Last week we looked at how to open a worship service – whether your doing a service live or online, it’s very important how you open as it sets the scene and the tone of what is to follow.
Having said that, closing a service is probably the most important part of a gathering. It’s where the congregation get to respond to what God has spoken into their lives. People may be feeling broken, vulnerable, prayerful and whole lot of different reactions. Closing a service requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, a pastoral heart for the people, and preparation.
Planning a close will require the leader of worship to collaborate with the speaker as to what kind of response they might expect, and to be flexible enough to change as the Holy Spirit leads.
So if the responsibility of closing the service falls to you, here’s what not to do first…
- Don’t try and add to the message. You are not there to speak, but to facilitate the work of the Spirit. Talk very little if at all.
- Don’t come with your own set agenda – to finish how you want to finish no matter what’s happening. Many a poignant, Holy Spirit moment has been ruined by a worship leader with their own agenda.
- Don’t finish with the “new song” you learnt that day just to give people another taste of it (unless under special circumstances.) People can’t engage with God singing a song they hardly know.
- Don’t make a decision based on whether the service is ending too late. Always work with the Spirit to discern what is happening.
- Remember… this is more pastoral than anything else, so be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to people.
Here are a few things that will help close a service…
Firstly in preparation
- Have a list of response songs as part of your song library that are great responses. They could be just a chorus or bridge, but be very aware of what the songs are saying.
- Don’t wing it… have 2-3 options that you’ve rehearsed or are extremely familiar with to choose from. Signal the musicians which song you wish to use – and don’t forget to tell the AV guys. They can’t read your mind!1
- Collaborate with the pastor or speaker. If it’s a guest speaker, they may do some sort of response themselves, or they may leave that up to the pastor. It’s helpful to know up front, so don’t be afraid to ask.
- Be prepared to change at the last moment. It may not be a song, but a prayer. Be prepared to simply have a music backing… or nothing.
Secondly, in execution…
- The team needs to be ready to play. Make sure you are “on stage”, together, ready to smoothly segue into the final song. Don’t talk to each other. To communicate which song you are playing, simply do a hand signal.
- Clearly indicate what you are doing.
- Be prepared to use just one instrument and lead from that. Sometimes it needs to be intimate.
- Be prepared not to do any music at all. Sometimes it simply requires a prayer, sometimes by the pastor, but also, you may be given the responsibility of choosing.
A lot rests on closing out a service well. It takes sensitivity, listening to what the Spirit is saying, and a love for the people who may be wrestling with a whole lot of things that God has spoken into their lives.
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