Here is a great blog that is super practical and helpful to worship leaders. Vicky has written some great songs and has traveled all around the world and led worship in so many types of settings. It is cool to hear some of the practical ways that we can learn from her expertise. And there are a ton of great things to think about here. If you are an experienced performer, it will be a good refresher and reminder, if you are new to worship leading or under 5 years old as a worship leader. This is gold!
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Some worship gatherings, like weekend church or conferences, are reasonably big. But for many of us worship leaders, much of what we do happens in small settings, like house groups or prayer meetings.
Leading worship WELL in small group settings takes a totally different approach than leading in a big setting.
So here are my tips for making small group worship times go well.
Singing is awkward!
It’s crucial to remember that for the majority of the population,singing is NOT easy or fun, and is actually pretty awkward! There are virtually NO other settings in life, where people whoaren’t musical, get together and sing in a group - other than yelling at a football game!
For us worship leaders, singing is fun, easy and something we feel confident in (for the most part). Imagine something you feel really uncomfortable doing (for me that would be dancing!). Imagine being asked to do that thing in a small group of 10 people. Yup, awkward. Seeing singing through the eyes of non-musicians is the first step to leading well in a small group.
A way to make people feel more comfortable about this, is to break the ice by saying you know that not everyone likes to sing. So give people permission to sing, or not to sing and just listen, depending on how they feel. Yes, it’s ideal for us all to join in, as it’s a corporate expression. But it’s more important that everyone feels valued and comfortable, otherwise they may stop coming to small group altogether. Let people know that it’s ok if it’s only your voice singing. And it’s ok for anyone to sing out, even if their voice isn’t their biggest gift. Make people feel at ease.
Pitch it right!
Choosing the right key for each song is CRUCIAL for small group worship! It’s bad enough in a big church setting to have a song pitched painfully high or low, although sometime it can go un-noticed as a crowd can strain to reach higher notes. But in a room of 10 people, it’s very obvious if people can’t sing along.
I’d advise using lower keys in a small group, than you would at a weekend service. I usually take the songs down one key/tone for small group worship times. Men – when you lead worship us girls can’t usually sing along as the key is too high. Women – when you lead make sure that your keys aren’t too low for men to join in with. It’s worth asking someone of the opposite sex to help you choose keys for songs, by getting them to sing along to the songs when you are planning. See if you can find a key for each song that suits both men and women.
According to Andy Chamberlain, a friend of mine who often plays guitar for me in the UK, “a stereotypical man’s voice centers around Eb, whereas a stereotypical woman’s range centers around Bb. Quite a difference, but look at some of the worship songs written by women, many are in Bb, e.g. Shout To TheLord. So perhaps in that scenario, think of songs that are written in the keys of A, B or C”. Helpful!
Some songs just don’t work
Some worship songs have strong instrumental ‘hooks’, that the song will struggle to exist without. For example, once I tried leading “Don’t Let My Love Grow Cold” in a small group. The “doo doo doo doo doo doooo” guitar line that links the verses to the bridge was so crucial to everyone’s knowledge of the song. Without that guitar hook playing, there was an awkward moment of me strumming and a few people loudly humming the guitar line as it just felt so empty without it! Some songs have just become SO married to their arrangement that they just don’t work in a small setting…avoiding these is smart.
Another genre of songs that don’t work well in small settings, are huge anthems designed for large crowds. For example, I tried leading “Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble” in a small group, right after I’d been at a huge conference where we’d used the song. It didn’t work!
Some songs seem like they were written specifically FOR a large group… a bit like U2′s anthems that are designed to be yelled by a huge crowd. Big anthems often have a very wide range of notes, like Did You Feel, with a low verse and high chorus, that can be hard for a small room of non-singers to sing. They also tend to have big, long, high notes in their choruses and bridges, which can be tricky for less confident singers to belt out in a small setting. Be kind by choosing songs that will be easy to sing!
Older songs
It’s best to use older, very well known songs that are ‘classics’ in your church/denomination, rather than lesser known or new songs. This means everyone is more likely to know them and be able to join in. I do like to use small group settings as an opportunity to ‘test drive’ my new songs sometimes… but overall it seems best to stick to really well known songs in these settings.
Basic Supplies
In a small room, things can be distracting that would go un-noticed in a big room. For example, if someone has a cough and needs a drink of water, or starts to cry and needs a tissue, or needs the bathroom but doesn’t know where it is… So think about all of this when you prepare to lead worship, and provide water and tissues in the room. Make sure everyone knows where the restroom (or “loo” as we call it in England!), is. That way no one needs to ask.
