28 Ways to Create Great Segues - #25

For our last four segues, we'll be looking at elements we've already discussed, but using them to transition to the message. #25 is prayer.

Prayer before the message does a few things: 1) it gives time for people to prepare, both in their hearts and head. 2) It invites the Holy Spirit to work through the text and message. 3) it helps the pastor center in on what he's about to do.

We've used prayer a few times to segue between various elements. And that almost sounds crass -- no, it does sound crass. I'll just admit that writing through a series like this I've had to ask myself more than once, "Am I more concerned about segues or the Savior?" Am I using prayer - communicating with a Holy God - just to connect to the next thing in the service?

And that's something we all have to wrestle with. I go back to what I wrote in the introduction: transitions will happen whether I plan them or not. But good transitions move the congregation along from one segment to the next, hopefully without detracting from what the worshipers just experienced, or are about to experience.

With that considered, prayer (as well as reading scripture, etc) is an act of worship, something that can stand on it's own as an expression of corporate worship. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be woven in to the tapestry of the gathering in such a way that it moves our hearts and carries our attention to another moment of worship. And that's what prayer does here.


Consider a few things as you use prayer to segue to the message:

1. Who prays? Is it the preaching pastor? Or worship leader? Or does an elder get up to pray? Regardless, have a plan. As the previous element is ending, the person prayer, needs to be getting in place before it concludes.
2. What is prayed? Is this the lengthier "pastoral prayer" that some churches practice, a time to pray for missionaries and the head deaconess's sick cousin in Akron? Or is it simply an "open the eyes of our heart" kind of prayer to prepare for the message? It's good to define this, especially if you've got someone other than the preaching pastor praying. The pastor will start to get a little twitchy if the prayer starts rambling into the message time.
3. What else is going on?
   
   • Whenever you move from a musical element, I'd say underscore that prayer with soft keys or acoustic guitar. That adds another layer of connection in the segue.
   • Is this a time for the music team to quietly exit the stage? Some churches are into this. Some aren't. But regardless, have a plan to get the team off the stage with minimal distraction.
   • If the teaching pastor isn't the one praying, he/she should be moving into place.

This transition to the message might seem like a something that can just be done on the fly. After all, it's a time that everyone knows is coming. But the movement to the message is a turning point in the service. We are deliberately opening God's word to hear what He has to say to us. So a segue of prayer is a fitting preparation for this.

28 Ways to Make Great Segues: Segue #15 - The Offering (part 2)

In part one, we looked at some of the potential pitfalls that can lead up to the offering. And we also looked at ways to prepare our people and flow smoothly into it. Part two is going to give some more suggestions for flowing in, out and through the offering time. Some may work for you, others could get your fired. So as with all my ideas and suggestions - take what works and ignore what doesn't.


What to do during the offering...
I know, this series is about segues, but, if we're honest, what accompanies the offering is, in a sense, a segue. The offering is the main thing--what we're really after. Not a in a greedy way, but in a "let's keep our lights on and feed the youth pastor's kids."

The offering might be the most tangible act of worship for some people: a true sacrifice unto God. But unlike other elements of corporate worship, it's highly individualized and momentary. Once a person chooses to give and prepares his offering (writing a check, putting cash in an envelope - or in many cases now, setting up online bill payment), the actual offering only engages that worshiper for the 6 seconds that he watches the plate arrive on his right and 2 seconds to pass it left.

So it might help us to look at whatever accompanies the offering as a secondary element of worship, and really, one big segue. It's not less important, it's just serving the main thing of the moment. It moves us from the prayer, throughout the passing, and on to the next element.

So let's get back to "what to do during the offering." The usual suspect is the "offertory" - often referred to as "special music." Does that cause anyone else to shudder? I've heard everyone from Bible college professors to armchair theologians rail against the notion of "special" music, i.e. "and our other worship music isn't special?"

That's not my issue with it. The problem with special music is, after awhile, it's not that special. Especially if your soloist line-up isn't too deep.* And let's face it, ever since the Church Lady, the word special isn't what it used to be in our culture.

So to bring the specialness back to specials we should probably 1) up the ante significantly, but that's hard to do week after week. And even excellence gets taken for granted over time. Or 2) limit the number of specials, so they are unique, high-quality moments that bless people.

So without the special, what do we use to segue through the offering?

Can we keep being real here? Few churches struggle with filling time. Most have enough content to fill two services. So is it wrong to look at our offering as a time to accomplish some other things? Like...

...a scripture reading...
Maybe one that tees up the message, or one that leads to the next set of worship songs. 

