Worship leaders should be encouraging their church.
You don’t need to sugarcoat the harsh realities of life. You also don’t need to fabricate good news either.
The essential things are following Jesus and leading people closer to his presence through worship.
Here are four ways to encourage your church through worship leadership:
Focus on Jesus
Jesus gives us hope. Jesus gives us purpose. Our lives are different when we follow Jesus. There is a foundation that allows us to live in joy, trusting him. Songs come and go. Lyrics are essential but fade. But Jesus is the central figure in our faith – he’s alive and his spirit is present here. Your focus on Jesus first will allow all the peripheral things – scheduling, music, lighting, production, live feed, streaming, etc – to become authentic and powerful. You’re leading worship because the church has her hope in Jesus and in Jesus alone.
Incorporate Scripture
Your words of exhortation help the church engage, but it’s scripture that withstands the test of time! Rely on scripture to sustain you, help you create, give you vision, and lead the church. Use God’s word to call people to worship, invite them to pray, and help them discern. Refer to scripture as you write songs, create music, and help people.
Minister to those who respond
As the world has regained footing halfway through the 2020s, we must minister to those who respond lovingly. Statistics show that many church gatherings are a percentage of what they were pre-covid. It’s easy to get down about that – losing people in worship attendance is hard! We grieve but keep working to connect! However, the agenda has always been the same – as a worship team, we lead those who are there. We minister to those who respond. We seek to reach out, invite, share, and engage… but the best encouragement you can give to those gathered each week is to help them grow closer to Jesus.
Celebrate
One of the best ways to encourage your church through worship is to celebrate God’s name and what God has done! Sing songs that celebrate God’s saving grace. Begin worship with a song of God’s faithfulness. Even in tough times, we can all gain perspective as we worship the Lord and live in gratitude for his faithfulness. Here is the best way to begin a worship service! And here are some alternate greetings so you don’t go into autopilot saying the same things repeatedly.