Unexpected Guests…
If you’re meeting in a home, pets can be really distracting (even though they are very cute!). Make sure Fluffy and Rover are shut away in a room away from the gathering, so that a four legged friend doesn’t suddenly bound into the room and break the moment!!! (The parent of a small child just told me, when reading this draft, that this can apply to small children too!)
Musician overload?
Choose the right amount of musicians for the setting. I’ve been to a few small prayer meetings where the number of people playing the music outnumbered the people not playing! If you have 10 people in a small group, one person on an instrument should be enough. Don’t overload the room with a full band!
Volume is also important… make sure it’s loud enough that people aren’t too aware of their own voices, yet not so loud that it’s uncomfortable. If you don’t have a loud voice, get a small amp, as it’s crucial that people can hear your voice above the others in the room, to know where in the song you are, and where you are going to next. A classic scenario in small groups is that the worship leader can’t be heard and the group lose their way. So make sure they can all hear you.
Watch the clock
In a church service setting, it’s easier to stay on track time-wise as there are other things happening in the meeting to cue you. In a small group meeting in a home, often it’s just sung worship and prayer, or a short teaching. There may be no clues as to when you are supposed to stop singing…so have a clock handy and keep an eye on time to make sure you know when to stop.
Don’t make it a ‘dirge’!
Sometimes when we’re leading in small settings, we can tend to choose much slower songs as they are easier to play without rhythm section/drummer. Avoid making the whole set slow though, or people can just get lulled to sleep! I’d start with a few mid-tempo songs, or even a fast song if you feel your strumming or keyboard playing can pull it off.
Tuning is crucial
If you’re leading on guitar, and your instrument is slightly out of tune on stage with a big band, it might go un-noticed. But when all the room can hear is your voice and your 6 strings, they need to be perfectly tuned. Bring a tuner with you, and tune right before you play.
Be aware!
Small groups are even more important than big meetings, to have your EYES OPEN. I’ve had a few embarassing experiences, where I led worship at house group with my eyes locked shut, then finally opened them to see that only one person was in the room…everyone else had sneaked out for a coffee next door!
I’ve also led worship with my eyes closed, for a room full of church staff. I led very passionately with fast songs and lots of energy. When I opened my eyes at the end of the set, no one was standing up – all were seated and looking very disengaged. Awkward! I was so out of touch with where they were at.
Having your eyes open means you can see whether people are (a) still present! (b) engaged. Leading worship is a pastoralactivity…so you need to be aware of how your ‘sheep’ are doing if you are going to be a good ‘shepherd’ of leading them in sung worship.
Lyrics
In small settings, you aren’t likely to have a powerpoint projection system. But people will still need the words, however well they might seem to know the songs. I’d advise that we always print out lyric sheets for each set… This is easier than songbooks, as it avoids people flipping around a book whispering “which song number was it?!”. I do a sheet per small group set, with the lyrics printed in a decently large font (as not everyone has great eyesight if you have a mixed-age demographic).
Restrictions
Another embarassing incident at small group, is when you get noise complaints! Always make sure that the room/house/venue in which you’re meeting is suitable for loud singing and playing instruments! If it’s a person’s home, make sure they’ve asked their neighbours first. If it’s a church venue, make sure that you’re allowed to make noise outside of normal church meeting hours. This seems more relevant to the UK, where we have smaller buildings, in closely built towns and cities. In the States and Canada it seems like the extra space means that most churches and homes are detatched with far less potential for noise problems.
Spare Guitar
Breaking a string when you’re leading with a band can be covered up, as the band can carry you to the end of the song. But when it’s just you on a guitar, with no other musicians, breaking a string is BAD NEWS! Always have a spare guitar right next to you, so you can grab it and keep going.
Post-modernity
There is a growing hunger among most of us for church to be more interactive. We are over the ‘being spoon-fed’ model of church gatherings, and want to contribute and participate in an interactive way. Small groups are a great opportunity for this… so think about ways that people could participate in worship… could people read out ‘spoken word poetry’…or bring a piece of liturgy…or share a piece of artwork? How could it be a group offering, rather than just a worship leader singing songs. Get creative! Small groups are the perfect place to develop this._______
I know that you loved this and were able to take something from it. Vicky is a great leader and has contributed a great amount to our modern worship culture. Make sure to checkout her website/blog that
