Why Congregations Struggle to Connect with Worship Leaders: Key Tips for Effective Worship Leading

Hey there

During the worship session on Sunday, the lead worshiper who was appointed by the choir director seemed to be struggling with the songs he sang. Notably, there was no connection between him and the congregation while he was singing; in all, the whole church seemed cold during this session. Yay! This is a similar situation to many gospel ministers and till date some people don't know why such a thing happens. With the few tips I will share below, singers will tend to know why people find it difficult to flow with your songs:

Let the song make meaning to you first:

In this Gen Z era, people tend to sing songs that trend without seeking to understand what the song entails. Music is a communication to the soul, and the only way to get people connected to it is by singing what makes sense to you first before them. In some instances, people share a story of what happened to them thereafter they begin to sing a song that relieved them of that pain. Doing this makes people read meaning to the lyrics, giving them a deeper understanding of the song and indirectly they connect to the song. With this, understanding the song is crucial when singing in a large gathering of people.

Sing an understanding song:

Using my country, Nigeria for instance, it is difficult for a congregation that is filled with Igbo tribes to sing a Yoruba song with you. Understanding your audience is another important factor to consider when selecting your songs. If the congregation's age group is between 45-70, it will definitely be difficult for them to be dynamic to understand a song from another tribe (especially if the congregation is filled with core cultural people). Yes, I agree the song makes sense to you, but it is not passing a message to the congregation; therefore, one should create a balance of singing a song that best suits the congregation and environment.

Do not do beyond your reach:

Being on stage is not an opportunity to showcase what you watched online. It is a moment to do the things you practiced in your rehearsal. If you are a singer who comfortably sings in key F, please stick to it and don't expect your voice to hit key G when you have not tried it during rehearsal. This situation has caused many ministers to be embarrassed and it makes them seem like they don't know what they are doing, meanwhile it is because of the wrong choice of key.

Conclusion:

Every person who leaves his/her house for a concert definitely expects to go home blessed and refreshed, it is important that we singers shouldn't disappoint them because of the points I shared above. In all we do, we are expected to stand out and that is the watchword of an excellent man! I believe these few tips above have hinted you on what to do next time. Keep learning, keep growing!

Thank You For Reading

_{Note: The pictures above were originally captured by me}