What are the 5 Pillars of Corporate Worship?

When understood and stewarded well, there are five pillars of corporate worship that result in transformative & transcendent corporate worship.

I've mentioned this before, but as worship leaders, "we unite the worship of a congregation."  

We don't worship FOR the congregation. We worship WITH them.

WE are there for one reason: to bring focus and structure to what otherwise would be a couple of hundred people singing their own song, in their own key at various tempos...

We exist to unite what would otherwise be chaotic. We unite THEIR worship—assuming they've come to offer it. We unite the people who have gathered to minister to the Lord.

We also inspire and help them offer it by giving them the means to express their worship. Worship liturgies vary - but music/singing is a big part of our worship expression. The music becomes a vehicle for their praise.

When they praise in one accord, cool things begin to happen. There is an increased awareness of His presence in our midst. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. 

We've already covered the primary three Ps of worship: People, Praise, and His Presence. There are two other P's: 

These people typically gather in a place: a basement, a living room, a school gym, a small sanctuary, a mega church, a stadium, a massive empty field, underground hideouts, or on live TV. We gather—in a place. 

The place, on the one hand, doesn't matter as much as the other P's, but it does impact us. Who can get lost in worship when the room smells like sewage, the sound system is too loud, or the roof leaks? The place is the environment that will help or hinder the intentions of those who gather.

Finally, the person—the one(s) who stands before the people and leads. "Who" is leading us makes a difference. Some people are really good at ushering us into a place of encounter, but many are still figuring things out. Who we are, our beloved identity and view of God, our history with God, our skils and experience, our confidence, our health and current mental state all factor into how effectively we can lead the gathering before us.

Those are the 5 P's:

•  The Person you are

• The People in your community

• The Place you gather

• The Praise you offer together

• The Presence you corporately encounter

Getting these 5 Ps dialed into the call of the Lord for your church is how we best serve Him as local church worship leaders.

I, a beloved PERSON of God, lead the PEOPLE of God, who gather in the PLACE of God, to release the PRAISES of God and thereby encounter the PRESENCE of God together.

In short: 

Which P are you good at? 

Which P needs the most improvement?

Each of these P's deserves a deep, deep dive - and we can explore them all together in the "We Lead Worship" community and upcoming podcast.

I could use your help!

We Lead Worship is a community of presence-based worship leaders and artists that I plan on launching in April.

To get a community off the ground, we need a few founding members to help decorate the house and get it ready for guests. I’d love it if you would consider being a founding member. If you enjoy connecting with people and building something new - I’d love to hear from you.