From Dan Ferguson serving in Titusville, FL
QUESTION:Addressing Stage Presence
How do you address the issue of stage presence without coming across as though you are more concerned about the way things look on stage than authentic worship?
RICK MUCHOW:
The Worship Leader exists to support the function of worship and guide the worship team. Stage presence during worship is very important to address. We need to teach our worship teams how to be seen in order to encourage the congregation to engage in worship. There are three core areas to focus on in addressing stage presence: 1) casting vision, 2) eliminating distractions, and 3) being authentic.
CAST VISION
To address the issue of stage presence is to be clear about the purpose of our lead worshippers in congregational worship. Our role as a worship team is to connect the congregation to God, then stay out of their way. The philosophy of ministry of your church, including the role of worship, should be taught and reinforced at every worship team meeting, rehearsal, prayer, before services and at opportunities between services. Constant, gentle but clear reminders are necessary to keep the team on track. It’s not something that can be communicated and established in a single one-time meeting and then forgotten about.
ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
There are many possible distractions that can occur on the stage. Inappropriate movement can be a distraction. Natural movement is the goal. The best policy for movement is to move only as needed. For example, looking directly into people’s eyes when we are singing to God is unnecessary movement. Nervous movement is also very distracting. Address the nervous causes to remove the issue. Look at movement that doesn’t match the mood on stage. Coordinate movement to avoid distracting situations like having three vocalists on stage with one vocalist jumping while the other two are standing still.
Rehearse entrances and exits. Make sure people know when to walk on/off, and do so as a group. Be sure the team members know where to go, how to get there, and when/how to get off stage. Be quick and avoid stage wandering. I have someone cue the singers about when and where to go. Tape on the stage to “mark” team member’s spots is helpful when there are many entrances and exits during one service. When a song has ended, I have asked my soloists to quickly acknowledge the audience, but not to stand and wait for response. Bowing, however common, is inappropriate for a worship service.
For churches that broadcast or tape the service, the director/producer needs to visualize the movement and instruct anyone that will be on the platform. No one on stage should ever cross a camera angle while entering. For example, never cross behind the pastor while he is speaking.
Personal appearance can be a distraction. Every member of the worship team should be putting the focus on God through their personal appearance. The worship team should appear as an ensemble with a uniformed look. It doesn’t matter if that is achieved by choir robes or with clothing that blends in. Personal appearance should not draw attention to any individual on the platform. At Saddleback, the choir wears black, and for special occasions we vary the color such as jewel tones or Earth tones. As I write this, for this week’s services our singers have been asked to wear solids, no jeans, nice casual but not too casual.
Lack of confidence can be a distraction. Lack of confidence can spring from several causes including being unprepared, a lack of skill, or from a fear of being in front of people. Singers and musicians MUST know their words and learn their music. Many singers struggle with words. The worship team members need to be free to express their hearts of worship, which can only happen after they know the songs. The music itself can get in the way if the worship team member isn’t comfortable with the music. David putting on Saul’s armor comes to mind. Saul’s armor served Saul very well, but there was no way that little David the shepherd boy could use it. He just was not prepared to wear it, physically by size or by strength and had he tried, the armor would have hurt David rather than protected him in his efforts against Goliath. Songs not well rehearsed are uncomfortable to sing and equally a hindrance to team members trying to lead a congregation in worship.
BE AUTHENTIC
Forced emotion contributes to poor stage presence. We’ve all seen a faked smile. We’ve probably all faked a smile… Don’t force emotion. Emotion is a powerful communicator, and forced emotion is likewise a powerful detractor from your communication. Ask the singers and the band to think about their relationship with God and let the music filter through. Ask them “How has God changed your life? What does this message mean to you?” As opposed to performing a song, we need to make the song a vehicle for us to express our personal relationships with and to God. Think about those who are receiving the message and how important it is that they understand how much God loves them, how the Holy Spirit can change their lives, how God has changed yours and most importantly that He is worthy of our worship and we are commanded to worship Him.
Christ’s presence in someone’s life will be their greatest treasure, nothing else compares to that. An effective Worship Leader spends more time worshipping off the stage then on it. There is a great verse in The Message that helps us to focus on the motivation for being a lead worshipper. In 2 Cor. 3:16-18 it says, “Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are--face to face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”
