Songs and Arrangements - Connecting With Your People!

by Tom Lane
from Worship Musician! Magazine

May/June 2013

Songs are amazing vehicles that deliver heart, passion, truth, doctrine, and so on. My brain is full of them and there’s a running soundtrack for my life recallable at any time. People connect with good songs and like what they like, often without any explanation. Though not all have the same tastes, the power of songs affects us much the same: deep down, permeating the soul, and manipulating our emotions. So needless to say, how we approach and play them is worth consideration.

Arrangements give life to songs, sometimes elevating them from their original form, but not always as it can also work just the opposite. Once songs are completed and chosen for whatever purpose, the arrangement is usually the next step in presenting it. In the same way that I can say something and it be taken one way, you could say the exact same thing and it be taken completely differently; arrangements influence perception and emotion.

It’s been said of worship songs that they are tools to help us communicate and engage with God. They can help or hinder, encourage or discourage, connect or NOT. For sure there are songs that seem to have a life and sweep through the church at large. The

Church has always had favorites, and the cycle normally goes; we use them continuously, wear them slap out, shelve them, and the really great ones come back around and live on in history.

There is some tension in the Church regarding worship and it’s nothing new. It’s the ongoing reality that as one generation ages, another is taking it’s place. God’s desire is that they be joined and connected, not divided. Transition is always awkward, but doesn’t have to be a fight. Both generations deserve the freedom to be who they are, but also the honor and support of the other. What kills unified worship in The Church is the spirit of

Criticism! Especially for what we don’t like. But God doesn’t ask us to worship Him only if everything is as we like it.

As mature believers and worshippers of God we should be able to get beyond the style and delivery of a song, and engage with Him in worship. If we can’t, then the issue is not ultimately the song or the leader; in essence we are giving the power to someone else to dictate our response to Him. Sadly there are many that miss the point and place such expectations on worship leadership to ‘get them there.’ Songs and leaders can help, but do not negate personal responsibility and will! The attitude and posture of our own hearts is solely up to each of us.

That said, we can help encourage unity by how we lead and what we sing. Songs are good connectors, and arrangements can actually help us build bridges among the generations represented in our churches. As a worship leader I communicate with my teams that my preference is for them to know the song and it’s sections more than the arrangement. The main reason being it leaves me free to be more sensitive to the people

I’m leading. If the band is listening to me and to each other, then we all move together dynamically. So the arrangement we played in the 9am service could be totally different in the 11am service and we didn’t have to rehearse it. But there are also times I’ll have them learn an arrangement and stick to it for any number of reasons. There is a time and place for both, and the bigger picture is that I want the song to serve the need and the moment more than I want the band to play it exactly like the record.

If we’re sensitive and caring of those we minister to and lead, we’ll not simply inflict our own preferences on them with no regard to where they come from, who they are, and what they relate to. Not everyone loves the four on the floor kick drum at 120-130 BPM at 9am on Sunday morning, or the tribal toms over ethereal pads and eighth note guitar lines—for hours on end. Likewise if there are young people in your midst, they likely don’t relate as much to hymns and older songs, or pipe organs. The goal is to find what is the most helpful and authentic where we are.

It’s awesome to see younger and older leaders serving the other with grace and humility, even when it’s not their vibe or comfort zone. There’s much to be said for honoring the context and culture of others, for in doing so we bestow honor on them! “How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!” Ps. 133:1

First Hellos and Last Goodbyes

by Doug Doppler

Found in Worship Musician! Magazine - May/June 2013


Even under the best of circumstances, leaving a team or congregation is most often accompanied by a sense of loss. How worship teams embrace musicians as they come and go speaks volumes about the culture of both the team and the congregation. The goal of this column is to spark conversations regarding how to better realize these opportunities to improve worship team culture around welcoming new prospects, as well as blessing members who are moving on.

FIRST HELLOS…

Make Time to Take Time

Every team has it’s own rhythm before, during, and after service. You might want to consider creating a time during which your team is always prepared to welcome a new prospect. If they come up during a busy time, being able to give them a specific time to come back shows a level of consideration that is a great first step in welcoming someone into the fold. First hellos are a great opportunity to show that you value people enough to ensure that even their first interaction with your team is a purposeful one.

Spirit of Inclusion

I’ll call this one the Jesus test. Would you greet prospects differently if Jesus were watching from the side of the platform, and if so, what might you want to change? You never get a second chance to say a first hello, so why not make each person feel truly welcomed—it’s a great way to demonstrate your value for people for more than their potential contribution.

Ministry not music

While musician talk is tremendously valuable in building a point of connection, as musicians we can sometimes miss the very ministry moments we were put on the platform to field. Music and gear talk offers a great bridge into deeper conversations like how a newcomer can get planted into a small group. Taking an active interest in people’s spiritual development is a great way to demonstrate that your team is about more than the time you spend worshipping together.

Vision Casting

The more a team is on the same page about why they are there, what the team values are, and how they are serving the congregation, the easier it is for a newcomer to catch the vision. Developing a culture where each team member can clearly articulate your Church’s vision can be equally helpful in getting (and keeping) new members on track once they’ve actually joined the team. Can everyone on your team articulate your Church’s vision, and if not what are some first steps your team could take to move in that direction?

Audition Process

Since the audition process and team requirements have a tendency to shift over time (especially in a multi-site model), it’s a good idea for teams to get together at least once a year to talk about what may have changed and why. If getting connected in a small group is a requirement, letting people know right away speaks of your interest in their spiritual development, not just their musical capacity. Mature believers will appreciate this, and it can also open the door into a discipleship opportunity for those who don’t.


LAST GOODBYES…

Raising the Bar

While last goodbyes can be emotionally and even politically tricky, they frequently reveal the depth of connection that is actually holding a team together—or keeping them apart. Most companies will at least gather around the water cooler and say a round of goodbyes before a person rides off into the sunset. Why is it that Churches seem to fall particularly short in this area and what might we do to raise the bar?

Sign a Card

Regardless of why someone leaves, giving (or sending) a card signed by the entire team is a small way to show that you value the investment people are making with their time, gifts, and resources. In situations where there have been differences it also offers the opportunity to show that your team holds forgiveness as a key cultural value.

Pick up the Phone

While a card is a great start, taking a few moments to pick up the phone and call someone is a great way of communicating that you truly value them. As hard as calls like this can be to make, it’s much harder to leave a Church and hear from next to no one. We are called to do better.

Team Prayer

When a member leaves not everyone can or should know why. Holding that team member up in prayer is a great way for a team to come together and demonstrate their collective heart to see good things come to any member, be they present or past. Leaving a worship team you know will be praying for you provides a spiritual covering that can do much to counteract the range of feelings most people feel when they step down or change congregations.


Doug Doppler is a passionate presenter at worship conferences and also loves to coach worship musicians and teams, especially in the area of the multi-site Church. He is also the author of the soon-to-be released title “The Worship Guitar Book”, which will be published by Hal Leonard.