Music ministry and juggling have this in common: you have to keep a lot of things in the air at the same time. Spiritual sensitivity, personal preparation, attention to group dynamics, thoughtful song selection, and full-bodied accompaniment are just a few of the elements that contribute to powerful congregational singing. Here's a mental checklist I use for our congregational singing.

-Are the songs meaningful? Every worship leader needs to have the gentle and engaging sense of an educator. When I occasionally introduce a song by briefly describing its history or giving a new perspective on the theme, singing becomes more meaningful for the congregation.

I use a hymnal with a good set of indexes. I use the topical index to match our song selection to the theme of the service. Hymns that refer to specific Scripture passages can be found in the Scripture allusions index. The reading of that passage of Scripture before, after, or even between verses of the hymn, makes the singing more significant. ...