Pulling together the songlist

Here are a few tips from my perspective of leading corporate worship/the gathering

SING WHAT?

Collating the songlist can sometimes be a headache – particularly if you’re trying to coordinate with different contributors to the event [preacher, leaders, notice givers] but do persevere.

A prayer I try to pray in preparation [next to the obvious prayer ‘help, HELP God!] is ‘Father what are you already breathing/speaking into this event?’

It reminds me that in fact God is already at work and this is not all my responsibility.

THEME?

Checking out the theme will help in collecting your thoughts.

If there is no specific theme try developing a train of thought yourself, perhaps based on a verse/chapter you’ve recently read or from any observations about God you’ve recently had.

I talk about song choice [it’s breadth and vocabulary on another page] but in pulling a songlist together – try to be aware of a breadth that includes, new songs and hymns, older songs and hymns, gospel, Iona [John Bell], songs from particular church streams [Hillsongs, Survivor, Spring Harvest] and particular composers [Townend, Wesley and Bowater]; songs from around the world, songs from your own songwriters, songs of lament, songs of thanksgiving and praise, songs to intercede with, songs to dance in! And much more…

Hmmm… a few to be going on with – and of course not all in the same session – but hopefully somewhere to begin.

You might even want to compose your own thematic index – songs that you use say for ‘response’ or songs that you would use as a ‘call to worship’ listed together.

Of course you might in fact be from a particular churchmanship or working at an event where you are told what songs to sing – but do still be asking God for help in developing that theme as you lead.