Song-Leading

The ministry of Song-Leading


God’s people gather to :

The song-leader facilitates these aims by inviting participants into a time of corporate praise, and modelling both its practice and its transcendence. Songs can be addressed directly to God in praise, to each other in encouragement, and to our own souls in edification (often, all three at once).

Different song leaders have different personalities and styles, but we all aim to lead our brothers and sisters in corporate praise, encouraging them to participate, smoothing the transitions of the service, and reinforcing the theme of the Bible-reading and sermon.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Psa 95:1-2

Tips & Tricks

  • Don’t rely on musicians to signal when to come in – practice and be confident
  • Confirm with the service leader what intros & conclusions you should do
  • Think about and practice your intros, linking them to the service theme
  • Pre-check the words of new songs & old hymns against projection words
  • Smile, don’t be afraid to make eye contact, sing with personal devotion
  • Ignore the mistakes – don’t break the mood by giggling or over-reacting
  • Dress modestly and of a standard in the upper-half of those present

Links and resources

Worship by the Book

Tim Keller (ed. D. A. Carson)

Praise… is designed to shake participants free from distractions and remind them that God alone is worthy of worship, and of the possibility of meeting God in his presence. We have made it a basic principle that music in corporate worship must be of high technical and artistic quality as well as theologically sound and fitting for the traits of corporate worship… Mediocre music may be edifying to long-time Christians… but nonbelievers or seekers who enter and listen to a mediocre or poor musical performance will not be helped to sense God’s presence or be struck by the beauty of the words. They will at best be unmoved, and at worst distracted or made to feel awkward by the performance.