...another set of worship music...
We do this most Sunday's at my church. It's a great place to do a new or newer song. People are sitting and more relaxed. They can just take in the words. And here's a segue within a segue: think about an an appropriate moment in that worship set to invite people to stand, that is, if you're folks aren't spontaneous standers. (Spontaneous standers - that sounds like a medical condition a drug company would make up). A side benefit to this is that it eliminates another hand-off -- it allows the worship leader, or even one of the vocalists, to intro the offering and pray into it. 

...faith story/testimony...
We'll talk about transitioning to these in an upcoming post. 

...a video element...
A well-done, well placed 3-minute video can move and prepare a person in ways that singing and sermons can't. Google some of these names - Shift Worship, Worship House Media, Sermon Spice, or just search "worship videos". 

...begin the sermon...
Really? Why not? The pastor is probably up front already. And the beginning of most sermons is light, so the passing of the plate wouldn't detract from it, or vice-versa. 

...dismiss kids....
So the ushers may have to dodge a few ankle-biters on the way to their program. This is a much better spot to let the kids go than stopping the flow between songs. 

...announcements...
"As the plate is being passed, grab your bulletin and let's see what's happening this week at our church." OK, now we're stepping in it. The once-sacred moment of tithes and offerings is now used to hawk bake sales and Beth Moore Bible studies. Look at it this way: it's a perfect time to connect the offering to the church's vision being played out week to week: "The reason we can have this incredible outreach this next Saturday is because of your faithful giving." And the plate being passed is a visual reinforcement of that.

We don't want to get too utilitarian with all this. The offering is an act of worship. But we are stewards of the time our congregation has given us on Sunday morning. Let's make the most of it.


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*My other beef with special music is the sense of entitlement it can breed among the singers. "It's my turn to do a solo," etc. That's another article I hope never to write. Three words: a soprano's wrath.

28 Ways to Make Great Segues: Segue #15 - The Offering (part 1)

"We'll be taking the offering in a few moments." [hint to ushers: please come to the front]

Some off the cuff announcements, then, "And now, as the ushers come forward, we'll be giving our tithes and offering." [hint to ushers, PLEASE come to the front].

Pause. The pastor looks back to see the one usher give the sideways head jerk to two other ushers still in their seats.

"Alright, AS THE USHERS COME FORWARD, let's prayer for our tithes and offerings." [a slightly stronger hint.]

Pause. As the ushers come forward.

They've arrived. The pastor's chest starts to untighten just a little. "Let's pray."

For each person a segue depends upon to flow smoothly, the chance for a derailment increases. Exponentially. The segue to the offering is one of those transitions. Here are all the potential people involved:

• The music/worship leader ending the song
• The pastor or elder stepping up to pray for the offering
• The worship tech turning on the pulpit mic or pastor's wireless
• The ushers
• Whatever element you're using to fill the time as the plates are passed:
• video - then you have worship techs to depend on
• musical element - soloists, band, accompaniment tracks to cue

With all those moving parts, it's no wonder that, for so many churches, this is the segment that grinds momentum to a halt. Here are some ideas to create smoother movement in and out of the offering:

1. Script out your services. 
Don't just make a list of the service elements in the order they occur. Plan out the details of how we're getting there and who is getting us there. A few thoughts about scripts:

• The act of writing it out is at least 75% of it. It forces you to think through all the details.
• Get other eyes on it before finalizing. Forgot to put in the "dismissal for kids church"? Your kids' ministry leader or a mother of preschoolers would've caught it.
• Put it in the hands of everyone involved. And put their names in the area for which they are responsible.

2. Keep a musical bed going throughout.
Rather than stop playing at the end of the song, the guitar or keys can underscore the verbal transition and prayer to the offering. The musical bed, while hardly noticed by most, will be a constant thread from the previous song, throughout the prayer and prep for the offering and into the next element.

3. Keep comments brief and focused on the offering.
Often pastors and lay leaders will use this time to add or augment announcements. If you want to keep a worshipful flow in to and out of the offering, take the advice Red Leader: Cut the chatter, Red Two. (sorry, inner Star Wars geek leaking out.)

4. Prep your ushers.
These are good guys just waiting to be told what to do, and willing to do it. So don't wait till the prayer before the offering to give them instructions. Also, create a "default mode" for them that will work 99% of the time. For instance, instruct them that they should be getting into place during the song (or whatever the element is) before the offering. As the pastor or leader steps up to pray, they walk forward. No verbal cues needed.

5. Cue up whatever is next.
Whether you're watching a video, singing another worship song, having a special number, etc., make sure that element is ready to launch as soon as the prayer finishes. Again, keeping that musical bed up until this next element will further connect the pieces.


