Now Im Afraid Im Caught in Your Trance, Can We Dance Baby, Can We Sing

Worship leaders effectually the world are sadly irresolute their church building's worship (often unintentionally) into a spectator upshot, and people aren't singing anymore.

Before discussing our nowadays situation, let'due south wait back into history. Prior to the Reformation, worship was largely done for the people. The music was performed by professional musicians and sung in an unfamiliar language (Latin). The Reformation gave worship back to the people, including congregational singing which employed simple, attainable tunes with solid, scriptural lyrics in the language of the people. Worship once over again became participatory. The evolution of the printed hymnal brought with it an explosion of congregational singing and the church'southward dearest for singing increased. With the advent of new video technologies, churches began to project the lyrics of their songs on a screen, and the number of songs at a church's disposal increased exponentially. [1] At kickoff, this advance in technology led to more powerful congregational singing, simply soon, a shift in worship leadership began to move the congregation back to pre-Reformation pew potatoes (spectators). What has occurred could exist summed upward as the re-professionalization of church music and the loss of a primal goal of worship leading – enabling the people to sing their praises to God. Simply put, we are breeding a culture of spectators in our churches, changing what should be a participative worship surroundings to a concert event. Worship is moving to its pre-Reformation mess. Worship is moving to its pre-Reformation mess. Click To Tweet

I see nine reasons congregations aren't singing anymore:

i. They don't know the songs.

With the release of new songs weekly and the increased birthing of locally-written songs, worship leaders are providing a steady nutrition of the latest, greatest worship songs. Indeed, we should be singing new songs, but also high a rate of new song inclusion in worship tin can kill our participation rate and turn the congregation into spectators. I see this all the time. I advocate doing no more than one new song in a worship service, and then repeating the song on and off for several weeks until it becomes known by the congregation. People worship best with songs they know, then we demand to teach and reinforce the new expressions of worship. (more)

2. We are singing songs not suitable for congregational singing.

At that place are lots of great, new worship songs today, simply in the vast puddle of new songs, many are not suitable for congregational singing by virtue of their rhythms (too hard for the average vocalist) or besides wide of a range (consider the average singer—not the vocal superstar on stage).

3. We are singing in keys too high for the average singer.

The people we are leading in worship more often than not accept a limited range and exercise not have a loftier range. When we pitch songs in keys that are too high, the congregation will stop singing, tire out, and somewhen quit, becoming spectators. Remember that our responsibility is to enable the congregation to sing their praises, not to showcase our slap-up platform voices by pitching songs in our power ranges. The basic range of the average singer is an octave and a fourth from A to D (more than).

4. The congregation can't hear people around them singing.

If our music is too loud for people to hear each other singing, it is too loud. Conversely, if the music is besides quiet, generally, the congregation will fail to sing out with power. Find the right residual—strong, but non over-bearing.

five. We have created worship services which are spectator events, edifice a performance environment.

I am a strong advocate of setting a neat environment for worship including lighting, visuals, inclusion of the arts, and much more than. However when our environments accept things to a level that calls undue attention to those on stage or distracts from our worship of God, we have gone also far. Excellence – yes. Highly professional operation – no.

six. The congregation feels they are not expected to sing.

Equally worship leaders, we oft get so involved in our professional production of worship that nosotros fail to be accurate, invite the congregation into the journey of worship, and so do all we can to facilitate that experience in singing familiar songs, new songs introduced properly, and all sung in the proper congregational range. (more)

seven. Nosotros fail to have a common body of hymnody.

With the availability of so many new songs, nosotros often become haphazard in our worship planning, pulling songs from and then many sources without reinforcing the songs and helping the congregation to take them on every bit a regular expression of their worship. In the old days, the hymnal was that repository. Today, we need to create song lists to utilise in planning our times of worship. (more)

8. Worship leaders advertising lib besides much.

Keep the melody clear and strong. The congregation is made up of sheep with express ranges and limited musical power. When nosotros devious from the melody to ad lib, the sheep try to follow us and end up frustrated and quit singing. Some ad lib is dainty and tin can enhance worship, but don't let information technology lead your sheep astray.

ix. Worship leaders are not connecting with the congregation

We often become caught up in our world of amazing music production and lose sight of our purpose of helping the congregation to voice their worship. Allow them know you lot expect them to sing. Quote the Bible to promote their expressions of worship. Stay alert to how well the congregation is tracking with y'all and alter course as needed. (more than)

One time worship leaders regain the vision of enabling the congregation to exist participants in the journey of corporate worship, I believe we tin return worship to the people once again. Nine Reasons People Aren't Singing in Worship Click To Tweet Worship leader, are you lot connecting with the congregation? Click To Tweet

Are you experiencing Style conflicts in worship? more

[1] see David Murrow'southward splendid post, Why Men Accept Stopped Singing in Church.

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Source: https://www.renewingworshipnc.org/nine-reasons-people-arent-singing-in-worship/