How to Plan a Worship Set

The role of the worship leader is vital to the overall success of the worship experience. Being a worship leader is more than selecting 3-5 songs. It is more than executing those songs with excellence. It is more than finding songs that work well together in certain keys or formulating the perfect transitions that marry those songs together creating a seamless musical experience. Being a good musician does require proficiency in all the above areas; however, being a successful worship leader has very little to do with music at all.

Musicianship is important. It’s what gives music the qualities that make people want to listen every Sunday morning and Wednesday night. It’s what makes people want to purchase the music. However, we’re not in the moneymaking business. In fact, we’re not in “business” at all. We’re here to lead people into deep places of worship where they will encounter the life-changing presence of God. As worship leaders we have to move away from making worship an emotionally hyped show.

That being stated, I must remind us, there is a place for all creativity in a worship experience. There is a place for lights and projection and creative elements in a worship experience. But creativity should always lead people into encounter moments and instead of distract from the worship of God.

The real question we have to ask ourselves is: what makes people want to worship?

Being a successful worship leader starts by having a heart for the people under our care, a heart to follow the lead pastor (lead worshipper), and, most importantly, a heart to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The songs that we choose to lead in any worship experience play a role in our success, but more than anything else, our personal relationship with God and the Holy Spirit will affect our impact in a service. I often say, “We can’t lead people to places we haven’t been.” I can’t think of a more accurate statement for leading people in worship.

So, where do we go from here? How do we practically plan a worship experience?

When it’s possible, try to coordinate your song selection to the theme of a service. While it is helpful to know your pastor’s sermon series or topic for a given Sunday, that’s not always a possibility. Still, planning a worship set can be similar to preparing a sermon to be preached. Think about theme. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your song selection just as you would if you were preaching a message. Ask what message He wants to express to your congregation. Also, as an under pastor, discern what theological message your congregation needs to learn. Music can be a tool to remind our congregations of theological truth while leading to transformational life change.

After you have prayed through the songs that will be led during a worship experience, decide who should lead each song. The key each song is led in should be largely determined by who is leading the song. As a personal preference, I like to co-lead with multiple worship leaders. Co-leading allows other men and women to step into their role as a worship leader. It allows them to use their gifts to lead others to encounter moments. Further, it’s a visual representation to the congregation that worship is not a person or show. It is only about lifting up Jesus.

Try to use keys that transition well together. For example, the key of G transitions easily into D or Em. A transitions into C or Gm is possible but can be a little more difficult to master. Consider the ability levels of each instrumentalist also leading. Ask yourself, “does the lead guitarist need a few seconds to reset their pedal-board or to tap in a delay?” If yes, plan to have the piano start the song or the keyboardist swell in on a suspended root chord. Key changes are made easier by the abilities of your instrumentalists, but it’s also good to develop new instrumentalists by varying the abilities of your players. Plus, it keeps your more developed instrumentalists sharp. I would always caution against “stacking the deck” with your instrumentalists. That’s not a picture of the Church and it shouldn’t be a picture of your band.

James cautioned us to avoid favoritism to wealthy individuals. Though he is specifically addressing monetary wealth, it’s not difficult for us to connect similarities with individuals who are greatly gifted. At the foot of the cross, we are all equal, and on a stage, we can, and probably will, fall.

Rehearse your set before you rehearse with the band. Practice those introductions. Be prepared for any questions that might pop up during rehearsal. Sometimes, you can do all the prep work possible and find that a transition just doesn’t work for the whole team. Recognize that your way is not always the best way. Be prepared to listen to your team and find a solution that will work for everyone.

Lastly, continue to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Whether it’s during the week, in rehearsal, or actually during a service, follow that pull in your spirit. Sometimes during a worship experience, I sense that the Holy Spirit is moving in a different direction. Usually, it’s during a deep worshipful part of the set. In those moments I just have to make a decision. Will I follow the Holy Spirit and veer a little off my planned course, or will I stay tuned to the set? I always want to go with the Holy Spirit. But, in moments like these, following the Holy Spirit’s leading can be nerve-racking. It feels like there are thousands of questions running through my mind. Will the band follow me? Will this be the correct key? Should I continue to wait and risk alienating half of the congregation, or should I transition the worship experience to the next order of service?

Only you can make that decision, but following the Holy Spirit’s guidance will be made easier by building community in your team. When community is built among your worship team, tech team, audio team, and creative team, a multitude of problems will be solved. Personality differences abound amongst creative types. Get used to it. It’s just part of our world. But when community is nurtured and valued, I have found that a “group think” system develops. For many years, I was blessed with the best bandleader I could ever have prayed for. He literally knew what I was thinking. Musically, he is extremely talented. He’s one of the best drummers in the world, but it is his sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, and to follow me, that made my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit a possibility.

For example, I remember leading worship through an extended altar ministry time. We had led all the songs that I had planned to lead and there was still major ministry happening in the altars. I felt the Holy Spirit drop the bridge of “Healer” into my spirit. Rarely do I play piano, but this particular Sunday I had played. I simply played a measure of the melody line over the chord progression of the previous song. In the talkback microphone I hear my bandleader, say, “Guys, pay attention. She’s playing the bridge of ‘Healer.’” And just like that, everyone was with me and we together moved into the bridge of “Healer.” But it wasn’t just the band and vocals. The lighting programmer made a few minor adjustments and the lights continued to enhance the worship experience. The livestream producer modified the camera angles. The audio engineer changed the mix to highlight the piano rather than the lead guitar. The visual engineer quickly pulled up the song from the ProPresenter library.

Now, I wish I could tell you that “group think” just happens naturally and that it will come naturally to you and your team. But that type of synergy is only produced in deep community.

Community takes work. It requires extreme levels of grace. It requires time and vulnerability. But community—true community—is worth every hour and every sacrifice.

And believe me, there is a sacrifice.

What is worship, really, other than community with God? We can plan a powerful worship set with the perfect transitions. We can practice and create a perfect picture of the Body of Christ on a platform. We can do everything in our human strength and knowledge to present a musical masterpiece for the congregations we lead. But our worship flows out of the relationship with have with Him. Community with God must always be the end goal for ourselves and for the people we lead.