget past mistakes
Learning from mistakes and failures is a good thing. Thinking about the problem constantly and always thinking negatively is not a useful thing. Think of ways to fix the mistakes you've made and forget about them while being determined to avoid them.
