How To Lead a Service

Tommorrow, d. v., I will be leading a "seminar" on how to lead a church service. What might one say?

I might say things like:

SOME THOUGHTS ON PREPARING & LEADING CHURCH SERVICES

The aims of this session.

Sharing best practice.

A great privilege and responsibility

The significance of public worship - a knd of authoritative public act

Things to discuss:

What are church services for? How can they best achieve these aims?

What makes a good or bad service / good or bad service leading?

Some suggestions and tips:

Pray

Be yourself

Relax (somewhat)

Don't worry! It's not really too hard to do a tolerable job - what's the worst that could happen?!

Some of these things may be counsels of perfection. Do what you can, baring in mind your other commitments etc. It doesn't have to be a perfect permormace.

Think about what you are aiming to do and why

Get some helpful input beforehand if you want e.g. consult with preacher, musicians etc. (Is there a song we should sing twice etc.?)

Will you use notes or a full text? Or other books (have bookmarks ready)?

Dress appropriately - avoid distracting get up! (e.g. a t-shirt that says "I love PB". Many people will be wondering who or what PB is for much of the service)

There's more than one way to skin a cat. It's fine to try new things or do it a bit differently. Some things may be debatable / have pros and cons / be a matter of taste. You can't please all the people all of the time - and that's not really the aim!

Err on the side of keeping it simple

Prepare, plan / be flexible!

Be biblical

Consider the Bible reading / possible themes of the service (e.g. harvest) - how might you compliment that stuff? A concordance, cross reference / study Bible or Bible Gateway etc. might help you

Read through all the songs and liturgy in full carefully before the service

Is there a logic and flow to the service or is it just a prayer hymn sandwich / one thing after another? Does the order of the elements matter? Why are we doing this bit? Why are we doing it here?

Remember that guests / visitors / non-Christians may be present

Explain where the service sheet / hymns words etc. can be found

If you do it every week, don't make it too samey in an unhelpful way - though the predicatable and familiar can have their place!

Arrive in plenty of time to pray before the service

Start on time

Make sure you turn the microphone on (and off!) / have it in the right place etc.! Try not to move your head around too much away from it

When will you face the congregation, when will you face straight ahead, when will you sit or kneel or stand? Will you do it all from the leaders' stall, the middle, the platform, the lecturn, a music stand, pulpit, Table etc.?

Check that the reader, prayer, musicians, sound desk & PowerPoint person etc. have turned up and know what's going on

Be aware of the C of E's rules and the resources available in The Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship. The Church of England website may help. (You haven't made the Declaration of Assent but C of E ministers will have).

Know what liturgical day (e.g. Advent Sunday, 2nd Sunday after Trinity) / special Sunday it is (e.g. Bible Sunday, Sea Sunday)!

Be friendly, warm and welcoming - smile - but not excessively so!

Try to strike the right balance of informal / formal, humour and seriousness: it is neither a stand up routine nor a funeral

Be clear

People like to know that the thing is under control and you know what's going on etc.

Make sure people know what they're supposed to be doing e.g. exactly when do we stand, sit or kneel. Give people time to do as their told: "We sit or kneel to pray. [Pause]"

Don't say "we stand to sing..." and then keep talking. Either tell people to stand and stop till they do, or make, "please stand" your last thing. I try to programme people to stand to sing for all our songs as soon as the music starts to play. Otherwise, no one knows what to do, some people are standing there like lemons while you blather on and people are still getting up when the song starts so we miss the first note etc.

Speak up

Is there anything in the service that requires particular explanation? (e.g. hymn words like, "I will raise my Ebineezer"). You can't always explain everything and that's okay - it would be tiresome to teach your grandmother to suck eggs.

It's okay but not essential to thank the people who take part publicly

Don't show off or apologise excessively. Ultimately the main focus should be on Jesus and others not you.

Don't be in too much of a rush / afraid of silence / pauses

Don't say too much. Don't make the whole thing too long. 1 hour to an hour and a quater is probably just about right for a normal service.

Don't drop things unless its essential. (The mussos can complain if you drop songs they've practiced etc.)

Don't preach a sermon

Don't steal the preacher's thunder

Don't fidget / mumble / repeat yourself / laugh too much at your own jokes

Be prepared for the collection plate to be a bit heavy and awkward

Know your mannerisms / annoying habits (e.g. taking your hand in and out of your pocket, scratching your ear)

Ask others how it went

A walk through elements of a typical service:

Entrance of the minsiters

Welcome

Introduction

Call to Worship

Adoration / songs

Invitation to confession

Confession

Declaration / reassurance of forgiveness (absolution)

Praise / thanksgiving songs

Affirmation / declaration of faith (creed)

Prayers

Special Prayer or Collect of the Day

The Lord's Prayer (modern or traditional form)

Intercessions: asking prayers for ourselves and others

Notices

Song

Bible Reading

Sermon

Song with offertory

Offertory prayer

Final prayer

Blessing

Dismissal

Departure

Practical plans for giving it a go with mentoring, help, feedback etc.

Further reading / resources