4 Categories of Worship Songs (that aren't fast, medium, slow, and really slow)
Last week I posted a video all about using your songs as tools to pastor your church in worship (you can find it HERE!). Today, we’re continuing the discussion by talking about a song’s specific purpose.
I categorize songs based on their content and purpose. What I’ve found is having a clear purpose in mind for a song tells me where to put it in a set list. Giving it a purpose allows me to use it as a tool to pastor my church.
I use four categories for worship songs: Invitation, Declaration, Response, and Encounter.
Category One: Songs of Invitation
Songs of invitation do just what the title says. They invite. But they don’t invite God into a service, as you might think. They are not necessarily “you’re welcome here” songs. Invitation songs invite peoplein. They are inviting people to worship. I think we, as worship leaders, often forget that everyone isn’t always ready for worship. Everyone hasn’t been up since 5 am so they could be at church early for a rehearsal and then for a service. Everyone isn’t a worship leader. Most people need some time to prepare their hearts, to remember why they are there. People need to be invited in.
At one church I worked at, our largest demographic was 30 something’s with kids. That means I had to recognize that on Sunday morning some of my congregation indeed had been up at 5 am, but not because they wanted to be. They were up because they had to change diapers or calm a crying toddler. Sometimes they had to skip breakfast, or had to change their kids clothes three times, or they haven’t had any coffee. Sometimes the “victory” in their life is just getting there in the first place. With all of that going on, it may take a few minutes for them to be ready for worship. So, I have to gently invite them in.
Invitation songs aren’t usually what you think of when people are weeping at the altar. Invitation songs are usually the fast, fun songs. They’re praising God, they’re worshipful, but your goal here isn’t necessarily life change. Your goal is to say, “You made it. Lay your burdens down and worship a God who loves you.”
Category Two: Songs of Declaration
Declaration songs are songs that declare who God is. This is where we begin to look at the idea of connecting the prayers of the church to the promises of God. They declare the names of God and the promises associated with those names. They declare that He is good, that He is victorious, that He is King, that He is Savior and more. Declaration songs are reminders or even sometimes teachers of the character of God.
When I am choosing a declaration song I am choosing a song that declares a promise or a name of God that directly relates to the prayers being prayed in my church. If I know that healing is largely being prayed for in my church, I am going to lead songs that declare that God is the healer or songs that tell a story of healing, like a song based out of John 9 where Jesus heals the blind. The same goes if I know there is victory being prayed for in my church, whether it is over addiction, disease, relationships, or anything else. I am going to lead songs that declare that God is victorious, that He reigns as King, and that He has it under control.
The declaration of God’s promise should always lead to the next category: response.
Category Three: Response Songs
Response songs are often the “third song” in worship. They’re the slower, deeper, more powerful ones. They’re the ones that you may hang on for a while and really try to pull people in. Response songs are often the “I love you” songs. In a response song you are pointing to God in a new way. These songs are more likely to talk about worshiping on bended knee, or coming to the altar, or telling God that He is worthy, that you’ll praise Him as long as you live, etc.
When I am leading a declaration song I am declaring God’s promise, speaking of His blessings. In a response song I am thanking God for the blessing. The recognition of God’s blessing should immediately result in our responding in worship. The worship pastor’s job in a song of response is to be a leader in gratitude, a leader in telling Him that He is worthy, a leader in giving Him glory for all that He is, all that He has done, and all that He will do.
Category Four: Songs of Encounter
The last category I want to talk about is songs of encounter. These are my, and most worship leader’s I know, favorite songs. These songs tend to start out really ambient then get big and powerful and then drop back down. These are our most dynamic songs musically. On the spiritual side, these songs often talk about God’s presence. They are songs we’re singing when we want nothing more than to see the power of God, to see God move in our services, in our lives, and in our communities. These are the songs we are often singing when we are deep in prayer and are searching for His voice.
Personally, when I lead songs of encounter, I am always thinking of altars. I don’t necessarily mean the front of the stage or anything like that. Just a place of worship. All over the Old Testament, God tells His people to build altars. The Israelites built and altar where God parted the Jordan. Samuel built an altar where God defeated the Philistines. Jacob built an altar where God revealed himself in a dream. These altars were places where God’s people could go back to and remember His faithfulness, love, and mercy, and worship Him for that.
The songs that I lead during times of encounter are often like musical altars in the hearts of my congregation. Sometimes they are songs we happened to be singing when God moved in the past. When that’s the case, people are going back to the altar to worship. Sometimes they are songs that have a great impact because of what God is doing in the service that day, like bringing healing or victory. In those times we are building a new altar together. An altar is a place of encounter. An altar is a powerful place of worship. Altars are a symbol of a new beginning. And they are a tool that God uses to keep us from forgetting what He wants us to remember.
Prepare for a service well by thoughtfully choosing the set list. Remember that as worship pastor’s we aren’t just choosing songs; we’re choosing the avenues by which we are ministering. Thoughtfully choosing songs and doing so by category gives vision for each song and for your service.
I think many of us, as worship pastors, want our congregations to always be ready for an encounter, but to our disappointment, that isn’t the case. We can’t always start there. Our congregations aren’t ready. We have to be ok with that. The truth is, as exciting as the encountering God aspect of a worship service is, it’s not the only part that matters. We should first recognize who God is, what He has done, and praise and worship Him for that.