In the next post, we'll continue talking about how to make a great segues in and out of the offering, and even ideas on how to "do the offering" in a way the creates flow.

28 Ways to Make Great Segues: Segue #13

Segue #13 - Selah

Selah is one of those words that scholars guess at, kinda like how we guess at what's going on with Donald Trump's hair. I like how the Amplified Bible describes it: pause, and think of that. Selah that is, not the Don's bangs.

Our cultural ADD doesn't do "pause and ponder" well. We pause, but it's usually to turn our attention to something else. Stopping and being quiet--that's tough. But that could be one of the most needed practices in our church. And just like prayer and scripture, the purposeful pause of Selah can be both a segue and it's own element of worship.

One of my favorite Selahs in the Book of Psalms is in chapter 77. Asaph's is in a bad way. God does not seem to be there. Verse after verse he focuses on his present anguish and God's inactivity. Then we have our first Selah.* He's is now digging through his memories of the good days when God was there and songs poured from his heart. This only makes the present pit worse. It takes Asaph to where his heart has rarely gone: Has God forgotten me? (it's even more raw in the Message).

And now we have my favorite Selah. After sinking deep inside himself, Asaph pauses and unfolds himself outward. He begins to think about God, His mighty works, His awesome wonder. At the apex of Asaph's gut-wrenching song he declares:

Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God

Asaph's heart had turned inward on itself. God couldn't be found there. But he turned and acknowledge through the pain that not only is God holy, but His ways are holy. Asaph doesn't understand it. His pain isn't gone. His circumstances haven't changed, but his focus has.

And that might be the power of a Selah -- a pause to allow us to wrestle with our circumstances, our pain, our shame, our sin and idolatry, and see that God is there. Not inside our self-focused heart. But outside. Outside waiting to come in and be our focus, our center. And it's out of a Selah like that we sing not the I, the me and the we songs, but a song that proclaims

Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God

*note: you won't see the Selah markings in the BibleGateway link to NIV - if you want to see them, click on the ESV translation

Small Church/Big Worship - 10 Ways The Senior Pastor Can Make This Sunday Remarkable

I believe the senior pastor of any church is the CLW: Chief Lead Worshiper. He sets the tone for corporate worship. For the solo pastor of a smaller church, he may be actually leading the worship, or at least doing most of the behind-the-scenes work for Sunday.

Here are ten ideas to reshape your worship experience.

1. Plan your segues.
Let's face it, smaller churches are known for poorly planned, start-and-stop, no-flow services. Small churches can produce a "wow-factor" for guests (and regular attendees) by simply creating intentional transitions from one service element to the next. (see blog series for more on segues)

2. Create a musical bed for scripture and prayer.
Underscore any scripture reading or longer prayer with light guitar or piano, or even soft recorded music. If using a recorded song, instruct the sound tech to avoid the abrupt on/off. Those little plastic "slider-thingys" are called "faders" for a reason.


3. Addition by Subtraction, ONE: Cut the number of worship songs in half. 
Inform the team (yes, even the pianist) that since they only have three songs versus six, you're "strongly encouraging" them to memorize the words and music. They may balk, but throw it out as a challenge. If they rise to it, they will find the worship experience to be much deeper because of their ability to sing and play from the heart. And since the team won't have their heads buried in their stands, they will draw in your congregation more than usual. [If they really won't buy it, put a sanctified wager on who looks at their notes more: you during your message or the team during their songs.]


4. Addition by Subtraction, TWO: Get rid of the musical clutter.
Ask the music director/worship leader to encourage the team to play only half of what they normally would during the verses of each song. Less strumming on the guitar, less beats on the drums, fewer fingers on the piano, fewer voices on the mics (the others can sing, just "off mic"), and sing only the melody, no parts. Heck, you might even want to take a few instruments completely out of the mix. Here's why. First fact: verses usually contain more words than the chorus or bridge. Second fact: most worship teams overplay. Couple those facts and you get musical clutter competing with worship.


5. Addition by Subtraction THREE: Cut your announcement time by 75% (or even 100%).
Make announcements that only pertain to 60% or more of the church. While you're at it, script them. That doesn't mean read it word for word; it's just a clearer path to succinctness. And...(file this in "I hate to say it")...you're probably not as good on the fly as you think you are. I know I'm not.

6. Tie each remaining announcement to the vision or mission of your church.
"We're trying to reach the five-square mile neighborhood that surrounds our church building. A significant number of those people drive past our church everyday. What kind of impression do we give them when our paint is peeling, our gutters are sagging and weeds are overtaking the landscape. We're having a massive work day this next Saturday...."

