Creating Worship Flow

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is
beautiful. Praise the LORD with the lyre; make music to Him with a
ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song to Him; play skillfully on the strings,
with a joyful shout. For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work
is trustworthy. Psalm 33:1-4 (HCSB)

Circle words and/or phrases in the passage that help us define our own
philosophy of worship ministry.

From Psalm 33…

God is more concerned with the heart than the _________

True worship and praise blesses God and His ____________
A new song is not a ______ thing—in fact it is desirable
God is our ultimate _____________ for worship
____________ playing, singing, planning, etc. is preferred
Worship practices should be based on the ________ not personal
preferences

A Few Opening Thoughts on Worship

Nearly _____________ has strong thoughts on worship today

“Worship wars” are very real and protecting the ___________ of the church
is a great responsibility
Ultimate ____________ in a worship service is honoring and pleasing God
When the people are ______________ in true worship it is honoring and
pleasing to God
The participation level of the congregation must be considered
The planning and _______ of the worship service is a vitally important
responsibility worthy of our best efforts

Three Dimensions to Consider in Corporate Worship

Upward—worship must be to God—Gen. 4:4

Inward—worship must help connect spiritually and
emotionally—John 4:23-24
Outward—consideration of how the ______________ will be effected by the
worship experience should be considered—1 Cor. 14:24-25

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 Things that can Distract from the Flow of Worship
Starting late
Backward glances toward the screen
Clutter in and around the platform area
Open doors
Small PowerPoint fonts
Imbalanced choir/stage area
Filler words that are not heart-felt
Clock-watching
Talking too fast
Singing too slow or fast
Inappropriate focus on the persons leading worship
Inappropriate dress
Inside jokes and comments from the pulpit
“Dead air”
Talking too much
Announcements in inappropriate places
Sudden stops and starts
Non-participation by the Pastor
Over-participation by the Pastor
Worship team members, choir members, etc. not paying attention to who is
speaking or leading
Gum Chewing
Inside smirks and “looks” from one Praise Team member to another
Out of balance instruments
Loud instruments

Some Practical Thoughts on Worship Planning

Consider all the things that are part of your morning worship service
Eliminate what really doesn’t “fit” for a Sunday morning service
Eliminate things that ________ your congregation
Figure out the best way to handle announcements and the offering
_________ for genuine worship
Introduce _______ songs thoughtfully
Seek to blend worship songs without segmenting the worship
If our goal is to blended, we need ________ time for contemporary and
traditional elements
Worship flow can be enhanced by following a major theme

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 Example—Grace Theme
Amazing Grace
Your Grace Still Amazes Me
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Your Grace is Enough
In the Cross
The Wonderful Cross

Example—Trials Theme
Blessed be Your Name
It is Well with My Soul
Your Grace is Enough
Through it All
Rock of Ages
Be Still and Know
The flow of the _______ the songs are in is important
Generally speaking, to keep a medley of songs flowing well, stay in the
same key or arrange the keys to go up a step or half step
Transitions between keys can be made easily with the fourth (IV) chord over
the fifth (V) chord (Guitar and Piano chord charts can be easily found on
line)
Most intermediate pianists do not like playing in keys with more two sharps
(#)
Most intermediate guitarists do not like to play in keys with more that two
flats (b)
User friendly keys for everyone are C, D, F, G and Bb
Guitarists can change keys with the use of a Capo
It is generally better to begin with energy and then move toward more
reflective worship
Psalms and prayers often work well for transitioning from one song to
another
Light music in the background while people are praying can be effective
Signals between Pastor and Worship Leader can help with the flow
especially during the invitation
A big factor when using a worship team is to balance the volume of the
instruments—everyone cannot play “all out” anymore
• Make changes gradually
Pianists no longer need to play all the notes on the page when other
instruments are playing the same notes
Signals between the worship leader and the praise team are critical

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When (not if) the service does not go smoothly, remember God is bigger
than our mistakes and people are connecting with Him in spite of our
errors
Helpful Websites
lifeway.com
ccli.com
integritymusic.com
longselectronics.com
musiciansfriend.com
worshiptoday.com
worshiptogether.com
leadworship.com
scbo.org
• pwarchive.com
• jyflns.com (excellent CDs for background piano accompaniment for
hymns)

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Transitions between keys can be made easily with the fourth (IV) chord over the fifth (V)
chord (Guitar and Piano chord charts can be easily found on line). To change into the
key of G for example, I play the C chord for a measure and then the D chord for a
measure and then start the new song from the beginning.

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UP

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Now, if I place my capo on the second fret and play a G chord, it will sound like an A
chord. The C chord will sound like a D; a D like an E, etc.

I can now play those tricky Db, Ab, and Eb chords by putting the capo over the first fret
or the sixth fret!

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 “The Difference Between Volunteering and Being Called of God”
from ‘The Heart of the Artist’ by Rory Noland

(1) Volunteers see their involvement at church as community service, but people
called of God see it as ministry

(2) Volunteers whine about what it’s going to cost to serve, but people who are
called are committed to serving

(3) Volunteers shrink back from resolving relational conflict, but people called of
God seek to resolve relational conflict for the sake of unity in the church

(4) Volunteers look upon rehearsal as another commitment they’re obligated to

fulfill, but people called of God look forward to rehearsal as another
opportunity to be used by God

(5) Volunteers do no outside practicing or preparation, but people who are called
of God come to rehearsals and a performance as prepared as possible

(6) Volunteers are not open to constructive criticism; they get defensive about
it. But people called of God are grateful for feedback because they want to
be the best they can be

(7) Volunteers feel threatened by the talent of others, but people called of God
praise Him for distributing gifts and talents as He chooses

(8) Volunteers want to quit at the first sign of adversity or discouragement, but
people called of God dig in and persevere

(9) Volunteers find their main source of fulfillment in their talents and abilities,
but people called of God know that being used of God is the most fulfilling
thing you can do with your life

(10) Volunteers can’t handle being put in situations in which they’re going to be
stretched, but people called of God respond to God’s call with humble
dependence on Him

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Dave Frasure
E-mail: DFrasure@scbo.org
Office: 614-827-1824
Address: 1680 E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43203

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