The number 1 thing worship leaders who lead well want is congregational engagement. They just want the people they're leading in worship to be actively engaged.

The problem is it's so easy to lose your influence in helping people engage. And, often times, worship leaders lose that influence within the first 5 minutes of their worship gathering.

Here are 3 ways to make your church stop engaging in worship within the first 5 minutes of your service:

1 | Pick songs based on what YOU want to sing

Selfish worship leading makes it harder for your church to engage. When worship leaders pick songs simply because they want to sing them, it leaves their church feeling isolated.

So, instead of just picking songs YOU want to sing, pick songs your congregation NEED to sing. Think about what's going in their lives and ask yourself: what truth do they need to respond to? Then, pick songs that allow them to proclaim that truth together.

2 | Start the first song without acknowledging your church

It's easy to just launch into the first song without saying anything to your church. It feels more comfortable because you have less responsibility. But, there's no better way to communicate, "We're just a group of musicians up here playing. So, stand there and listen to us" than to start your worship service without even acknowledging your church.

Start your service by at least saying something to your church. Even if it's just a "good morning church!" Or take it a step further and go watch the video "What To Say Before Leading Worship | The 4-Step Formula For Welcoming People Into Worship" on the LWW YouTube channel.

3 | Start with a fast song in a really high key

Think about your Sunday morning: You've been at church at least a couple hours before everyone else shows up. You're ready to go when your service starts. That's not how the typical church-goer's morning starts. They probably just woke up, ran around trying to get their kids ready, and showed up at church right as the service started. Do you think they're ready to sing an upbeat song that sits at the top of their vocal range?

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