Setlist building is one of the most fun things you do as a worship leader, right? Well, maybe not always. Sometimes it can be challenging, too, as you may think, “craft the perfect worship experience.” Especially when you’re in it for the long haul, creating new worship set lists every single week.
But what if the pressure was off and you simply enjoyed planning an engaging worship setlist? We will look at a few spiritual and practical concepts that will help guide you in how to put together an engaging setlist.
1. Engage the people attending your worship gathering by not doing too many new songs
This has been said many times before, but be sure not to wear your congregation out by throwing new songs at them more than you do songs they are familiar with. Even the most genuine and enthusiastic worshippers will have an easier time connecting when you make an engaging set list by doing many familiar worship songs.
This doesn’t mean you have to go back in time and keep every song from the 90s or early 2000s in your rotation. You can keep the special ones and let others fall out of the rotation as new ones are added. But you do want to make sure and do a healthy amount of repeating songs so those attending your gatherings can enter into worship without thinking about the lyrics, etc.
2. Engage the people attending your worship gathering by… doing new songs!
Here’s a great example of the balance of “both/and.” While you don’t want to do all new songs all the time, don’t be afraid to mix them in so they can become a part of your regular worship song rotation. God is doing a fresh thing in his Church, and there’s so much life and blessing in the songs that are being birthed out of it.
You’ll see your local church impacted when they make a personal connection with some of these current songs when you do them, not because they’re the latest, greatest, coolest songs, but because they have an anointing for this current season of ministry.
And the great news is that many of the newest and most impactful songs in the Church today are the simplest and easiest to learn (to sing and play). Consider these things as you put together an engaging setlist.
3. Change the keys of the songs you choose to fit your (or your team’s) vocal range AND flow better with the rest of the setlist
The song may have been recorded in the key of C#. But there’s no reason you have to do it in that key. Why not try it in the key of C? Sometimes, even the best vocalists will benefit from not having to reach the notes that the vocalist hit on the recorded version. The producers chose a key for what conveyed best with the most energy on the full production recording. However, Sunday mornings at 9:00 A.M. are usually different. Considering a key that your congregation can comfortably join in is huge as you also put together an engaging setlist.
Nothing disrupts the flow of a set more than having to change keys at every single transition to the next song. So if you pick three songs that are originally in the key of “C#,” “C,” and “D,” you could try doing them all in “C” as one block of your setlist.
Then when you move from the block of your set list that is in the key of “C,” pick a key that works well to transition to the next part. Most commonly, that would mean going to the key of “F” or “G.” If you’re coming out of the key of “G,” it would make sense to move to the key of “C” or “D” next.
This is not a hard and fast rule, as obviously, there will be times you need to transition to a song that just isn’t in the same family of keys, which you can do with a quick fade out and in of a keyboard pad sound, for example. But if most of your transitions are related keys, your set list will be more engaging and flow better. If the concept of related keys is unfamiliar, search online to learn about basic music theory and scales.
Tip: If you want to fit a song somewhere in the setlist where the key would be an awkward jump from the rest of the songs, you can have another vocalist lead it. If a song is in the key of “G” for a male singer, a female singer may comfortably lead it in “D,” for example.
4. Learn the songs exactly how they go, then have the freedom to adjust
One of the best ways to keep those attending your worship gathering engaged, no matter what songs are on the setlist, is to execute those songs well. As a worship leader, make sure to learn the songs inside and out. Then when you’re leading the song in your set list, you’ll know what it’s supposed to feel like when the song moves into the first chorus or the last bridge you’ve repeated four times.
Once you know how the songs are supposed to flow and feel, you’ll be able to coach the rest of your team. If the drums do something specific to add energy, or the bass holds out until a certain time, be sure to implement those things when you do the song. After all, most of them were expertly arranged to make the most impact.
With that said– after everyone on the team confidently knows the original arrangement you’ve chosen, you can make modifications for better engagement in your setlist. For example, you may double a song’s intro if you’re opening with it and welcoming the church over the intro. Or you may cut the intro and go straight into the first verse if you’re coming out of a soft moment of another song. You may also want to linger on the bridge chords for a few passes before singing it.
5. Pick songs that connect with your unique congregation; and the unique character of your worship team and setting
This advice is double-sided. Because number one: it’s inspiring and educating to glean from other churches that are forerunners and leaders in the worship movement worldwide. You can go home on Sunday afternoon after church and watch dozens (or more) of live streams of worship services at other churches. You can watch Bethel, Elevation, Jesus Culture, Upperroom, or the church down the street.
Learning from other churches, especially influential ones who are further in their journey of figuring things out, is extremely beneficial. But here’s the other side: You can’t copy what someone else is doing verbatim when you put together an engaging setlist. God has a special anointing for different groups of people and what He wants to do among them. So sometimes, what works at Passion City Church just won’t go well if you try to replicate it exactly in your environment.
Take notes on how your favorite worship teams handle opening the service, transitions from song to song, what songs they are doing, and how they arrange the songs. But then adjust. If they have a huge team, but yours is smaller, you may need to change the feel of the songs you want to do. While there are plenty of resources to enhance your team (like multitracks available on various platforms), you want to be sure they fit your dynamic and produce an authentic sound for your identity as a church.
6. Don’t feel like you have to rush from cue to cue to get down your setlist
Step back and take the pressure off. The set list doesn’t have to be “perfect” to be engaging for your congregation. In fact, if you are so focused on hitting all the “cues” and getting down your set list, you will likely lose the congregation, or they will feel that it is more of a performance.
Instead, take your time and be real with those attending worship. Encourage them to engage in worship and teach them constantly that you are all worshiping together. That the purpose of the time is to give glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That it’s okay to make space for His leading and not rush ahead from moment to moment.
After all, everyone needs a breath of fresh air in the presence of God. Whether it’s at a church service, a special worship gathering, or in their personal worship time, make space for the people you’re leading on Sundays.
There you have it. The challenging yet fun and fulfilling task of planning worship sets every week. There’s a lot of “both/and” in this advice about how to put together an engaging setlist! And that’s to be embraced.
When you get the balance right of putting in effort and prayer but remove the pressure by giving it to God and letting your set list be an authentic expression of worship every time you lead, you’re doing it right. And you’ll feel the favor of the Lord as you lead.
