31 Summer Worship Ideas to Level-Up Your Ministry (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1:

Here’s the recap:

• Leading a worship ministry in the summer is like driving a car with three wheels or trying to win a race in high heels. It’s tough because you’re dealing with three big challenges:
  • First, your team is busy with summer sports, vacations, family reunions, and just wanting to relax after a hectic school year. 
  • Second, your congregation is just as busy and often disappears for most of the summer.
  • Third, you and your family want a break too. Plus, you’re planning for the fall kickoff and Christmas, which adds more stress.
• To help you out, we’ve written a three-part article series with thirty-one summer worship ideas to level up your ministry. These ideas are designed to help you embrace summer limitations, build your ministry, and get some much-needed rest. You don’t need to do all thirty-one—just pick six or seven that work for you.
• Each idea is tagged with one or more of these categories: Rest & Restoration, Ministry Growth, Future Prep, and Embracing Summer Limitations. This way, you can stay strong through the summer without burning out.
• If You Missed Part 1, click Here

Here’s 11-20:

11. Rotate in your emerging worship leaders more often.

[Embracing Summer Limitations/Future Prep/Ministry Growth]

Summer is often a time when worship gathering expectations aren’t as high, so there’s less pressure for your newer worship leaders to be perfect.

Be direct about what you’re doing, both with the team and the leaders-in-training.

Once you’ve gotten buy-in from your leaders-in-training, make sure you communicate it to your team.

“Hey team, I’m going to schedule Cassie and Jamie a little more often this summer to help develop them as worship leaders.”

That will prevent some team members from seeing the extra rotations as favoritism.

And as you give your potential leaders extra time on the platform, you might be surprised. It might be just what they need to lead by themselves before the summer is over.

(And that means you can take a week off.) 😀

12. Plan at least two critical conversations a month.

[Ministry Growth / Future Prep]

Chances are, you have some critical conversations waiting to be had with team members, fellow staff people, or maybe even your senior/lead pastor.

Tough conversations are never fun. But look at them as gifts to two people:

First, even though it may not feel like it, you’re giving a gift of truth to someone. It might be a blind spot or a growth area for them.

That person might not even appreciate it at the moment. But if you know in your heart that it’s the right conversation, you’re contributing to their growth as a person and follower of Jesus.

Second, you’re giving a gift to you and your team.

The “future you” will no longer have this issue hanging over your head. And in the case of a toxic problem within your team, you’ve taken steps to eradicate it.

And by the way, not all critical conversations are negative. You might have one that goes like this:

“I’m seeing some serious leadership potential in you…”

 

13. Gather your songwriters. (And write.)

[Ministry Growth / Future Prep]

Pull your songwriters together for an extended time of collaboration, learning, and feedback. It could be an overnight retreat or an evening.

Just find a place that…

• is distraction-free (and allows for noise),
• has space for working in smaller groups/pairs,
• and invites creativity.

And while you’re at it, spend a few minutes this summer scheduling songwriter gatherings for the fall, winter, and spring.

And if you want to learn more about writing and singing original worship songs, check out this podcast episode with worship songwriter, Krissy Nordhoff.

 

14. Schedule several “analog” days.

[Rest/Restoration]

At least once a month, unplug from your phone, computer, and any other digital device to do analog work:

• Read a book (made of paper).
• Journal thoughts for the future or sketch ideas on a legal pad. (Again, paper.)
• Hike and pray.
• Sit in a quiet park and think.

Whatever it takes to unplug digitally, do so.

There’s something about time away from the digital world that slows our minds down enough to think and listen. And studies are showing that a pen and paper actually can help you be more productive.

 

15. Experiment with power naps.

[Rest & Restoration / Ministry Growth]

Longer days in the summer probably mean staying up later. It’s a perfect time to experiment with power naps. They can improve your mood, alertness, and your job performance.

Quick research (i.e., Google it) will tell you that ten to thirty minutes is ideal. Sleeping beyond thirty minutes can leave you with that post-nap grogginess. (Along with a weird taste in your mouth.)

