Should I write songs for my church?
We are living in one of the greatest eras for music creation! Never before has there been so much access to great music. Every day, new singles, new albums are released and keeping up with all the new stuff coming out is getting harder to do.
So many amazing new songs are being written and sung all over the world. Songs like "What a beautiful Name", "Do it Again", "Waymaker” and "Reckless Love" have changed the worship landscape. It's unifying the Church with a corporate and global anthem as Sunday after Sunday churches worldwide sing these songs.
But you don't have to wait for the next new song to be released to add to your set list. God is speaking uniquely to your church, to your congregation and to your community. There is a Word of life, healing and deliverance that is custom made for your church. Jesus said, "he that has ears, let him hear." Holy Spirit is speaking to you, through your pastor and through your life experiences; it's time to use those messages and turn them into a song.
Here are 3 Steps to get you started writing songs for your church!
1. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SUNDAY OR MID-WEEK SERVICE:
The messages preached week after week can be used as content to start your songwriting process. Your pastor or leader has spent time studying the Word of God to deliver a relevant message to your church. There's so much you can glean from just one message. Be creative with your notes, use mind mapping strategies to jot down key phrases, ideas, and tips. Particularly if there is a series being taught, jot down notes from all the messages of the series. If you miss a week or can't attend a particular service, delegate one of your team members to jot down notes. Also, encourage them to join you in taking notes. You'll be surprised at the different perspectives that will show up in the note taking process. Coming together as a team to write the song is powerful. Remember, you are intentionally listening more deeply to hear the heart of God in the words you capture.
2. PIECE IT TOGETHER
Once you have all the notes together, set time aside to piece together ideas and recurring themes in the notes. The hardest part of the song is the first line but once it's written, your ideas will flow from it. Find the main theme of the message and reserve that for your chorus. Your notes will dictate which parts are left for the verses and for the bridge should you want to add one. Your goal is to bring the ideas and phrases to life, lyrically. Don't settle for a line simply because it rhymes. Challenge yourself to tell the story of the song in a lyrical manner. For example, if the message is about the kingship of Jesus, avoid writing something rhymy like "Jesus is King, ruler of everything." It's not a terrible line but it does sound a bit cliche. Be creative with your words, phrases and sentences. Pick one of your favorite worship songs and look at the lyrical structure. Use it as a model for your song.
After you've taken a stab at the first draft, show your work to some of your team members. Allow them to comment and add to your lyrics. Remember your goal is not to finish the lyrics and leave as is. Test them and make sure what you've written ties well with the message. Look for better ways to say what you have to say, use shorter and stronger phrases to express a sentiment, a declaration or an affirmation.
Finally, work on a melody that serves the lyric. Explore and try different types of melodies that will bring the best in your song. If you're a musician, you can explore so much, just have fun and don't get tied to the first melody you play. If you're a singer but don't play an instrument, collaborate with a fellow musician and have fun coming up with a melody then begin to arrange the song. Introduce the song to your singers and iron-out harmony and instrumental parts.
3. SING YOUR SONG!
Once you're satisfied with the lyric and melody, introduce the song to your singers or worship team members. After you’ve worked out and arranged the song with your worship team, you’ve rehearsed harmony parts and believe the song is complete—jump out in faith and release that song over your congregation! Yes, it’s a bit nerve-wracking singing an original song. Your church might be accustomed to singing the songs from well-known worship ministries, like Maverick City Music, Bethel, Elevation Music, etc. Just remember, those teams also started by writing songs for their church. Be sure to introduce the song as an original and let them know that you wrote it for them. They will embrace it as their song too.
Don't worry if your song doesn't go viral first time around and land a Dove or Grammy Award. Be geniune...be yourself and know that the Father is honored when you use your gifts for His Glory. Now, go get started on that song!
Thanks for taking time to read this guide! I pray it helps you get started writing songs for your church. I’d love to hear from you when you’ve written your first song. ☺
Love,
MRJ