Sing great songs.
If congregational singing is a holy act, and if we are what we sing, then we can’t be lazy in selecting hymns. We must choose great songs—songs that artfully exult Christ with deeply meaningful lyrics and melodies we can’t wait to sing. Better to have a small repertoire of excellent songs you sing well than an ever-growing list of the “latest and greatest” material that the congregation barely knows. Our folks can only internalize a limited number of songs deep down in their hearts. Like a museum curator who selects only the best works of art to display, we must take care to pick songs of the highest quality.
Strive for songs that aren’t just theologically true, but that declare the truth in soul-stirring poetry. Choose melodies that aren’t just singable for your church, but that enhance the meaning of the words through their compelling beauty. Just as a master chef selects ingredients that are at the same time nutritious, aromatic, and flavorful, we should prioritize songs of substance that seem to get richer the more deeply you plumb their meaning.
Great songs have stood the test of time. Our ancestors have entrusted us with them, and we should pass them along to our children. Assemble any Christian group, and practically everyone can join you in singing “Amazing Grace” confidently and passionately. We’re drawn to sing great music, much like we’re drawn to stand in awe of a beautiful painting.
There are great new songs too. They breathe fresh air into our singing and help connect age-old truth with modern sounds. These are appropriate, too, though harder to find.
Don’t settle for a song simply because it checks a box.
Sometimes churches select songs that herald robust theology but are too difficult to sing. This can discourage church members, making them feel that they need to be “musical” in order to participate, when Scripture commands the whole church to join in.
On the other hand, some songs have melodies that sing incredibly well, but their words are vague spiritual clichés. Again, hymns like this will ironically discourage a singing culture in your church, because over time the lyrics will not dig deep roots into believers’ hearts.
The connection between song selection and your church’s culture of singing usually takes years to develop. It’s not the type of thing you can change in a week or a month. But with patience, prayer, and perseverance, careful pruning of your song list can engender real growth in the congregation’s joy in song.
Highlight the horizontal dimension of congregational singing.
We sing to the Lord. Yet, as we do, we are also “addressing one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19). Singing is an act of love. It is, in part, how we care for our brothers and sisters and help them follow Jesus. Week after week, the Holy Spirit uses the body of Christ to renew, realign, and refresh our souls as we hear the voices of God’s people around us.
This means that believers can delight to lay down their preferences and consider others more significant than themselves by singing enthusiastically even if the song isn’t in their favorite style (Phil 2:3). Make sure many of your songs use the first-person plural (“we, us”). 1 Corinthians 14 calls us to prioritize “building up” the church when we gather (1 Cor 14:5, 12, 26). How amazing: God uses the imperfect, sometimes-out-of-tune singing of saints young and old, from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, to conform his bride to the image of Christ.
One way churches can showcase this unity is by having the instruments sometimes drop out entirely. When all you can hear is one another’s voices, it encourages folks to sing—they can’t rely on the folks playing up front. And it reminds the church that we are here to minister to one another.
Watch out for decisions that may unintentionally diminish the horizontal dimension of congregational singing.
It’s often been said that every choice worship leaders make, no matter how mundane it seems, will either hinder or help the congregation sing to one another. Certain areas, of course, are matters of wisdom, not biblical requirement. For example, worship leaders are free to close their eyes while they sing. Indeed, singing is a form of prayer, and we often pray with our eyes closed. However, if the leaders always shut their eyes, the congregation may learn to follow their example, and the “one another” aspect of congregational song seems diminished if church members never see each other’s eyes. We say this not so much to insist on this particular small point, but to remind us that the congregation is always watching. Leaders should remember that the ways we hold ourselves sometimes have unintended consequences. In Keith’s church, the musicians sit on the side while they play, simply to buttress the reality that singing is the whole congregation’s responsibility.
Likewise, lighting and seating arrangements subtly convey what we expect from congregational singing. A darkened room with spotlights on the stage reminds us more of a concert than a family meeting. Such features may train church members to expect an entertainment experience, even if such an expectation is subconscious and unintended. But turning up the lights so that folks can see one another, and arranging the seats (if possible!) so they can hear one another’s voices can reinforce and invigorate the corporate dimension of song.
Serve the congregation through excellent musical accompaniment.
Psalm 33:3 tells musicians to play skillfully. This instruction is consistent with our calling as believers to work heartily at whatever we do, as for the Lord and not men (Col 3:23). Church singers and musicians should seek to support, enhance, and beautify the singing of God’s people.
This means that just as preachers spend hours in preparation to minister faithfully, musicians must work at their craft. Practice, prepare, and pray for fresh vitality. Listen to new music, arrangements, and sounds. Become more fluent at your instrument so that you can pay better attention to how the congregation is singing during church. This way, you can grow at making adjustments—such as in tempo, dynamics, or timbre—that will help the church engage with the song.
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