There are a lot of things I could add to this list, but these are the consistent filters I use when putting together the set list for the weekend. I hope this helps you in your planning process.

10- Pick sing-able songs. Thinking of everyone in the congregation. Is it in a comfortable key for both men and women? Is it too wordy?

9. Pick familiar songs. We tire of songs at a faster rate than the rest of our church. Don’t ever overlook the win of familiarity.

8. Pick songs that include the Trinity. I’m not talking about the actual word “trinity”, think of how you are balancing the God-head (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) in your set.

7. Try to parallel the message theme into your worship. Sometimes this is easy and sometimes its super difficult. Don’t waste hours on this- if the themes are hard to pair, trust that the Holy Spirit will work through your planning.

6. Look for places to insert scripture. Whether you read it aloud, as a congregation, or you put some scripture on the screen during an instrumental, always lean on God’s word during your set.

5. Think through transitions. Are there a couple songs that you can do in the same key to help with the transition? Or use relative keys that will help with this- Example going from Em to Bb works great.

4. Think through your prayers. There is nothing worse than a worship leader who rambles because they didn’t prepare- Take some time to ask God to lead you and give you a general idea of what to pray for. If it helps you to write it out, do so.

3. Mix Fast, Medium and Slow songs. Although I don’t agree with getting so strict on your routine that you can’t mix it up- I do think that finding a good flow as your constant is a good thing.

2. Never introduce more than 1 song per weekend. Again, familiarity is key.

1. Start by asking God what HE wants to hear. We always need to remember that we worship God to bring him glory. The blessing we experience should never be the focal point. We need to move from thinking that says “what can I get out of worship”?