Does It Really Matter What My Set List Looks Like?

Set list. Song list. Service Order. Service Plan. Liturgy. If you're a worship leader you probably pull one of these together at least once a week - regardless of what you call it.

You may begin with a blank piece of paper and a little bit of dread. Or confusion. Or boredom.

After a while, this task can become routine. Mundane. Plug and play. Paint by numbers. But are we called to something more? Something better?

Can planning set lists be fun? Spirit-filled? Creatively engaging?

A Guest Of Honor

We've all planned a birthday party. Celebrating a spouse or child or friend. We choose the time and place. We'll purchase a gift, write a card, send out invites, and decorate. There's food, drinks, and of course, cake!

A worship service fulfills many purposes. It's a time to connect with our church family. A time to be shaped by God's word. A time to share the gospel with the lost. A time to find peace and comfort. But above all else, this is a time to honor God.

God is the reason we gather. We come to express our devotion and adoration. As we come we're saying to God, YOU are important. YOU are worth this time. YOU are my focus.

Now Sunday morning isn't God's birthday party but it is the time we set aside to honor and celebrate Him. Please don't slap together half-deflated balloons, sign your name to a stock Hallmark card, and call it a day.

Discipleship Through Singing

The songs we sing play a big part in shaping our spiritual life.

J.I. Packer has said we cannot worship what we do not know. Are you helping your church family know God? I'm not saying your set list has to read like the table of contents of a systematic theology textbook. But are you taking care to highlight different attributes and characteristics of our Creator?

Do the songs you lead help your church Worship the God of the Bible? Are you worshiping God as He declares Himself to be or are you worshipping a version of God you're more comfortable with?

A huge reason we gather weekly is to grow as disciples of Christ. And good songs shape disciples.

Celebrate Creativity

Did you know that God is honored by your creative efforts? Our God is supremely holy, perfectly just, and inexhaustibly powerful. He's also endlessly creative.

When we push the boundaries of our creative capabilities we draw a little closer to Him. We reflect something of His glory. We bear His image for the world to see.

You already have the raw materials. Poetry, melody, rhythm, harmony. You have instruments and voices. Make the most of them! Don't be afraid. Don't hold back.

Now What?

These are just three of the reasons why it really does matter what your set list looks like. There are several more but they're best revealed by looking at the practical pieces of crafting a set list.

Over the next two weeks I'm going to share a series of posts on HOW to craft excellent set lists. I hope you'll join me on this journey and seek to Honor God, Disciple Believers, and Celebrate Creativity on a whole new level.