The thought of collaboratively building set lists gives me indigestion. But in practice, I always walk away so grateful for the opportunity to serve together. To find small ways to die to myself, and learn alongside of others who desire to serve the Lord and his people.
One of the things that has surprised me is how often I’ve met worship leaders who can lead songs but have never been taught how to build a set list. They know how to lead a song but not how to run a rehearsal. They know how to choose a key, but can’t lead the liturgy of the gathering.
At the end of the day, I believe that part of a leader’s main responsibility is to grow other leaders - I hope that regardless of your context or experience you are intentionally pursuing opportunities to develop other leaders. And I think that find a few people who can work together to collaboratively build a set list is a great place to start.
A few things that I have learned along the way:
People are more eager to serve, and take responsibility than you might expect - just ask.
You need to have clarity on your philosophy of worship.
It is easy to become frustrated and pull in different directions when you are not working from a shared understanding of the purpose of the corporate gathering - have you articulated this generally at your church, as well as specifically for this day?
You need to articulate the rhythms of how to build a set list - particularly for those who have never had the opportunity to do this before, help them understand the why, not just the what.
There are benefits to co-leading, but the more ownership you can give your fellow leaders, the more we all will grow.
Recognize that we all have preferences, don’t throw your weight around to get your way. Allow space for others to learn, and allow their own personality, skills, and gifts to shine through.
What would you add?