Directing Special Programs in the Church - worship leader step 12

 

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 congregation.. The third step was Selecting a Team the fourth step was about making Good Transitions. The fifth step shares How to th

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Introduce New Music, the 6  step is Learning from our Mistake Mistakes, s, the 7  step is th

suggestions for the Order of Worship, the 8  step is about Working With th

Difficult People, 9  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’ Grandparen ts’ 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 music needs 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

 

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 DVD’s for children.   It is important that you do not take up a lot of people’s 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 children’s 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 children’s 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 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 reasonabilit y 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,

 

but to ask them to sing solos is misleading, 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 feedin feeding g 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 many parts 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 ones in the music program; yet, you have something ffor or everyone interested. Give this individual 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 f eelings if given some time. Don’t 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.

 

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 don’t 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. Don’t 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.