Variety is something we try to plan into our weekly worship assemblies.  However, I believe it is important for our congregational singing to have consistency.  The fact is, most churches use multiple song leaders with each leader adopting different arrangements, keys, tempos, styles and/or song structures.  This hodge-podge approach undoubtedly brings confusion.  When I travel (as I’m doing this weekend) and arrange for worship leaders to fill my normal assignments, I don’t have to worry about consistency problems with leaders like Mark Spears and Kevin Dunnebacke.

Kevin Dunnebacke

What can your congregation do to ensure consistency?

1. Build unity among the worship leading team.  After all, this is not about competition.
2. Reach a consensus in choosing arrangements.  This can be a daunting task when evaluating five possible arrangements for a given song, especially in light of the diverse preferences of your congregation.
3. Standardize your leading signals.  If you use signals, every leader should use the same ones so the congregation doesn’t have to learn multiple styles.
4. Seek what is best for the congregation.  Avoid making it all about your individual tastes.

 Of course, every leader has a unique style and personality. That is good.  I’m simply suggesting we make the singing and worship as natural and meaningful as possible by providing consistency in our leadership.