Well, here comes summer and evening worship services attendance seem to grow smaller. What can you do as the Music Worship Leader? Heres some off the wall ideas, and isn't that what you expect from "Ol Man Maxey"?
1. Do a "Name That Hymn" service. Play a hymn until someone names it. That person gets two surprises. First, they get to come up and sing a verse with you. Then, they get a little bag of home made cookies made by "the cookie maker" of the church.
2. You might have several people ready to sing that will surprise the folks. A child, or a youth to play their band instrument playing a hymn, or a senior adult or may two or three of them, or the preacher and you. You might just call three people up to make a mixed quartet and sing with the all four of you singing the melody in the first verse, the ladies the second, the men sing the third verse, and all four the last.
3. One night a month have a Favorite Hymn Night. Surprise them by calling the person who choose the hymn come up and tell why they choose it, and join you in singing the first verse.
They, too, might get a bag of cookies!
4. Here's a crazy one, you and the pastor swap places. He leads the singing and you preach. Or, your wife leads the singing and his wife preaches. I told you it was crazy.
5. Go to the Fellowship Hall for the service. Have an ice cream feed or watermelons. Have testimonies lined up. Serveral specials by those in your church and let them do those they have already done.
6. Go and worship with another church. You lead the singing and preacher preaches at their church. Then they come to your church and they do the singing and preaching. Or, just keep it like it is and be sure to have refreshments after the service. Of course, if you are a Baptist like me.
7. Do echo hymns like No Not One or Soon and Very Soon or I'll Fly Away or God Will Take Care of You. One side of the sanctuary sings one phrase and the other sings an echo phrase. Here is how to do it with the hymn
No Not One:
Left side: There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus
Right side: No not one, no not one.
Left side: None else could heal all my soul's diseases
Right side: No not one, no not one.
All Sing the Refrain.
8. Tell the story of why a hymn was written and then sing it. You might do two or three. You can find these stories in the Drama Section of creativeworshipservices.com.
9. Maybe even go to a lake or pond and have an outdoor service.
Well, I hope these ideas will get your mind and soul going so folks won't miss worshipping God Almighty because they stay home on Sunday night.
Congradulation on your calling to lead the service in music. Just think in a year of morning and evening service with a total average of 150 a Sunday, you will lead 7800 people to God and He to them. WOW! Don't forget, creativeworshipservices.com, it is just developed for volunteer and part-time music worship leaders. You'll find hundreds of services, what worship is, how to develop a creative worship services, and many other sections.
GOD BLESS YOU!
