Worship Leader Step 4 - Using Good Transitions

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Easy Basic Steps on How to Be a Good Worship Leader

Step 4: Good Transitions

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 and

our fourth step we will talk about making Good Transitions.

What is the importance of making good transitions? Having been (still am) a

teacher for many years in various schools and grades, I have learned the

importance of leading children through transitions smoothly. Learning to use

good transitions will assist a teacher greatly in a smooth running classroom

promoting good classroom management. Children are more likely to be more

focused because they are guided by instruction given in advance. This takes good

planning and preparation on the part of the teacher.

Good Planning

It is the same way in worship (If I might make that comparison). A Music Director

leads the congregation into worship with God by being prepared and using goodtransitions. This takes planning, preparation, prayer, and communication. Without

thought into what you will do and planning into how it will all come together, you

will probably rely on the flesh rather than God – not putting forth your best

efforts.



Pay Careful Attention to Key Changes & Moods

As you pray, select a theme (your pastor may want you to use a theme that will

compliment the sermon). Search hymns, chorus, and response readings, review

some new songs and compile a list. Pay attention to key, tempo, and the mood of each piece. Select songs that can be sang together nonstop (that means without

stopping the congregation from worshiping to announce a page number or to

talk). Changing keys all the time and tempos back and forth can be unsettling and

prevent good transitions resulting in hindering worship and making it more

difficult for the musicians. Sing songs that are together in the same key if possibly

unless you have instruments that are good at making key changes I have found

songs using different books for the keys that I need to aid in better transitions.

CCLI will allow you to change songs into the keys you need which is very helpful.

Mood is important to consider especially when there has been a serious calamity

of some nature. Also, during specific seasons mood will change. Be in tune when

you notice that you congregation seems subdue or shows less enthusiasm. You

may need to change or add a song.

Rehearse to Eliminate Unnecessary Mistakes

Practice singing through the Sunday song sets yourself in your home or officemaking sure they all blend together. Practice key modulations that will work well

for you and the group. Practice with your team before Sunday. That is not the

time to decide what you will be doing or arranging new sets. They are looking to

you for leadership – be prepared.

You can select a day of the week that will work best for you and your team,

possibly on a Wednesday evening. Include a devotional for the group if this is in

place of your worship service. It does not need to be something that is lengthy.

Refrain from Unnecessary Talking

Allow them to worship – God does not need you to talk all the time; you are the

Worship leader not the pastor. Refrain from feeling the need to make a comment



between every song that you sing. Meditate and pray about what God would

have you say or what Scripture to use. Make a few mental notes if necessary.

Special singing does not need to be announced. I have seen one worship pastor

who would introduce every song, the page number, and the soloist which was

distracting to the worship hindering smooth transitions. The worship pastor must

work closely with the Senior Pastor that the congregation sees them as a team –

likeminded toward one common goal. While one is completing a song the other is

ready to continue on with the service in prayer or the sermon - without dead

silence or announcing the next thing on the agenda.

Following the opening song or two, give the congregation an opportunity to greet

one another. Rather than saying, “OK everybody, let’s sing our next song” just

begin singing, the next song to bring them back together. This is an excellent way

to refocus them rather than informing them it is time to sing the next song –

simply model what you want.

Use music to help with smooth transitions. You do not need to explain all that is

in the program of worship with, “now we are going to do this, or, this is next”…….

and so on. I guess I feel very strong about this as I have seen too many services

with so many weighty words that have been such a distraction to me personally.

Appropriate Selection of Music

Select music that invites the worshiper into worship for the opening song(s).

Consider what is happening in the community, the nation, at the time of your

selections of music. If there has been a tornado that took the homes of several

families in the church, consider this. Remember to include seasonal music

(Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Patriotic, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day,

Grandparent’s Day, Valentine, ect) I would suggest not to use a Christmas song in

the summer – I have seen something similar to this, and it takes away from

genuine worship – for everyone is focused on, “This is a Christmas song” why are

we singing this” People are perplexed or either amused and it does nothing for

the spirit of worship. If you really feel God is leading you that way, find some way



to do it that the people will know what you are thinking. Be careful not to change

topics back and forth. Use consistency with building your theme and leading the

people in the direction for the day toward the sermon theme. Work with your

Senior Pastor and find out what His sermon topics will be in advance. Hopefully,

he will give you a list for the month at least in advance. Bouncing around on one

topic to another in music selections are giving the people too many thought to

focus on. Guide them in the direction of the central theme for the service.

Consideration given for Generation Gaps

Elderly people have a more difficulty time standing for long periods of time.

Whether their complaining is legitimate or not, consideration should be given for

this. Allow them to rest and sit down as you either read the responsive reading

together or simply share a scripture verse while giving a few comments (keep it

brief – it is not the sermon) and have them stand again to complete the worship

service in singing. Your pastor could also take the offering at this time to give

them additional time to rest if you have an older congregation. Sing a few more

songs and lead into a prayer song prior to the Pastor’s prayer. Invite them to

Family Altar before the prayer song as you sing. Those who wish may sit at this

time. Following prayer sing the prayer song again as they return to their seats. It is

not a time to sing a rather upbeat song that changes the tempo and emotions of

the moment. Keep that for your opening worship time. Since the sermon will

follow the prayer song, normally, allow them to dwell on Spirit of God to absorb

what He has spoken to them during prayer. Your soloist can sing prior to the

sermon. Refrain from announcing this special.

Consider Your Church Bulletin

You do not need to announce everything that goes on in a service. You have a

bulletin to do that. Make sure your bulletin is updated with correct dates, singers,

ect. I have seen guest singers come to a church, and other people listed for

singing that day who did not sing. This kind of thing makes a church look



unorganized and is not considerate to guests. If you choose not to place the order

of the service in the bulletin, that is the preference of each individual church.

Announcements can scroll as people are entering the church prior to service

beginning. This helps with unnecessary comments – other than you may need toannounce an important or unexpectant event from time to time. You many also

consider a Power Point to scroll the announcements during offertory to save time

making these in the service audibly. One church I attended would have a great

worship service and right in the middle would stop to make all their

announcements and then continue on with the worship service. It did not add to

the worship. Consider prayer request put in the bulletin upon permission, of

course. Be vague in what you put into print publicly. Mentioning an impending

surgery does not reveal they are having a colonoscopy. Taking time in the middle

of a worship service for lots of prayer request is time consuming and breaks up

worship. Remember, whatever you cannot either sing, preach, or pray try to omit

- most other comments.

Correct Media

This has probably been a problem for most churches. I don’t think it will ever be

resolved 100% of the time. Make sure you are using Power Points that display

correct lyrics, and are accurate with page numbers of the hymns or choruses for

those who enjoy using these. It is poor planning when the music director is singing

one verse and the slide showing another. Media can be as much of a distraction

to a service if used improperly, as it is wonderful to have for the service. It is

distracting when a singer goes up to sing a song and picks up mic after mic to find

one that is turned on ready to use. Check sound tracks to make sure they are

working with your system. When a singer has to start a song over three times for

the sound person to get the right key that is uncalled for. It is best to do a

complete sound check, media check, soloist, and all before a Sunday service.

Pray, pray, pray and God will help you do the job that He has given you to do.

What He calls us to do, He will equip us. Of that, you can be confident!

© Rev. Jeanne McIntosh April 2011

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Worship Leader Step 4 - Using Good Transitions