One of our coaches said it like this: ‘When I worked in a church office, I’d set my office and mobile phones to “do not disturb,” hang an “I’m busy until…” sign on my door, pull the shades, set my iPhone timer, and plant myself in my recliner.’

A small, midday shut-down can be a big investment for a more productive (and enjoyable) afternoon.

 

16. Plan a decluttering day.

[Future Prep]

Clear out the clutter in your office, green room, backplatform storage area, sound booth, etc. Not only does this make things look neater, but eliminating visual noise is good for your psyche.

(Don’t believe me?)

And if you’re like me (who’s one traumatic experience away from becoming a full-on hoarder), find someone to help.

There is someone on your team who would LOVE to help you with this. In fact, he or she has probably been dreaming of the day they can cut the clutter in the worship team areas.

And if you want to next-level this, do a digital declutter day on your computer and other devices you use for work and worship ministry.

 

17. Learn one new “trick” for your toolbox.

[Ministry Growth / Future Prep]

Spend a little time each day or week investing in a new skill you want to develop.

You could…

• Learn Spanish so you can be a bigger part of your church’s Hispanic ministry.
• Finally pick up the acoustic guitar so you can “solo lead” at small events.
• Learn Playback by MultiTracks.
• Take voice lessons to learn to use and care for your voice better.

The thirteen weeks of the summer is actually an ideal time to set a learning goal. It’s long enough to accomplish something (as long as you break it down into doable steps), but not so far into the future that it seems unreachable.

 

18. Plan one less song each week.

[Embracing Summer Limitations]

One less song will decrease your workload, reduce rehearsal time, and make personal practice easier for your musicians.

Also, your congregation will enjoy the service ending early. (That is if your speaking pastor doesn’t just fill up the extra time you just gave him or her.)

If there’s an expectation to deliver a specific amount of time, replace that missing five minutes with a combination of non-musical worship elements: a more extended scripture reading, quiet response, corporate prayer time, liturgical reading, etc.

And when you underscore that time with a soft piano/pad or acoustic guitar, it will feel like it’s one seamless part of the worship set.

19. Schedule at least one “vision-visit” to another church.

[Ministry Growth / Future Prep]

What’s a vision-visit?!

It’s when you attend a larger church to observe and discover what’s next for your church.

To do this, choose a church with a healthy worship ministry that is one “growth-level” above your church.

If your church is around 250 average weekly attendance, look for a church that’s in the 350 to 500 range. If you’re hovering around 500, look for that church that’s broken through that growth barrier and is between 750 and 1000.

You want to observe as much as possible:

• The order and flow of sets, as well as the entire service.
• What media elements they use.
• How they use sound and lighting.
• The experience from the parking lot to the opening song.
• How engaged the congregation is.
• What the leader and team do to engage and lead the church.
• Musical styles and skill levels.

You’re not observing to copy them, but to find examples and models of what might work in your context.

Bonus Tip: Take it one step further and ask the worship ministry leader to lunch, or schedule an online video chat. He or she would likely be happy to talk with you about their ministry.

Ultimately what you’re looking for is this: You need to know what leadership and ministry system shifts you will need to make to grow to the next size level.

Some of those things you can begin to do now, while others will require more growth and a bigger budget. But you’ll be ready for it when the time comes.

 

20. Start (and finish) one book on Biblical worship.

[Ministry Growth]
Don’t let this be a how-to book on worship leading or music. Those are good, but they’re not what we’re after here. Find a book that can deepen your understanding of worshiping the Triune God in all His fullness.

Because as you grow as a worshiper, your team will grow, too.

Here are some examples:

Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship, David G. Peterson [view on Amazon]

For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship, Daniel I. Block [view on Amazon]

Worship Is a Verb, Robert E. Webber [view on Amazon]

The Worship Pastor, Zac Hicks [view on Amazon]

Corporate Worship, Matt Merker [view on Amazon]

Click Here for Part 3 of Summer Worship Ideas to Level-Up Your Ministry.

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This article was originally published in Worship Musician Magazine, July 2024 issue and has been modified from the original.