Leading Lyrics

1. Cast Vision to your Operators that they are Worship Leaders.

Your Lyric Operators are leading worship just as much as your leaders on stage. You’re a team. I’ve visited numerous churches where the Worship Leader on stage and the Lyric Operator never talk to each other! You’re accomplishing the same project – you’re on the same team with the same goal – to facilitate and lead your congregation in worship. Work together. Talk to each other. Change things that need to be changed after Run-Through or between services to make it easier.

Worship Leaders: Give your Lyric Operators as much ‘heads up’ as possible. If you think you may turn another chorus at the end of a song, or if you are feeling something spiritual and want to go into another song, talk to the Lyric Operator as much as you can – the congregation will be with you more if they have words to sing to God.

Suggested Tweet: "Worship Leaders - try to give your Lyric Operators as much ‘heads up’ as possible. @carlbarnhill"

2. Make sure they know the songs and Flow of the Service.

Planning Center and other apps make this extremely easy to prepare your production team with songs before Sunday happens. Be diligent with this task each week. If you’re not preparing your team for excellence by providing them the songs, chord charts, lyrics, or whatever else they need to be successful on Sunday, don’t be surprised if the execution is not as flawless as you want it to be.

Do you have a weekday rehearsal with your band or Worship Leaders? Ask them to do an entire Run-Through of Sunday. Ask your Worship Leaders to work transitions, prayers, announcements and other elements of the service. Even if these elements are fully fleshed out and they are still working on what they will say and do, at least walking through the motions of what is going to happen is helpful. Even something like, “This is the transition between ‘Oceans’ and ‘Good, Good Father’.

I’m going to say something here about God being a perfect Father for us and the band is going to start playing the intro under me. I’m going to move to this part of the stage, grab my guitar and use this mic.” Record the entire Run-Through, break it up and post it on Planning Center. Anything you can give your team to help them be more successful, do it.

Suggested Tweet: "If you’re not preparing your team for excellence, don’t be surprised if the execution isn't flawless. @carlbarnhill"

3. Teach them how to lead.