Don't waste your time

We've all seen Hillsong, Bethel, and Covenant Worship on television.  We've seen the uniqueness of their styles, their musicians, and their vocals.  They are some very talented, and anointed worship teams.  They have an infinite amount  of resources and talent to draw from.  Your team (unless you're David Binion, Kari Jobe, or Rueben Morgan) is not one of these.

Most churches have a core group of musicians and singers.  Usually, you'll have a pianist, a bassist, a single guitarist, and a drummer.  You may have from two, up to four vocalists.  That is your group.  Those are the ones that you work with week in and week out. 

So how do we continue to develop new music and new sounds?  How do we make the songs we use by the larger churches sound like the larger churches?

Don't waste your time.  Your team will not sound like Hillsong, Bethel, or Covenant.  

There are several things to keep in mind when walking the path of a worship leader.  

First, your team is not made up of experts or professionals.  You will have members that may be beginners, or very talented and experienced.  Be willing to help them grow.  You not only need to focus on the abilities of your team, but also on the spiritual growth as well.  

Second, your team is as unique as an individual.  Your team has strengths and weaknesses.   Learn ways to improvise and change things up.  Get your team members out of their comfort zones.  Give a bass solo to your bassist.  You could change the order of the songs.  For example, play through the chorus as your intro, then start on verse 1.  Or, if there is only one verse, have one of your soloists sing it the first time through, and another vocalist of the opposite sex sing it the second time through.  Start by singing the bridge then go into the verse.  There are all kinds of possibilities that can be explored by you and your team.

Third, the songs you select don't have sound like the original artists.  Make them your own.  Change the tempo, the lead in, add your own "flavor" to the music.  Change the primary instrument or lead instrument to something else.  For example, the song "I Look To The King," by Meredith Andrews and Matt Maher uses the piano as the primary instrument.  You could start out with a single acoustic guitar and a keyboard with some subtle synth sounds.  If you don't have a keyboard, maybe a soft organ in the background.  Think outside of the box in your sounds and arrangements.

Music is fluid, worship is sincere, and the only thing that matters is that what and how your team plays so that the presence of the Most High God falls into the sanctuary or wherever you may be.  Think ahead and plan for what will help usher in the spirit of worship.

The point is this though...
Don't waste your time trying to be a worship team that you're not.  You have your own signature sound.  Cultivate it and focus your time there.  God has given your team an ID.   Be the team that He wants you to be.