We've discussed announcements in the assembly before.  Where do you think is the optimum place to plan announcements within the flow of the service?  Near the beginning?  Near the end?  Some have announcements ("family matters") within the middle of the service, after communion and during the offering before the sermon.  What are your preferences?

Who plans the worship assemblies at your church?

1.  One person?  (perhaps the worship leader?)
2.  Two people? (the leader plus the preacher?)
3.  A team?  (a committee or a group?)

How much time does it take to plan worship?



How many hours altogether does it take to plan worship for your congregation?

Perhaps we can consider this in two parts:
1.  How much time does your worship leader, worship minister or committee invest in preparation?
2.  How much time does your pulpit minister put into preparing his sermon?

How much importance do we place on sound reinforcement?
How many churches place adequate emphasis on training sound engineers who are so vitally important (and often unsung heroes)?



What are the common mistakes that you have witnessed that could be improved with better training and planning?

For example, I don't know how many times I have seen a church leader stand before a congregation and speak into a "dead" microphone.  The delay in response time in un-muting the microphone can seem like an eternity to me, as I always emphasize the importance of smooth flow.

For that matter, it seems we should also be training Scripture readers and prayer leaders how to speak directly into the microphone to properly amplify them.

Does your sound system adequately and clearly work for your needs?

For those who use video in the assembly, do you ever experience glitches when the video is playing but the audio is not?  (This has often embarrassed even the biggest conferences and gatherings.)

How about the mix levels of the song leader?  Is he blairringly loud?

The mixing levels become even more complicated when amplifying multiple singers.  Do individual voices stand out in the mix?  Does the volume level of the support singers unintentionally discourage congregants from participating in the singing?  (Some may think, "Since I can't hear myself or those nearby, might as well just listen" or, "They are so loud, I'll just enjoy hearing the talented singers.")  Potentially, a lot can ride on the skills of the audio engineer.

What about sound checks?
Is the sound person given enough notification of the order of worship and the complete plan?

Of course, I have raised issues that are wider than just the scope of sound reinforcement, but it is safe to say this area plays an important role in our assemblies.

How much training does your church offer to the technical support team?
Do these servants feel appreciated?
What are your thoughts and experiences?

Do you experience long pauses and uncomfortable dead space in your Sunday assemblies?

Here's a common example - You have just finished a very upbeat song with great participation and the next item on the order of worship is a prayer.  Yet, the prayer leader is seated so far away from the microphone, that it seems like an eternity as everyone stares at him slowly walking to the front (sometimes from the very back of the auditorium.)

We can be so accustomed to slow and "dragging", that we become desensitized to how good it CAN be (not unlike singing tempos.)  I remember one time hearing a live radio broadcast of a Sunday morning service of a very large church in Kentucky, seeking to be evangelistic.  When they came to the communion, all we could hear in "radio land" was a very long period of silence, interrupted by an occasional cough or baby cry.  Now, how appealing is that?  Broadcasting silence?

I am certainly not suggesting that the entire assembly always be fast-paced; but I am saying that we need to seriously evaluate ALL transitions in our preparation and planning to be aware of the atmosphere that is created.  It takes effort and planning for the flow to be seamless and smooth, as opposed to slow, cumbersome and distracting.

How can we make "worship flow" the best it can be?

At Madison, we began our Sunday morning service with three baptisms.  That makes three weeks in a row!  It is refreshing to be able to place the baptisms at a special time within our assembly, instead of the same, predictable, post-invitation ending.  Our church family is really growing.

This week's poll was a fairly basic statistic.  14 numbers were given, so I averaged them.
-JP

Number of Songs Sung Last Week
Average: 8.3
Mid-Point: 8.5
Most Popular: 6
Minimum: 6
Maximum: 12

This week's poll was difficult to tally, because the depth of the discussion didn't stay within the borders of the categories.  That's a good thing, and thanks to everyone for lending such deep discussion.

In an attempt to tally the "votes" this week, I classified the posts in four categories, in an attempt to best summarize the posts.  I'll summarize those categories below.  There were a total of 11 "votes".
-JP

1. Speak To The Audience
Total votes: 5 (45%)
This is the idea that we, as worship leaders, need to be in touch with and know the flock that we lead.  We should pick music that fits the needs and hearts of the congregation, as well as music that will speak to their hearts.

2. More Lament, Please
Total votes: 3 (27%)
These posts all agreed that we need more songs representing emotions and thoughts of lament in our worship assemblies.

3. Vertical
Total votes: 2 (18%)
More to the initial question, these posts stated the opinion that we should have more songs directed toward God than directed to each other in our worship assemblies.

4. Balance
Total votes: 1 (9%)
These posts stated the opinion that we should maintain a fair balance in our music choices.

We "enter His courts with praise," yet, we are encouraged to "speak to one another" as we sing.  Some songs are directed vertically as we adore our God, while others are designed for teaching and admonishing our brothers and sisters.  Every congregation is unique, so answers and comments may vary widely.  What types of songs do you think we should sing more of in order to achieve a better "balanced" worship diet?

There is a contemporary trend of new songs that address God directly, although many hymns were written as prayers and direct praise.  One historical period of songwriting emphasized agriculture themes (sowing and reaping) and nautical concepts (sailors tossed on the sea).  Songs written during the Great Depression emphasized a longing for a mansion and riches beyond.  Battle images and warfare permeate other great hymns.  Some musical offerings express brokenness and humility, while only a few deal with pain and lament.

If we compare the Psalms with our typical mix of themes we sing over any given period of time, we'll probably find significant differences.  Some types of songs are more difficult to find.  What types of songs do you feel we should sing more than we do?

Perhaps this discussion goes along with our emphasis on encouraging "participation" in worship.  I have found many places where planning brand new congregational songs into the Sunday morning assembly (songs that most people have never heard) has become  distracting, or at the very least, an unwise choice. This seems to be a common cause for complaints and an irritating factor in many church families.  Even when considered from a totally practical standpoint, it would seem wise to be judicious in introducing "brand new" songs if your ultimate goal is maximum participation.

I also believe that introducing new worship songs into a congregation's repertoire is essential and refreshing.  So, the question for this week is:

What is the most effective way to introduce new songs into the local church? 

What is your plan? 

What has worked for you? 

What doesn't work?

Of course, there is no "one answer fits all," but we can surely benefit from hearing what has worked for others (or learn from the mistakes of others.)  What do you think?