Closer Than a Stage: Why You Should Try Worship in the Round

Worship leaders are pros at looking for ways to enhance engagement and help people feel more connected with one another and the presence of God. But here’s a format you may have never considered. It’s called a “worship in the round” setup, and it’s just what it sounds like: worship team in the middle, congregation surrounding them. It can create an entirely new experience in worship, but is it right for you to try out? Well, here are some reasons you should consider it, and some tips to make it work.

The Upside: Deeper Connection and Fresh Perspective

When you shift the seating and platform to a circular (semi-circular works too) arrangement, you invite a different kind of communal experience. A few key benefits:

• Proximity and participation: The setup allows a small church feel, no matter the numbers. People feel closer in every way; sight, sound, and relation.
• Reduced “stage-performer” barrier: When the worship team is among the congregation, rather than separated by stage or platform, the sense of “us together” increases. A stage can sometimes feel too much like attending a concert, but when the musicians are in the midst of the crowd, it feels more like everyone together, equals before God. For worship leaders, that can translate into more authenticity and less “spectator mode.”
• Focus realignment: With less of the typical front-stage setup, attention can shift away from watching the band and more toward worshiping together. There is undoubtedly a greater sense of community as people face one another and sing towards each other.
• Space for variation: This format can feel fresh, especially if your congregation is used to a typical stage-front worship environment. It can break routine and help people engage differently.

Planning Considerations

Don’t expect automatic magic when you decide to plan an “in the round” worship service. The spiritual benefits are real, and so are the setup requirements.

• Audio and speaker placement: Because you’re no longer facing one direction, your sound engineer will need to rethink mains, stage boxes, monitor placement (or monitor alternatives), how to deal with audio lines and electricity feeds. Take time to ring out mics and ensure the feedback conditions change.
• Cable routing and interference: Running power cables adjacent to audio snakes can introduce hum or interference. With the band possibly being surrounded or at different angles, check your power feed vs audio feed layout.
• Lighting and sightlines: Lighting should draw focus toward the center while still allowing the congregation to see one another. Keep the lighting on the worship team soft and even, bright enough for visibility and expression, but not so harsh that it separates them from the room. Avoid strong backlights or heavy contrast that create a “stage” feel. Dimming the outer edges of the room slightly can help the congregation feel enclosed and unified in the moment, without making the space feel dark or distant. We want warmth and balance. Enough light to see faces, enough shadow to create intimacy.
• Instrument placement and facing direction: If your guitar, cello, piano, vocals are placed around the room, you’ll need to decide whether players face inward (toward each other) or outward (toward the congregation). This decision affects how the team syncs and how the congregation engages.
• Monitors or no monitors: Some teams eliminate stage monitors altogether and rely instead on in-ears, ambient cues, or the “all around” sound of the space. This demands extra rehearsal to ensure team timing and blended sound.

Suggested Steps to Get Started

1. Pilot a “test Sunday”: Choose a service (perhaps for Advent, or a special event) to experiment with the round format. Communicate it clearly to your congregation ahead of time.
2. Re-arrange seating: Remove or re-configure rows so people are seated facing inward, around your team. Place the team closer to the center of the room.
3. Adapt your set list & flow: Since the dynamic is more intimate, you may want to include fewer songs, longer moments of reflection or prayer, and fewer transitions. Let people settle into the environment rather than rush through.
4. Coordinate tech early: Meet with your audio and lighting teams well in advance. Walk the space together. Decide how to route cables, where to place speakers, how to light faces (both worship team and congregation).
5. Rehearse in space: Practice in the final arrangement so your team gets comfortable facing different directions, blending sound differently, and reading the room.
6. Debrief after: Collect feedback from team and congregation: What felt different? What helped? What was distracting? Use those insights for refinement.

When it Might Not Work (or Needs Adaptation)

• If your technical infrastructure cannot handle the change (for example, inadequate speaker coverage, or problematic lighting) you might amplify distractions rather than reduce them.
• If your worship team is still settling into basics (song transitions, ensemble balance, monitoring) then adding this spatial complexity may be premature.

An Unforgettable Event

If you’re looking for a way to awaken your worship gathering, heighten togetherness, and help people feel like they’re not just watching worship but participating in it, “worship in the round” is an excellent layout to try. Just be sure to plan accordingly and communicate clearly. By all means, don’t let the extra work scare you away. It is well worth the effort to provide a time of deep communal worship that your team and congregation won’t soon forget.