By Alison O’Hara

How do you find songs that work in a congregational setting?   There are so many songs that are written by talented believers, and it is a blessing to be able to be ministered to by their messages.  But how do you decide what is a good song for worship or what is just a good song?  Here a few simple steps that will help to differentiate between a special number and a worship song.

• Is the song memorable?  Songs that have a catchy tune or words that repeat in the chorus are easier for a congregation to follow and remember.  The point of worship is to help your congregation enter into the presence of the Lord and prepare their hearts to hear His word.  It becomes too hard to focus if the congregation is left guessing where the song is going.
• Is the melody easy to follow?   Watch out for songs that make leaps and jumps.  A simple melody that is written within a 5 to 8 note spread is easiest for people to remember.  Good worship songs tend to have a melody that is predictable and easily followed.
• Will the song fit with your congregation?  In other words, know your people.  It is not a bad idea to stretch musical taste, but if your congregation is comprised mostly of seniors, a loud upbeat worship song with lots of guitar riffs and many words most likely isn’t your best choice.  In contrast, if you are in a youth service having all hymns in a traditional style will cause most of the people to tune out.
• Will your Musicians be able to play the song?  Although it is a good idea to challenge your musicians you also want them to be able to worship.  Remember their limitations and take advantage of their strengths.
• What is the ultimate focus of the song?  This may seem like a strange point, but it is extremely valuable.  Remember the whole point and focus of worship is ascribing “worth”.  Is the song’s focus on God and His worthiness or attributes?  A good measure of this is to take a look at how many times the song says I versus You. 
• Similarly, are the words biblical and in context?  It is your responsibility to ensure that the worship songs you select for your congregation are theologically sound and within context.  People will remember words and concepts more easily when they are set to music.  Be careful not to allow good sound to overshadow poor theology.

Most importantly, remember why we worship.  We worship God because He is worthy.  He has shown his mercy and grace to us when none is deserved and as such, songs that depict His worthiness above anything else will be great additions to your service.  Songs that are melodic, easy to follow and scripturally sound allow the congregation to focus on entering into His presence.

Tags: how to pick a worship song, music in church, praise and worship, songs, worship

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 13th, 2008 at 8:47 pm and is filed under Worship Ministry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.