There are a lot of things to think about when planning a worship set.
Here are three things to consider:
1 | Song Keys
Some people spend all their time just on this point. They try to match up keys across songs so one song flows perfectly into the next. There's nothing wrong with focusing energy on this but it can be taken to the extreme.
Yes. Songs should be put in complimentary keys when possible - it's much easier to transition from a song in the key of E to a song in the key of A than it is to transition from A to Bb. But don't let the fact that complimentary keys sound better limit you in your preparation.
I recommend putting together a rough list of songs without worrying about the keys. Then, try to match the keys up as best you can. Don't let key choice limit your song choice. It's much better to sing songs that people need to sing than to have songs arranged just for the sake of flow.
2 | Themes
Song themes are also important when creating a worship set. It's more powerful to focus in on a single aspect of God's character than to try to hit every single one.
Line up songs so they highlight a specific theme - God's love, God's grace, God's sovereignty, Jesus' work on the cross. This allows you to hone in on and speak directly to a characteristic of who God is.
3 | Support the Message
Your song choice should always support your pastor's vision for the gathering.
Most obviously the song coming out of the message should be a direct response to where your pastor led the church. If they talked about trusting God, give people a chance to respond to that by singing a song about trusting God more.
Perhaps less thought about are songs leading up to the message. They should introduce the topic your pastor is preaching on. That way the people have already stepped into the topic for the morning and are prepared to learn about it.
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