Yesterday I asked, "What's the most difficult part of leading worship for you?" There were a lot of good answers but the most common one was congregational engagement. Tons of worship leaders in the Leading Worship Well community are struggling with "getting their congregation to engage during worship." So, if that's something you struggle with as a worship leader, be assured: You are not alone!
One reason worship leaders struggle with this is because they misunderstand what their role is.
Here's the truth:
You CAN engage your congregation during worship BUT you CAN'T make them engage. Therefore, your job is to provide people with the opportunity to respond.
Let's break that truth down. Here are 3 truths about congregational engagement for worship leaders:
1 | You CAN engage your congregation
You 100% have the ability and opportunity to engage the people you're leading in worship. Worship leading is about more than just leading songs - it's about leading people. You can engage your congregation through prayers, speaking transitions, and encouragement during your time of worship. That's part of your responsibility as a worship leader.
2 | You CAN'T make them engage
The misunderstanding about congregational engagement comes in when worship leaders try to MAKE their congregation engage. Remember, you are a worship leader not a cheerleader. Cheerleaders seek to elicit a momentary response. Worship leaders seek to lead people in a life long pursuit of worship.
There is no magical combination of words you can say - no perfect set list - and no perfect musical performance that can MAKE people engage.
3 | You CAN provide opportunities to respond
So, what can you do? Your role as worship leader is to provide people with the OPPORTUNITY to respond to God. You can guide them in making a decision to worship. How can you do that? Use your speaking transitions to make the truths you're singing about more clear so people know what they're responding to. Lead them through moments of prayer where you aren't just praying over them but, instead, giving them a moment to speak directly to God. Provide opportunities to respond.
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