“Live Your Purpose” Those are the words that permeated California Baptist University’s mission as a Christian institution. There is purpose in the prayers before classes, the Bible study groups on campus, and the Resident Advisor one-on-ones.
CBU’s purpose is to glorify God, and the faculty live that out through these practices. Samuel Byun, senior applied theology major, explained that for Chapel and Spiritual Life night’s worship at CBU, worship leaders structured that time to “… [attribute] glory and honor to God.”
Initially, many assumed worship leaders just sang: they might quote a few Scriptures between songs or hit a higher note when the Spirit led. Yet, there was much more than just vocals that went into the preparation of a service.
First, the intention of worship had to be clear. Dr. Chessa Williams, assistant professor of worship arts and ministry, defined worship as “… our Holy Spirit-enabled response to God’s revelation.”
According to Williams, Chapel and Spiritual Life leaders hold the unique position of ministering to a mixed congregation of Christians and non-Christians. Therefore, they maintained an evangelistic mindset when curating their productions.
Tori Hitchcock, senior music major and member of the CBU Chapel worship team, explained that the team often selected songs to engage the audience and carried a meaningful message.
“We’ve chosen songs that are more mainstream and easier to play, but they also have a powerful message and help create an environment of ‘Who is this guy named Jesus? What is this that we’re singing about?’” Hitchcock said.
Another important practice for worship leaders is finding the balance between delivering an engaging performance and maintaining genuine sincerity in worship.
Williams explained this goal was accomplished by ensuring “… the Word of God is heard and cherished by the people who are there.”
Byun, who led worship at various churches since he was 12, suggested reviewing the pastor’s notes and crafting a set list of songs around its themes to “create… a readiness to hear the message.”
Williams shared her process of preparation: “I have as many commentaries open as I can,” she said. “I’m endeavoring to understand the text, and I’m in ongoing conversations… about what it means.” Ultimately, “… planning worship is an active discipleship” unto the congregation, Williams said.
This was why worship leaders have the responsibility to not only provide people the words to sing about God but also to create opportunities to respond—whether through a Scripture or a song.
When sermon notes were not provided, the worship team or director took the opportunity to prayerfully and intentionally select songs that would inspire and guide the hearts of the congregation while staying true to biblical truth.
“It’s a super intentional and important thing,” Hitchcock said. “[Because we’re] there to steward the congregation.”
Typically, a set had three songs, Hitchcock explained, each with a different purpose: the first song declared who God is and what He’s done (such as “Jehovah” by Elevation Worship, a frequent Chapel tune); the second song was reflective, focusing on how the congregation could better understand who God is (i.e., “Trust in God” by Elevation Worship); the third and closing song reflected the congregation’s understanding of who God is and what He will do (i.e., “Holy Forever” by Chris Tomlin).
Song selection is crucial because “songs are the things that get stuck in your head,” Hitchcock said, emphasizing that leaders needed to ask how these songs would steward the heart of the message that day and whether they were biblically sound.
Moreover, Byun pointed to the Psalms as an excellent example of what a worship service should look like: “… You see each psalmist remembering what God has done and praising Him for that and then praising Him for things He’s doing at the moment, and then future praise,” he said.
Williams referenced Romans 12:1-3 as the standard for each worship team: “Paul says that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, and everything… is.” Thus, each member of the band and production team was responsible for performing their roles unto the Lord, whether that meant creating beautiful harmonies or drumming on the beat.
“Music is an instrument, for lack of a better term, to worship Christ,” Hitchcock said.
Every step of the preparation process for Chapel or Spiritual Life nights was an act of worship. From vocals to song selection, Spiritual Life held the responsibility to lead its congregations in worship practically, living out CBU’s purpose: glorifying God.
