Worship Band: You Need More A Cappella Moments

From week to week, you (the worship leader) might plan a service like this:

• Handful of songs played by the band
• Move straight into the sermon, or maybe a time of prayer

This is OK, but you can take the experience up a notch by taking the band out and going a cappella.

Let’s explore how you can do this.

The Power of A Capella

A cappella, or “voice only” singing is arguably the only form of musical expression you need in a worship service; it’s the prime way we bring together music and words into a whole artistic expression to God.?

Nowadays, there are churches that practice this style exclusively, while others have largely left it to the wayside in favor of only using singing + instruments for the worship experience.?

After all, if you’re going to have a band play on Sunday, you might as well use them for every song, right??

Well, you might want to reconsider that.?

There almost always key moments in the singing portion of your worship service that would actually be served better with voices only. There’s something incredibly “focusing” when every voice is lifted and heard without the band, “centering’ us in the moment and allowing us to experience a different kind of fullness with God and each other.?

A Personal Story

When my wife and I were married, we chose to use a cappella singing to accompany the communion portion of our ceremony. Let me tell you—it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

We sang “In Christ Alone,” which serves as both a personal and family anthem for us, and it decorated that precious moment time so beautifully.?

Our pianist rolled out the tonic chord, then the starting note, and then began singing the first verse. Many of our guests were experienced singers, so they were able to improvise harmonies, and the event space full of seated guests turned into a sacred hall of a choir of a few hundred people.?

To hear the voices joined in one confession, fully fleshing out the melody with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th parts, created an immersion so electrifying that I was moved to tears. In that moment, the Holy Spirit was truly moving and quickening us to receive the truth penned in the words of that hymn.?

Using A Cappella in Your Worship Services

I’ve seen this style of singing used in a few different combinations during a worship service, all serving a specific purpose. Here’s where I’ve seen it used:

• Call to worship at the beginning of a service.
• “Bookending” the last song before the sermon or prayer time.
• A prelude to communion.
• A postlude for benediction.

Each instance calls on a cappella to be used for this specific purpose: to draw special attention to the present moment, acknowledging what came prior in the service, what is coming ahead, or a combination of both. It gives the congregation the chance to be connected in a uniquely special way. (And it’s not better or worse than with the band playing.)

Here some easy ways to incorporate it into your service:

• Use a phrase or two from the song you just played with the band, almost like a tag; this could be an entire chorus, bridge, or verse.
• Use part of a classic hymn, or an entire hymn if it’s relatively short. Popular choices include the first verse of “Holy, Holy, Holy” and the entirety of the “Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,” along with the “Gloria Patri.” “Agnus Dei” by Michael W. Smith is also a really good selection, too.

The key here is you should use something relatively short—these moments should accentuate the flow of the service, similar to using a period, comma, or other punctuation marks in a sentence.?

As you plan your worship services, see which moment is best served by incorporating this timeless worship style—and then enjoy the experience as you enter into it.

Be blessed?????