Directing Special Programs in the Church - worship leader step 12

8/3/2019 Directing Special Programs in the Church - worship leader step 12

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Easy Basic Steps on How to Be a Good Worship Leader

Step 12: Directing Special Programs in the Church

Prayer is the number one key on how to be a Good Worship Leader. Our second

step was Evaluation of our congregation. The third step was Selecting a Team the

fourth step was about making Good Transitions. The fifth step shares How to

Introduce New Music, the 6th

step is Learning from our Mistakes, the 7th

step is

suggestions for the Order of Worship, the 8th

step is about Working With

Difficult People, 9th

step provides suggestions for Selecting Music, step 10 is

How Do You Know You Are Called?, step 11 is The Vision of the Worship

Leader, and step 12 is Directing Special Programs in the Church.

It is that time of the year again when you need to get together some kind of

program for the church. This may be Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter,

Grandparents Day, Patriotic Service, Communion Service, or other. Waiting until

the last minute will make if difficult on yourself as well as putting others under

pressure to perform when they may not be ready. Ordering musicals or musicneeds to be done in plenty of time in case of backorders - which do happen, not

always when you realize it at the time.

You also may be able to purchase some material at a less cost to you from

another church. This is definite something worthwhile to check into. What


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someone did last year may be what is great for your needs the next year. I found

some great buys once online from a minister of music who had got sick who sold

all for about a great price, and another time from a different church then my own

denomination that was great DVDs for children.

It is important that you do not take up a lot of peoples time in having three large

programs a year requiring much practice. It would be better to have one nice

program a year than several that are not done well. If you desire to have several a

year and this is what the Senior Pastor seeks, then have one for adults, one for

youth, and one for children at different times through the year. Use different

people so many as possible are being used. These ages can be intermingled, yet

the focus is not on all the same people for major roles.

Adults are not disappointed if you have a childrens program that is not perfect.

They love to see them up front. Do something simple that can be rehearsed once

a week using the songs during the childrens worship in order to learn them well

with choreography.

Youth may not like to sing using the choreography, so use pantomiming of a story

of the bible with music in the background. You can take a bible story using the

message bible online; add some background music and soundtracks that relate to

the theme and have them do drama in only acting out the motions no speaking

parts at all.

Adults like to sing in choirs, solos, or small ensembles groups. These practices can

be done individually as time permits with each group. The easiest for them would

be to have readings alternating between several readers. Youth or children can

even do silent drama as these readings are done. This way they do not have the

reasonability of learning many lines which at times can be very difficult especially

if you cannot depend on the youth or kids in regular attending.

Select people who can sing well (at least on key) for solo parts. I realize there are

times, when someone wants to sing who cannot hear the pitch and do not realize

they are singing off key. They may sincerely believe they can sing, but being tone

deaf, makes it difficult to hear themselves. You do not want to hurt their feelings,


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but to ask them to sing solos is misleading, and not directing them in the direction

for using what gifts God has given them for His glory. Sometimes they fit in with a

choir or large group. Turning down their mic is an option as well. These people

need to feel used especially when they have such a desire to be up front. Some

really do! Sometimes, it is not worth the battle to exclude them. Give them a

reading to do at least. I found out that one girl who could not sing although she

tried to, was an excellent reader and great with drama. I was very, and she may

have been have been as well.

I believe our churches are partly responsible feeding this false information to our

young teens and adults. As children, they were told how wonderful they could

sing, and as young people these kinds of comments continued. What the brain is

fed is what it learns to believe no matter if it is true of false. Putting a young

person up to sing a solo when they cannot, is heading them to a great injustice in

the future. We have thousands who go to American Idol thinking they can sing, to

be told they cannot. To some, this may be devastating; to others they are in

denial not accepting the truth. I heard of one singer who told them they could

sing when told they could not - that they were told they could sing. How sad!

Redirect those who cannot sing. You may even want to get with your Senior

Pastor and distribute gift test redirecting people this way. There are so manyparts to a program that everyone can participate in some way.

Then, you have those who have always sang the main O Holy Night special or

whatever it is for your church. Tell your group that this year you will be including

some different ones in the music program; yet, you have something for everyone

interested. Give this individual another part and ask if they can do this. If not, say I

am very sorry but really needed you for this part and felt that you were the one

who would do a good job. You can also ask them to think and pray about it before

responding. They may get over their hurt feelings if given some time. Dont forget

to pray about the situation. It really is not fair to others who have good talent to

always be overlooked all the time, although some may not mind. Be kind and

understanding always.


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It is difficult to do the right thing ALL the time. You will make mistake, but as you

learn from these mistakes, God will use you to be SUCH a blessing in this role that

He has placed you. Satan will keep you discouraged, or after one great event, will

bring trouble your way. It is his business so beware! Look up and trust God to give

you wisdom and dont be afraid to back up and say you made a mistake or to

make an apology. Your people will learn to love you even it if takes some longer

than others.

Just be sure to have some fun! Make practices fun, pray, laugh, feed them, have a

devotional (applicable for the theme). Share something inspirational about each

character in the program. Dont be a drill sergeant or a BIG boss! Take leadership

(It is your job!). Be prepared ahead of them!

Rev. Jeanne McIntosh November, 2011. All rights reserved.

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Directing Special Programs in the Church - worship leader step 12