We’ve all been there! You spend weeks prepping a hot new worship tune. But when Sunday comes? Cue crickets. As you walk off the stage you think, “What happened?! That song rocks!”
We feel your pain. But don’t give up on new music! Here are 3 tips to get your congregation on board:
Simplify the Arrangement
Did your band try to be too flashy? Complex arrangements that sound slick on the radio often confuse regular folks in the pews. Pare it down to the basics. Give your team permission to suggest ways to simplify. You want the glory going to God, not to gnarly guitar licks.
Teach Thoroughly
You’ve got to prep people if you want them to sing along! Don’t just spring new songs on them. Teach those songs over a few weeks:
- Take 30-60 seconds to explain the background of the song. Share what it means to you personally. Open up about why you think the lyrics will resonate. Be transparent and get people hooked on its story.
- Don’t do that song once and then bail! Feature it again the next couple Sundays. Each time, encourage people to meditate on the words.
- Teat new music as invitations – not interruptions! Craft multiple encounters designed not just to educate, but to activate worship in others’ hearts.
- Familiarity takes root after the 3rd or 4th exposure.
Accept When It Flops
We can’t hit a home run every week. Sometimes a song that gets you pumped leaves your church cold. No shame in that! Dust yourself off and try again next Sunday. Stay humble enough to admit what works for you may not work for your congregation.
Remember, each song is an opportunity to stir people’s passion for God. Every lyric should point our gaze toward His glory. Approach teaching songs as a holy invitation into His presence, not just another item on the program.
When we faithfully sow seeds of worship and water them with patience, the Spirit makes sure the harvest comes. He frees voices to sing truth. Leads weeping hearts into joy. Draws every generation, every background into one chorus of praise.
Let’s tend the garden of musical worship with care! God uses these songs to revive and blossom devotion in our communities. And that makes all efforts worthwhile.
