Worship Philosophy for Song Selection
The primary goal in selecting songs for worship is to help our congregation Find the Father, Experience His Kingdom, and Look more like Jesus each day. We select songs that help to facilitate genuine worship and lead the congregation to connect with God. This involves choosing songs that are both biblically sound and engaging, allowing the congregation to actively participate and respond to God’s truth.
1. God-Centered: The songs we choose focus on exalting God, rather than focusing on human experiences or emotions. Songs should point worshippers to God’s character, glory, and majesty.
2. Truthful and Theologically Sound Lyrics: Worship songs should be rooted in God’s Word and accurately reflect biblical principles, fostering a deeper understanding of God and assisting in the transformation of lives.
3. Communicating Scripture: Worship songs should effectively communicate biblical truths and concepts. This can be achieved through directly relaying scripture through melody and song – or depicting the truth of biblical themes though images and poetic language.
4. Emotional/Heartfelt Connections: Music has a unique way of tapping into emotions – it can help the congregation to practice loving the Lord with ALL their heart, soul, mind, and strength. We order songs in a way that allows the congregation to be slowly and intentionally led into this place where they can be sensitive to the Holy Spirit – to feel His presence, hear His words, see His work in the context of our lives.
5. Congregational Participation: Songs should be “singable” and accessible, encouraging the whole church to join in and express their adoration and praise to God.
6. Variety and Balance: A mix of familiar and new songs, as well as different styles and themes can help keep the congregation engaged and expose them to biblical truth in a variety of ways.
7. Considering Performance: The ability of the worship team to perform the songs well is also considered. This includes understanding their vocal ranges and musical capabilities.