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Easy Basic Steps on How to Be a Good Worship Leader Step 5: Introducing New Music to the Brain 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. This fifth step shares How to Introduce New Music. Some church people would love it if you never sang another song than what they already have learned the hymnal. They love these, have known them since they first became Christians; furthermore, their church ancestors sang them. They simply do not like any type of change to their music including instruments, praise teams, or contemporary music. To sing new music is unsettling, not religious, and certainly not making good usage of the good doctrine from the lyrics of the hymns. Then, I have been personally told that the Spirit is not in the worship service when the hymns are sung in an upbeat tempo. Are these people wrong? Not completely. God did anoint many of our song writers years ago to include the doctrine of the Word and to write songs that spoke from their heart. He also is continuing to do that today. There are many good hymns that I enjoy: The hymn “How Great Thou Art” magnifies our God in heaven. The hymn “Amazing Grace” (there is a newer version that I enjoy singing as well) gives us the Salvation message that is still popular even today.

Worship Leader Step 5 - Introducing New Music

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Easy Basic Steps on How to Be a Good Worship Leader

Step 5: Introducing New Music to the Brain

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. This fifth step shares How to

Introduce New Music.

Some church people would love it if you never sang another song than what they

already have learned the hymnal. They love these, have known them since they

first became Christians; furthermore, their church ancestors sang them. They

simply do not like any type of change to their music including instruments, praise

teams, or contemporary music. To sing new music is unsettling, not religious, and

certainly not making good usage of the good doctrine from the lyrics of the

hymns. Then, I have been personally told that the Spirit is not in the worship

service when the hymns are sung in an upbeat tempo.

Are these people wrong? Not completely. God did anoint many of our song

writers years ago to include the doctrine of the Word and to write songs that

spoke from their heart. He also is continuing to do that today. There are many

good hymns that I enjoy: The hymn “How Great Thou Art” magnifies our God in

heaven. The hymn “Amazing Grace” (there is a newer version that I enjoy singing

as well) gives us the Salvation message that is still popular even today.

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Some years ago, I served on a Brain Committee for a College. I volunteered to do

the research on brain learning and music. David A. Sousa has written a good book

on how the brain works. The more active we are in our worship the greater it

enhances our learning. If we are standing, raising our hands, reading the

PowerPoint, hearing about the authors of our songs, engaged in singing, thinking

about our words, we can experience an awesome worship between us and God. I

am not saying that it is necessary to do all these things either. Our personalities

are different - think goodness! Explaining meanings of lyrics, repeating songs, all

assist in memory retention and usage of synergy in our worship.

Our emotions are either positive or negative in regards to the way we worship. A

powerful experience will leave a lasting effect. It is so vitally important that we

are working hard at preparing good music and lyrics and teaching our people new

songs. The best time to do this is when they are present – and that is Sunday

morning. Using a theme song that will take a whole month to learn through

repetition is a good way to experience a new song that the brain will remember

and learn and retain. Learning involves the brain, yet retention involves long term

memory. This is why we need to give time when introducing new songs. One time

singing a new song is not enough to really learn or retain it.

Repeat again, repeat again, and repeat again what you teach. The amount of timedevoted to learning new songs allows the worshipper to experience learning new

music on Sunday morning without hardly realizing what they are doing – they will

learn automatically.

Music may help lower the blood pressure; relax tight muscles, boost the immune

system, and stimulate parts of the brain to produce emotions that are important

to tap into. Using imagery (clip art, DVD) in music is another way the mind can

learn new music. The mind has no limits to what a wonderful experience of music

can do for an individual.

People need to stand up using kinesthetic movements engaging in worship. This

may include the clapping, tapping, and raising a hand. This is the way some

people will learn best. We cannot judge the learning style of others in worship.

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Include one new song a month – sing it over and over. Enjoy it; share why you

selected the monthly song. Tell about the author. Add a new song the next month

 – keeping the old one, but not singing it as much. Continue adding a new song

each month. There will be times that they are responding so well that you can add

an additional short chorus along with the new song after it has been introduced

for a week or maybe two. Take it slower to begin with. Eliminate any song that

does not work after a few times. Try it again at another time. If is still does not

seem to work, remove it from your repertoire of music.

You have to be careful not to overwhelm people with too much new music at one

time. I know I have gone to churches before, and when they have sang so many

new songs that I did not know, I found that I did not enjoy the time of worship as

much. I was so focused on attempting to sing and learn a variety of songs, and

found it more tiresome than simply having one new song introduced to me. It

really was not the best way for me to experience worship. 1-2 in the same service

is enough for anyone. When you know the song and lyrics you feel confident to

sing out more. Otherwise, you sit there attempting to sing but since you do not

want to make a mistake you are reluctant to sing out as you would normally.

Think about this in regards to others when you select too many new songs in the

same service. I love – absolutely love learning new songs, just not too many at the

same time.

Involving more sensory input from your congregation will keep their interest

longer in worship. Standing, praising God, closing your eyes (just don’t do this for

long periods of time), raising a hand, singing the lyrics on Power Point, and

clapping, all are part of worship to God.

©Rev. Jeanne McIntosh April 29, 2011. All rights reserved.