My daughter loves for me to build castles with her out of blocks that are stored in a big bag.  There are quite a few blocks in this bag, but only 3 big ones.  Now, we have constructed hundreds of castles and I don’t think we’ve built the same one twice, but we always start by positioning the 3 big blocks.  Those blocks she usually puts in the same array, but we always end up building something different.  The possibilities seems endless because even though we start with the same big blocks, the same foundation, we always connect them differently and it’s quite inspiring.  We know we have a strong foundation each time and it makes it easy to explore the other connections and the details of the castle.

Each week at 12Stone® Church our worship set structure looks pretty similar. We usually do a 3 song set at the beginning of the service and usually do a closing worship song as well.  We have the big blocks in place and they generally work pretty well.  We plan centrally and all of our campuses do the same songs at each campus though they may be in different keys for personnel reasons every campus sings the same songs.  It’s beautiful unity.  But even though we have the big blocks in place there is always so much to explore in the connections and the details of our worship sets.  I’d love to just pose a few questions to get us thinking about those connections and details in our sets.

1.) Do you verbally invite people to worship or welcome them at the beginning of your set?  If so do you say the same thing every week?  If so is that strategic or because you don’t really think about it much?  What if you prayerfully considered that opening phrase/statement each week taking into account the season of the church, the opening song theme, or the theme of the service?  It doesn’t have to be a sermon, but what if we paid more prayerful attention to that brief, but important moment?

2.) Do you think about the transition from song to song strategically?  Do we need to pause for a moment?  Should we just launch right into the next song? Should we sing an extra chorus or bridge or a specific line of the verse?

3.) Do we want people to clap/celebrate in response at the end of the song?  Do we care?  Do we need them to for the sake of a smooth musical transition?

4.) Are there places we can speak strategic/purposeful scripture over the congregation?  During an intro? During the welcome?  During an instrumental break?  Where are the places in each song where we may need to encourage people to sing along, express themselves, or refocus the congregation?

5.) If you pray during your set at any point do you pray the same thing every weekend?  Is that strategic or just because you haven’t specifically prepared that moment?  What if we prayerfully considered that moment each weekend?  If you don’t write down your prayer in advance, what if you did?  If you do write out your prayer, what if you didn’t?

There are so many connections in our times of worship.  Not just song to song, but before the set, after the set, from section to section of each song.  I encourage you to worship through your set.  After you’ve learned the songs worship Jesus alone through the entire set.  Even if you’ve sung the songs a million times.

The songs may be the same, but the moment never is.  Every time we approach Jesus together as the church to worship him it is special, unique, and will never be the same again so treat it that way.  It’s often in those times of worship I discover the details and the unique connections that I need to discover for our time together as the church to be as impactful as it can be.

As worship pastors and worship leaders we are trusted with a lot.  Let’s explore the details and realize that even though the big blocks may be in place we are never building the same castle twice.