This was the question on the other end of the phone from a friend, a seasoned worship pastor serving a healthy church. He is not alone in asking it. Churches that value congregational participation and seek to steward every opportunity to lift their voices in praise to Christ are constantly considering how to strengthen the people of God in song.
There are some lessons the Lord has used to shape our congregation into a singing church. For now, I want to draw your attention to five lessons that might seem somewhat adjacent to our subject — maybe even a bit surprising.
Teach on Singing
One of the things I wish I had done earlier as a worship leader and pastor is to teach on why we sing. Some congregations have not been given a biblical foundation or a theological vision for why singing matters in the Christian life — or our life together as a church. Yet Scripture has much to say on the matter.
One easy win is to begin giving brief biblical exhortations. Even a simple encouragement to, "Sing to the Lord!" (Psalm 96:1) reminds the church that we are doing more than merely singing into the ceiling, but the Lord himself tunes his ear and turns his heart to his people as we sing.
A Cappella Singing
It may sound counterintuitive, but another way to strengthen congregational singing is to find strategic moments in each service where the church sings completely unaccompanied. Sometimes, instruments give people greater confidence to sing, but other times, they can unintentionally take the song from them.
Let the band finish the arrangement they had planned, and then offer the church a simple exhortation, "Would you lift your voice with me once more as we sing that chorus together?" Then, remove the instruments. Yes, all of them. No keyboard pads humming. No guitar signaling the chord changes. Just let the people sing. The more the church hears themselves sing, the more they will long for it.
Responsive Readings
Responsive readings have long served the church in corporate worship. Whether reciting from Scripture, historic creeds, a confession of faith, or a church covenant, they train the congregation to speak truth together with one voice. When a church learns to declare truth together in prose, it is better prepared to declare that same truth in poetry.
Turn on the Lights
Lighting may not be the first factor we think of when trying to strengthen congregational singing, but it affects more than we might see. When a room is dim, it is easy for people to hide and feel disconnected from one another. The darkness can even communicate that participation is optional, signaling that no one may notice whether we sing or not.
Turning the lights on and up changes the way we view both the space and one another. The focus dissipates from the platform to the gathered people, reminding us that corporate worship is not a performance but that each voice has a part to play.
A Singing Pastor
The final element that can strengthen a church's willingness to sing is the example of a singing pastor. I learned this from my friend Keith Getty, and it has stayed with me. He has often said that a singing pastor is a primary indicator of a singing church.
One of the main encouragements I have for my fellow pastors is to be engaged in your church's singing. Champion it. Model it. The time for checking sermon notes has passed; the time to be present, raising your voice as one of God's people, is meant to be a ministry to your own soul. I am never ready to preach until I have sung with our church family.
This next Lord's Day, be encouraged by hearing the voices of your church members declaring God's praise before they hear yours in declaring God's Word.