Here’s the one question that will help your entire team flow more seamlessly during the worship service. We want to build a culture of asking this question in all our teams: the leadership team, the musicians, the hospitality team and the tech team members.
Though it’s the Spirit that guides us, we believe the spirit can lead in advance planning as well as in the spur of the moment. And, of course, flow is not the end all, be all. The order of worship is there to help a large group of people, from both the stage and behind the scenes, help engage the congregation in worship without much hindrance. So, with the order we have and the team members in place, here’s the revolutionary question that everyone should be asking.
Teach your team to always ask themselves, “What’s next?”
There is it.
The more you can instill this one questions in the minds of people, the better flow you will have.
Until your people are asking, “What’s next?” you’re going to have mic issues, video start issues, lighting issues, sound issues, clicks and tracks issues, movement issues, and speaking issues.
Due to the sheer number of times I have been privilaged to lead worship, I learned very early on – like 30 years ago now – that I had to know what was coming up. If I was a guest leader for a church or a time of worship, I had to find out who to call up to pray, who would introduce the preacher, when the offering would be, how to close out the worship time and what was coming up after. Because of the long history, I have grown up asking, “what’s next” in worship services settings.
Here are three things you can do to get this instilled in your people:
Write out the order with details
When the order is written out with details, the team can look to see what is coming up, figure out what’s needed and take time in advance to figure what they still need to know. It will help musicians set their instruments up, arrange their music, check the key of the songs, etc. It will help the sound person to know what the tech need is for the next component of worship. Writing out the order with details will also allow you to describe some critical transitions and components in advance – the week before or at the very least, during the rehearsal. As you consistently do this, your team will take note and being thinking, “What’s next” throughout the service.
Teach them to ask the question
It could be that your team doesn’t realize how important it is for each person to be watching over their area with a eye for what’s coming up. Share this blog post with them. Teach it briefly at the next meeting. Share what it means for the worship flow to have the team members firing on all cylinders during the service. Watch a video of your service and have your team think about the places it could have been a little less clunky and have them discuss what could have made it better. Do all you can to teach this concept. This single question costs no money and requires no major skill – yet it will help make a difference in the leadership of worship and the presentation of each component during worship.
Remind them to ask the question
Like many other things, our teams can forget and slide into a “live in the moment” mentality with worship. Remind them each week or every time there is a need. Remind them just before worship to remember to ask “What’s next?” as one component is happening.