Have a playlist of the current songs that you do and go through them quarterly and determine which songs should be retired and consider introducing new songs. A great way to involve your congregation in this is to make this list available online as a playlist through the iTunes music store, for example. This allows you a resource to turn them to in order to get more familiar with the music that you are, and will be doing.
If you are convinced of the philosophy of song selection and categorization that I presented earlier as a reflection of the biblical model of how the Lord set up his Temple, you might put together a list like this to help you in planning services:
| Ones (Horizontal) | O Praise Him- Crowder Adoration- Baloche Happy Day- Fee Hosanna (Praise is Rising)-Brown Holy- Hughes Here For You- Tomlin |
| Twos | Salvation Is Here –Hillsong One Way- Hillsong I Believe- Moeller/McCoy Lift up the Name-Caterer Beautiful One-Hughes |
| Threes (Diagonal) | Here is Love- arr. Stanfill You Alone Can Rescue- Redman O The Love of my Redeemer – Caterer Hallelujah for the Cross- Rozier Lord, I need You –Tomlin You Never Let Go- Redman |
| Fours | Always- Stanfill The Stand- Hillsong Our God-Tomlin Stronger-Stanfill Arms Open Wide-Hillsong Mighty to Save-Hillsong |
| Fives (Vertical) | Revelation Song-Riddle All Glory-Rozier God, You Are My God- Ingram, Noland, Mabury Jesus, You Are Worthy- Brown Your Name- Baloche The First Place- Westerholm Lord of All- Stanfill |
| Communion Songs | Jesus Paid It All There Is A Fountain How Deep the Father’s Love- Townsend Nothing but the Blood Amazing Love Here is Love How Marvelous |
| Christmas Songs | Joy to the World (1) O Come all ye faithful (1) Etc. etc. |
| Traditional Hymns | Holy Holy Holy (5) All Hail the Power (1) Come Christians Join to Sing (1) Amazing Grace (3) Great is thy Faithfulness (3) |
Song frequency and introducing new songs
Regarding song selection and particularly song frequency of use, a general rule of thumb is, “when you (the leader) are sick of the song, the congregation is just getting used to it.” It will be difficult to cultivate a culture of worship that is tracking along and engaging in the worship set if the songs and elements that you do are new every single week. When introducing a new song to the mix, do it first as a special element, placed in the offertory section or pre-service, and then if it fits well, you can then “teach” that song as a response to the message. Then do the song in its categorized spot in the service for two weeks in a row. It can then be considered in regular rotational status. This conditions the congregation to be familiar with the song or element. It is also has been my experience that, in today’s congregations, even some of the old hymns my have to be reintroduced or taught.
It has worked best in my situation and experience to have a rotation of regular songs at a frequency of around five weeks. The same songs are not being done over and over, and yet the familiarity of the music is still being cultivated. This does not mean that you have five different pre-planned, cookie-cutter, worship song sets that you rotate, it simply means that you try to space out your songs in a way that the frequency is comfortable to your congregation’s ability to learn and be familiar with the music without overuse. This is not only true of worship songs, but of worship elements as well. Start thinking of how you can change the frequency of elements and song usage to better and more efficiently cultivate that culture of worship in your church.
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