Do you see glazed-over eyes and drooping heads when you look into the congregation during your church’s worship services?
Corporate worship is one of the most important markers of what a church is, yet it can be easy to get into a groove . . . that turns into a rut. However, there are lots of creative, non-distracting ways to help your congregation feel more connected, reflect on God, and internalize the truths in your songs, prayers, and sermons.
Nehemiah gives us an example of the beauty of worshipping together as the body of Christ. After Israel’s exile, God commanded the people who recently returned to the land to rebuild the Temple so that they could continue to worship Him.
Nehemiah 8:5–6 says, “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen,’ lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.”
In corporate worship, the body of Christ—dispersed throughout the week—comes together to proclaim God’s goodness. As pastors and worship teams plan services, they aim to create an environment that is thoroughly God-centered and interactive, so their congregation can say together, “Amen, Amen,” as God’s people did in Ezra’s day.
Today, churches have access to tons of tools and resources that can help them create worshipful environments. When you’re considering technology for your worship service, look for tools that help you do these four things.
- Incorporate Scripture
The Christian life is built upon Scripture—it’s our foundation and guidebook, and through it, we learn who God is and grow in our walk with him. God’s Word helps us know what we believe, keeps us from sin and gives us life. Incorporating Scripture into your church’s time of worship is essential, because it keeps our attention on God when there are plenty of distractions nearby. Reading Scripture between songs or placing verses on the screen—especially when the verses directly relate to a song you’re singing or a point in the sermon—reinforces biblical truth and reminds congregants to reflect on the Lord and His work.
Making Scripture a focal point in your singing can help church attendees recognize how your worship songs are rooted in the truth of God’s Word. You can subtly place verses that tie into the lyrics at the bottom of slides or when there’s a long pause between a verse and chorus, or place Scripture on the screen between songs to offer moments of reflection.
- Show the Lyrics of Theologically Rich Songs
Sometimes we sing along during church services without understanding what we’re singing or even realizing a song’s deep theological roots. It’s easy to do when you’re singing songs like “All Hail the Pow’r of Jesus’ Name” (what’s a “terrestrial ball,” anyway?) or even “O Praise the Name.” We can get caught in a beautiful melody even when the gospel reverberates in the lyrics. Occasional quotes, definitions, or brief explanations of these lyrics on your slides can provide attendees with extra context they may not know or remember. Even taking a brief pause between songs to explain more about the lyrics and share how they not only reflect Christian theology but tie to your church’s statement of faith can draw people deeper into worship.
On the other hand, if your church is not currently using songs that explore deep theological truths, slowly incorporate them into your setlists. It will take a while for your congregation to adjust, but it’s a great way to strengthen the understanding and beliefs of your members. After all, people may remember a few points from last week’s sermon, but they’re most likely to remember the songs you sing together. That’s why the songs you choose should be biblically faithful, in line with your church’s theology, and memorable for your attendees, from the youngest to the oldest.
- Include Pictures and Motion Graphics
We all worship God through singing in different ways. Some choose to close their eyes while singing, cutting out distractions and listening to each lyric, while others are more visual and appreciate images that correlate with the songs. By adding beautiful worship backgrounds, motion graphics, or even pictures in relevant parts of your service slides, you can help some attendees engage with the service more deeply. For example, if you’re reading from Psalm 19, you could show some exquisite nature photos and invite people to consider God’s glory.
Displaying beauty in creation can help you communicate gospel truths that words are too weak to do by themselves. Through resources like church presentation software that promotes team collaboration, you can easily add carefully chosen pictures and motion graphics to your worship slides.
- Trace Themes through the Entire Service
One of the best ways to help each service hit home for your attendees is to plan your entire service around a central theme, giving it a cohesive theological progression from start to finish. From songs and Scripture reading to the sermon and benediction, you can craft your service so that all parts work together to reinforce biblical truth.
Integrated ministry platforms help foster collaborative, Scripture-soaked services, but they also give your congregation tools to keep their Bibles open and hearts focused on Christ all week long.
Don’t take technology for granted. Incorporating small, thoughtful touches like these—among others—can transform the way your attendees participate in your worship services. The right software will not only ease the worship planning you do every week but also help your congregation grow in the light of the Bible.
This article is courtesy of Faithlife, a tech company committed to the church that offers the only complete platform for holistic ministry, www.faithlife.com.