7. Visually connect with emotions versus intellect.
When using PowerPoint for announcements and the message, use pictures to emotionally reinforce the point instead of a written summary of what you just said. People remember pictures and emotions more than bullet points.


8. Stop letting your sound guy play the PromiseKeepers '99 CD before the service.
Create a mix CD of uptempo, fresh songs that will set a great tone as people walk in. Bonus: if possible, use your CD creation software to crossfade the songs. This will eliminate "dead air". You can also create a cross-fading playlist on iTunes and run it straight from your projection computer.

9.  Choose one element that occurs each week and scrap it.
Or, at the very least, change it significantly. (Communicate really, really well to those it might affect...)

10. Make prayer during your corporate worship both corporate and worship. 
Change your prayer time from being request-driven (Betty's cousin's former classmate is having cataract surgery) to being worship-driven (we seek His face and give Him glory and honor before asking for anything...hint: pray scriptures). And from being pastor-led to pastor-prompted. For example, when praying for those who are sick, invite people to say aloud the first name the person. Then after a moment, pray for those names as group. (Again, a great place to pray scripture.) God doesn't need the details...you know, as an omniscient Being and all that. This works for praying for lost people, people who need jobs, and--be bold on this one--corporate sin to be confessed.

Worship leaders and larger churches, you can try some of this stuff, too. But I want to encourage the senior pastors of smaller churches that transforming their worship services is in their grasp. Small, continuous efforts over time will create a new culture of corporate worship in your church.

Let me know how it goes. And if you have other ideas, post a reply.

28 Ways to Make Great Segues: Segue #11

Intro
Segue #1-3

Segue #4
Segue #5
Segue #6
Segue #7

Segue #8

Segue #9

Segue #10

Segue #11: The Prayer...

OK, time true confessions: in the not too distant past I told the my team's vocal leader for that week to "throw in a prayer" between two songs. Our sparse band that week didn't allow for another musician to handle the introduction, and I had a capo and a patch change that would've created too much dead space. I try to plan for things like this, but I missed it.

Let me get this out there first: corporate prayer isn't a segue. It's a crucial part of our worship experience. Time should be allotted for it. Planning should be put into both what is prayed and how it's prayed. And we should be open for left-turns that the Holy Spirit prompts for our public prayers. But as we plan the rhythm and flow of our worship gatherings, prayer can effectively bridge two songs.

When it comes using prayer as a bridge--and not abusing it as a space filler--here are a few prayer personalities to avoid:

"The Over-Pray-er" - This can either be in frequency or length. For some it's easy to pray before, after, and during songs. And for some over-prayers, getting them to pray a brief prayer is like getting the aurora borealis to shine in Texas.

"The Intimate Pray-er" - This is the person who closes his eyes and all others disappear, just him and God. Not a bad place to be as a worshiper, but as a leader--and especially leading public prayer--the congregation is going to feel a little left out.

"The Lyric Pray-er" - "Lord, we lift your name on high, Lord, we love to sing your praises, we're so glad your in our lives, we're so glad you came to save us." The words are great. The truth is there. But most of the time, reiterating several lines of song lyrics just sounds contrived.

I think the key to bridging songs with prayer is intentionality. We need to think through what song preceded and what song or songs are coming. We should ask ourselves:

What kind of prayer should be prayed here? Adoration? Supplication? Confession? A brief prayer between songs shouldn't try to cover all the bases, but focus on one aspect of approaching God.

What will draw the congregation in and allow them to participate in this prayer?

Honestly, I think the way pastors and other leaders "lead out in pray" is one of the most disengaging acts during corporate worship (oh wait, I forgot about the announcements. OK second most disengaging acts...). If our congregations are full of experienced prayer warriors who have learned to engage and agree while someone else is praying, then we're OK. But most people, I would guess, check out sometime between, "O Gracious Heavenly Father..." and "...in Jesus' Name, Amen". Maybe it's spiritual immaturity. Maybe it's cultural ADD. Maybe it's just me. 

As much as we try to engage people in singing, what if we tried to engage them in prayer, even for a brief moment between songs. This topic deserves a whole post (and probably a book) to flesh out. But it's something for us to think about as we insert prayer into our services.

Lastly, when it comes to using prayer as a bridge between songs, consider lightly underscoring it with a piano/keyboard or a guitar. Some call it a "musical bed." Others call it noodling. Whatever you call it, it helps carry people from the song through the prayer and into the next song. You may want to revisit some of the earlier posts that discussed musical segues between songs for ideas on how what to play during the underscore.