Telling Each Other’s Story (But NO Anonymous Song Requests)

1 Comment » Written on June 9th, 2009     
Filed under: Intergenerational, Leadership, Liturgy, Music, Order of Worship, Resources for Worship, Songwriting, Style of Worship, Uncategorized, Writing and blogging
Allow me to share an idea that’s been helpful in our church. It has done much to lessen the “worship wars” that sometimes happen because of stylistic preferences.  See what you think.
We ask people to recommend songs that “God has used to touch your life.”  People get to request a song that would like the worship team to lead sometime in the future, but each person has to include his or her name. No anonymous song requests. And only one or two songs per person.

At the close of a song (we usually project the lyrics) the congregation would see something like:

“This is one of __________ favorite worship songs.”

For example: (We don’t project the stuff written after in italics…)

“Big House”
This is one of Elizabeth’s Thompson’s favorite worship songs. (Elizabeth is our 5 year old daughter.)

“Because He Lives”
This is one of Bob Floyd’s favorite worship songs. (Bob is our 60 something Leadership Team chair)

There are often a number of names listed after a song.

We’ve found the naming names helps people to see why this song fits for our church. You might not like the song yourself, but if you know that God has used it to touch someone else in the congregation, and who, you get over that more quickly, rather than gripe and complain about how you’re convinced God doesn’t like the song. (It’s amazing how often God hates all the things you happen to hate isn’t it?)

We’ve had services where “In the Garden” is in the same worship set as “Jesus Freak.”  And strangely enough, it fits for us.

Rooting for you,

Andrew

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 and is filed under Intergenerational, Leadership, Liturgy, Music, Order of Worship, Resources for Worship, Songwriting, Style of Worship, Uncategorized, Writing and blogging.

One Response to “Telling Each Other’s Story (But NO Anonymous Song Requests)”

awesome is the lord most high and open the eyes of my heart are two songs that reach my soul.

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Mary Anne Halverson
07.10.09 at 9:20 am
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