How I Choose Songs To Lead In Worship

I was recently told that I have been doing a very small collection of songs at Tidal Creek.

I promise it will not be such a small collection for long.  I choose from a small batch of songs currently because I want to make sure that you (the congregation) knows them.  It does no good to sing songs no one knows- because it isn't about me singing and playing, it is about worshipping God.  Familiar songs allow that because you don't have to try to think about how the song is sung, what word comes next, what to do if the screen doesn't change quickly enough.

I want to invite you into my head for how I choose the songs we sing.  I look at several things:

• Theology- Repertoire is theology.  The songs we sing need to align with the values we hold to here at Tidal Creek.  And just because someone slaps a Christian title on it, or is signed to a Christian label, means that it is a theologically sound song.
• Singability-  Obviously, if I can't sing the song, I am not going to lead it.  But this also [should] extend to you, the congregation.  The singers on the stage probably have a big more range than the average person in the room, and can hit more notes.  But if you can't sing the song, then you probably aren't going to sing.  I can get around this by lowering or raising the keys of the songs, but some songs feature both extremely high and low notes, making them hard to sing.  So I try to keep the keys of the songs to a pre-selected range of keys.
• Relevance- This is a two part- I want to stay relevant in culture, and to the sermon.  I want to stay relevant in culture because the Gospel will always be relevant.  Jesus will always be relevant.  But the way that we share His name sometimes isn't.  I am not going to bust out a pipe organ every Sunday and lead "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" every week, because that style just isn't relevant here.  The same way I will not rap on stage (well, I guess part of that goes to my ability and sing ability).  It just isn't relevant to you guys.  It wouldn't work.
• Rhythm-  I try to choose songs based on their rhythm as well.  Not too many slow songs, not too many fast songs.  This song needs to blend well into that song, etcetera, etcetera.  I want to create a flow.
• How Well You Know The Song- This is where the small collection comes from.  Not that you don't know many songs- but I don't know what you know.  And so I start from a small collection, and slowly add to them.  When I introduce a song, I will do it for about 4 weeks before I introduce a new one.  This way you know the song.  The songs I have taught so far, "Your Love Never Fails",  "We Unite", and "Beauty of the Cross", would not have worked well if I did all three in the same service.  You would be frustrated because you didn't know the songs, and not have been able to worship like you would if you did know them.

But most importantly- I choose songs based on what God lays on my heart.  I let the Spirit move.  Because it isn't "my show".  It isn't about me.  Shockingly enough, it isn't about any of us.  We are there for Him.  To glorify Him.

Anyway- this is how I choose songs.  I gladly take requests for songs, but please don't be upset or offended if we don't play them, or if we don't play them for six months.  I promise you I look at them, and evaluate how well they would fit into these 5 categories.