PRINCIPLES OF

A SONG LEADER OR A WORSHIP LEADER?

SONG LEADER:
* A person leading other people singing songs
* Instrumentalists accompanying them
WORSHIP LEADER:
People praising and worshiping God with and without
songs;
Instrumentalists praising and worshiping God with the
sounds of music;
People praising and worshiping from their hearts while the
instrumentalists play (which may be what "selah" meant);
gifts of the Spirit in scriptural operation;
"Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" flowing;


WHO IS A WORSHIP LEADER?
A worship leader is a man or woman who is
called of God to lead in worship. If we want the
power of God to flow in our worship, the leader
must be a person GOD has selected. The
anointing is as essential to this ministry as it is
to any other ministry.

Those whom God calls, He enables.
QUALIFICATIONS Vs. CALLING
Qualifications only get you so far. A calling will
completely and forever change the direction of your
heart.
Qualifications are based on where youve been. A
calling is based on where youre going.
Qualifications depend upon you. A calling depends
upon the One calling you.
Qualifications are based on your performance. A
calling is based on God equipping you to carry it
out.
Qualifications might get you a job. But a calling will
see you through a divinely given task that only you
are made to do.
WHAT REALLY IS A WORSHIP LEADER?
A Worship Leader is someone who is...
Called of God to lead in worship,
Musically skilful and/or
understanding,
Spiritually broken before the
Lord.


WHAT IS WORSHIP?
The relationship between Praise and
Worship has to be held clearly in the
mind of the one who plans and leads
a worship time. Praise (thanksgiving
and exaltation) should precede
worship (adoration and communion).
THE DIFFERENCE
Praise is an action of soul and body, a time of
thanking the Lord for what He has done and
exalting His name, His character, and His deeds.
Here are the gates to His presence and the outer
courts of His dwelling place.
Worship is a response of the spirit, a time of
expressing our adoration and devotion to God,
giving Him an exclusive place in our hearts.
Communion is abandoning ourselves to His
presence, contemplating His glory, dwelling
inside the veil, and drinking in His righteousness.
HOW DOES ONE LEAD IN WORSHIP?
1
ST
Rule of worship leading :
A worship leader must himself
worship God without reservation. He
must give himself to praise and
worship, hungering above all things
for the manifestation of the presence
of the Lord.
A WORSHIP LEADER MUST DO THESE
Prepare his heart to approach the Lord with the people of God.
Prepare the leadership for positive change.
Prepare the people for a systematic way of approaching God.
Prepare a sequence of songs that will take us on that journey and
communicate the plan to all the singers, instrumentalists, and
technicians who must know where we are going and the musical
route chosen.
A praise and worship experience will flow if it has a destination.
Communicate the plan. A simple sheet of paper for each service
should be provided to each singer, player, and technician who will
help in the service.
Execute the plan as he is led of the Spirit and as he praises and
worships God with all his might, whether the people follow him or
not.

STEPS TO WORSHIP LEADING
Prepare the heart
Prepare the leaders
Prepare the people
Prepare the songs(old and new)
Communicate the plan
Execute the plan

2
ND
RULE OF WORSHIP LEADING:

Be prepared and be flexible.
Have a plan and know how to
modify it as the Holy Spirit Leads.

3
RD
RULE OF WORSHIP LEADING:
LET THE MUSIC FLOW
The flow of tonality involves the relationship
between keys. The worship leader cannot just
simply put down songs without reference to their
keys because music does not jump around from
any key to any key. The major keys are related to
each other by the interval of a fifth. The key of C is
the fifth of the key of F, so it is quite natural to flow
from C to F between songs.
Key of F - fa *so la *ti do(C)

MOST COMMON KEY CHANGES
Major Keys: C D E F G A B C
* up perfect fourth
* up 1/2 step
* up whole step

Minor Keys: Cm Dm Em Fm Gm Am Bm
* up 1/2 step
* up whole step
* to parallel major
* to relative major

STEPS IN TRANSITION
A Sequence of Changes
I raise my right hand to signal that I am about to
conduct a tempo change;
Conducting the new tempo, I repeat the last line
of the final up-tempo chorus at a slower tempo;
perhaps repeat it again;
I make eye contact with the pianist to signal that
this is the last repeat---the modulation is next;
When I hear the 7th of F, I imagine the first note
of the next song in Bb and start into it.

EFFECTIVE TRANSITION
Repeated last lines or half choruses in the old
tempo
Repeated last lines in new tempo (if slower),
Spoken prayer, praise or applause unto the Lord,
"Selah" ,(instruments playing, people
worshiping)
Instrumental interludes, introductions, or
endings,
Vocal cues, (giving part of song to sing next)

3
RD
RULE IN WORSHIP LEADING:

Let the worship flow
(the music, the message, the mood).
Master the transition.



A WISDOM TO APPLY
Worship Leading is not making
something happen.
It is letting something happen,
in your heart first and then in
the service.

10 TIPS TO WORSHIP LEADERS
Make your own worship song book.
Devise your own technique for teaching new songs
to the church.
Use lead sheets.
Use the songs in their published keys.
Learn how to warm-up your worship team.
Stay within your time allotment.
Lead worship, not just songs.
Listen to the people.
Do not polarize the people.
Don't talk too much.