It may not be fair, but it’s true: vocal leaders are the ones who lead the way for engagement in worship. When the vocalists are engaging, it helps break down barriers and becomes an invitation for the congregation to sing.
The more confident and prepared we are, the less we become a hindrance to flow and connection in worship. Confidence grows as we serve.
Outside of the technical aspects of singing, breathing and vocal quality, here are eight practical ideas for confidently singing to engage the congregation in worship.
Practice
Like everyone in the worship team, practice at home before the group rehearsal is key to becoming confident. When you know the song, the tune, the parts, and/or the song structure, you’re positioned to grow in confidence with each rehearsal.
Rehearse
You practice at home, but you rehearse together. Every member of the team is missed if they can’t make a rehearsal, but it’s especially noticeable with the vocalists. Rehearsing together raises the confidence of all team members.
Listen
Build listening to worship songs into your regular routine. Utilize the radio, YouTube, or other mediums to keep a steady stream of worship songs on your mind.
Memorize
I know it may be difficult for volunteer worship teams to memorize everything, but do your best to become so familiar with the lyrics that you don’t need to stare at the monitor or notebook or whatever you’re using. (For the record, our worship team doesn’t memorize songs for each Sunday, but some have become so familiar that we are able to sing them without looking down).
Smile
One of the best ways to engage is to smile. The larger the worship area, the bigger the smiles needs to be. You will feel like you are exaggerating, and at that point, it’s probably about right. This will bring up the level of connection and confidence almost immediately. Your smile will tell your brain “things are good as I sing and lead worship here today!” However, there is a fine line of confidence vs cheesy. You want to be genuine and authentic.
Move
Movement is one key to engagement and it’s one of the first ways to add to what you’re already doing. If you are a vocalist (or you lead vocalist) and you don’t currently move much, one good way to begin is to move your feet. Another way is to make sure your arms shift and move with the music – not just on your side or in front or both hands gripping the mic or stand. Try it out this week.
Critique and Debrief
Without critiquing and debriefing it will be difficult to improve. Watch recordings, talk with those closest to you, and or talk together as a group about the best ways to exude confidence as you lead.
Use Your God-Given Gift
God gave you the gift to sing and lead, so develop and use it diligently. More than trying to blend in, humility is about inserting ourselves into the situation to bring glory to God as we serve in the areas of our giftedness! Let God’s light shine through you as you sing and lead in worship.
_________________________________
If you are leading a worship team or part of one, we’re inviting you to check out this new resource “Worship Leader Culture Conversations Cards” These simple cards include a quote, questions and scripture and can be used to build the culture of your ministry through conversations with your worship team. We have been using these for a brief ten-fifteen minute gathering and prayer time each Sunday morning between sound check and the worship service.
COUPON CODE: WTCC
[btn text=”VIEW RESOURCE NOW” tcolor=#FFF thovercolor=#FFF link=”https://www.timpriceblog.com/product/worship-team-culture-conversations/” target=”_self”]
I write with church leaders in mind and I would be honored to have you join me by subscribing to the blog. You can take a look at the top posts here. The posts are categorized: pastors, worship leaders, student ministry and kids ministry. In case we’re just meeting, here’s little about my life.
OTHER POSTS:
Worship Leaders: Connect Before & After The Service
Ten Things The Worship Team Should Do Before The Service