When we gather for congregational worship, we usually spend most of our time staring at the backs of the heads of the people sitting in front of us. Singing this way feels safer, because it seems like no one is looking at us while we sing. But in a small group, we often face each other. Something changes when we’re invited to worship in a small group setting. Suddenly our safe, intimate time with our God becomes a spotlight on our off-key, sour-pitch performance.

When the environment of worship changes, our style of worship should change with it. Here’s my five-step reflection on leading small group worship in a way that minimizes the awkward “Don’t look at me” syndrome.

1. Choose to either (a) sing something familiar, or (b) provide lyrics of something familiar. Notice, in both instances, the songs selected are familiar to the group. Learning new music is awkward. And that queezy feeling multiplies when we’re in a small group setting. If I introduce new music to a small group, I try to keep it simple, make it short, and if at all possible, sing with an echo (I sing a line, then you repeat).

Read the next four steps on the TIPS page at http://www.ShapingWorship.com