I’ve lead worship for 15+ years and I’ve written, found, and introduced hundreds of songs to congregations with varying results. As Church leaders, our job is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, and in worship, that can look like demonstrating and hosting an environment for people to have a clear image of God as they worship. The songs we sing have a huge impact on this because the language (lyrics) that people sing has the power to unlock new ways of viewing God, for better or worse. Because of this, it’s important that we use intentionality in selecting the songs our churches will sing. Through my experience in leading, I’ve learned that there are 3 main questions to ask when determining if a song belongs in your team’s catalog.

1. Does the song align with the doctrine of the house?

   It doesn’t matter how catchy or fun to play/sing a song may be if it doesn’t align with your specific church’s interpretation of scripture. And unfortunately, there are well-crafted songs that would be amazing if only they fell in line with the beliefs of the house. When it comes to songs like these, there are ways to work around the lyrical issues.

   The first workaround is to determine what makes the song so appealing. Is it the bouncy melody? The unique chord structure? The melodic rhythm? Determining what it is about the song means that you’ve isolated the qualities and can find other similar songs which better align with your beliefs.

   The second workaround is to write a song with the same vibe. Now, many churches choose to rewrite lyrics to songs to fit their beliefs. This is illegal. Don’t do that. Aside from it being illegal and disrespecting the songwriters who worked on the song, it also may be counteracting your intentions. In my experience, many congregants find and listen to the songs you implement each week. And if they find the original and listen to it, in the service, they’re going to miss the curve ball you’ve thrown with the change of lyrics.

   Writing a new song that shares some of the same qualities is a great way to grow in your writing skills, and write something that your church can connect with in a special way. When songwriting is celebrated in your church, your church will take ownership of and sing their songs.

2. Is the song appropriate for the season your church is in?

   Ecclesiastes 3 lists many different “seasons”, among which are “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” There’s an ordained time for all things, and every song has it’s season. The right song at the wrong time means it isn’t the right song.

   In 2016, our team had a Tuesday rehearsal for our Sunday set with the second song in the list being Fierce by Jesus Culture. As the week continued, hurricane Matthew hit Brunswick, GA, greatly impacting family and friends of congregants. By the time Sunday rolled around, it was clear we needed to swap the song out for a song that didn’t talk about God’s love being like a tidal wave or hurricane. It was no longer the right season.

3. Does the congregation sing it?

   If the goal of leading worship is for others to engage, then a song can only be a success if the congregation will engage with it. There’s many factors that would hinder a congregation’s engagement with a song — how well the song is written, its music-style, the culture of that specific church, etc. Because of these factors, it can be difficult to initially assess whether a not a congregation is engaging with it. A good way to determine if a song is going to work is to use the 3 strike method: Include the song in setlist on 3 separate days. If the song still isn’t connecting with the congregation after the 3rd try, and you’ve given it an honest opportunity, it’s probably not going to be a good fit. (Later, you may find that the song was just out of season right now).

Do you have other requirements for introducing songs to your church? If so, let me know in the comments!