5 Practical Tips For Leading Worship In Small Groups

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For the first church in the Book of Acts, worship in small groups was common practice. It was new to them, but it became their normal mode of operation. This was how they did life together on a daily basis. They studied the Word, they ate meals, and they worshiped together in homes around dinner tables and living room spaces.

Our modern-day church is once again grasping the value of believers gathering not just corporately, but also on a small scale in intimate settings to have Bible study and meaningful worship. We are realizing that small groups are more than just checking a box for a mid-week get-together – they are an opportunity to create a holy moment where at least two or three are gathered.

The Importance Of Worship In Small Groups

When we keep the concept of worshiping together in small groups alive we become more like that first Body of Christ in the Book of Acts. We create unity in the local assembly. We share holy moments together outside of the four walls of the church building. We grow together. Gathering as the collective Body of Christ to worship is vital to the health of a church, but when the formalities of a Sunday gathering are peeled away from a time of worship – what we are left with is often a pure experience in its rawest form. No performance, no glitz or glam, no applause – just worship. 

Small Group Worship Vs. Worshiping With The Whole Church Body

Spiritual growth can happen just as easily, if not more so, in small group settings as it can in larger gatherings on Sunday where believers might be focused on meeting new people, keeping their kids’ clothes clean, or the role they’ve been scheduled to serve in on that day.

In small groups, where group members know one another and allow the Holy Spirit to flow freely, people can sometimes more easily let their guard down and become vulnerable with one another and with The Lord. As a small group leader and/or worship leader, you have an opportunity to create a safe place for people to go deeper in worship than they might feel comfortable going in a larger-scale worship gathering.

Corporate worship is beautiful and there’s nothing else quite like it on this earth. It’s the closest to heaven we can achieve in this life. A multitude of voices lifted together in worship – whether that multitude for your small church is 25 people or 95 people – cannot be replaced with anything more lovely this side of eternity. Take that down to a handful of voices, though, that are being still and pouring out with no cheerleading from a worship team on a platform, and watch how easily the Holy Spirit floods the room.

Let’s take a look at 5 practical tips for leading worship in a small group setting. 

5 Tips For Leading Worship In Small Groups

1. Keep It Simple 

We don’t need six instruments at small group to have beautiful worship. If your small group has plenty of musicians then the more the merrier, but you can lead worship effectively in an intimate setting with an acoustic guitar or no instrument at all. Leading worship isn’t about being backed by the band and it’s not even about leading in song – it’s about leading people into the presence of the Lord with presence of mind and a heart that’s leaned into a sole focus of glorifying God in the moment.

So don’t worry about trying to make the song set elaborate. Don’t try to sing songs that normally have three drum solos. Instead, choose easily followed songs that don’t require a lot of pomp and circumstance to execute. Choose songs that work in a stripped-down environment and get quickly to a heart of worship. God is not offended by simplicity. In fact, I personally believe, He finds value in it because it makes the situation (whatever that may be) more about Him and less about us. Simple is good. 

2. Know Your Group

It’s important to have some idea of the demographic that will be present at small group. Are your group members coming from backgrounds that will appreciate country gospel selections over contemporary Christian selections? Will they lean in more with songs they hear on current Christian radio stations or with songs pulled from hymnals? I don’t suggest in any way that you make assumptions in this area, but rather that you have conversations about their experience with worship and what styles are near and dear to their hearts.

You might not be able to touch on everyone’s preferences in the group at the same time if the styles vary wildly, but knowing your group’s worship style can help you create a more engaged small group worship time by choosing worship songs that are basically in their wheelhouse already. New songs are great and we will talk about that, but selecting a worship genre that speaks to your group can help you tremendously. 

3. Introduce New Songs Wisely

Small group settings can be a terrific place to introduce new songs to your local assembly. If your church has multiple small groups taking place throughout the month then connect with the other small group worship leaders and get on the same page for introducing a new song before it’s shared in a Sunday gathering. This will help a decent portion of your congregation to already be familiar with the song beforehand and encourage more engagement than you might usually get with a brand new song selection. 

We want to introduce these new songs with wisdom, though. Make sure the song fits the culture of your church. Don’t just throw your favorite songs into rotation for the sake of your own pleasure. Make sure the tone and style of your selections are cohesive to your overall repertoire for your music department. It can be wonderful to step outside of your church’s comfort zone with music here and there in regard to style, but it’s wise to make sure the message is in line with the focus of your general church culture. 

While you might have a great appreciation for a drum led music style, if your church isn’t in that place then your selections won’t encourage worship and will very possibly leave a moment you hoped would be holy instead falling flat. If you’re keeping it simple and you know your group, then with prayer and study of new songs you should be able to introduce songs that will fit beautifully for your small group worship time and help your group members to connect with The Lord. 

4. Make Leading The Worship Time Inclusive

Sitting around the dining table or coffee table can be the perfect opportunity to invite others into the role of leading worship. Ask for new voices or musicians to join you as you lead people through a couple of songs of praise and worship for the evening. Let people exercise that muscle of leading. You will get a glimpse of both their talent and their heart for leading worship.

For some, small group may be the extent that they choose to ever assist in leading worship, but for others, you may help develop their gifting in a ‘safe’ environment. No spotlights, only a few sets of eyes on them, and the comfort of a home or side room of the church to ease the nerves.

Once you feel any level of confidence in someone who is helping you out in this area you can even give them the liberty to select a song or two to try out – pointing them back to that use of wisdom in introducing new song selections. This can bring songs onto your radar that you might not have otherwise considered or even ever heard of in your searches. Giving people room and opportunity to grow can be a blessing not only to them but to you as well! 

5. Saturate Everything In Prayer

Ultimately, we want everything we do to be covered in prayer. Whether we are cleaning the church, teaching Sunday School, or leading worship in small groups – everything is to be done to the glory of God and it cannot be done to the glory of God if we aren’t inviting Him in through prayer.

Every time we lead worship, no matter the setting, we need to saturate our hearts and minds in prayer. We need to pray through our song selections. We need to ask The Lord for guidance in the flow of our song set, be it three songs or eight. We need to allow songs we want to pull into rotation to be marinated in prayer for days and even weeks in our own home and day to day life. 

Nothing we do as worship leaders should be done flippantly. We have a great privilege and awesome responsibility being tasked with ushering people into the presence of Almighty God. Philippians 4:6 tells us to pray about everything. Let our small groups and leading them in worship be no exception.

Let us pray to keep our hearts pure as music ministers. Let us pray to bless the heart of God when we do lead. Let us pray to encourage others in their worship experience in our gatherings. Let us pray without ceasing. If leading worship is done in the flesh it accomplishes nothing and can, in some instances, be harmful. If leading worship is done through the power of the Holy Spirit by prayer, however small the setting, it can be life-changing.

Leading Worship Is An Honor

It’s important that we never take for granted any opportunity to connect people with our Savior. I’ve led worship in rooms with four people (including myself) and I’ve led worship in rooms with hundreds. The goal is always the same – to bring heaven down to earth through genuine pouring out of self and inviting the Lord to make His home in our praise. It can happen effectively and beautifully with no music at all, at the dining room table, no words on a screen or colored lights to be seen. 

Worship has everything to do with the posture of our heart as we sing any meaningful words of adoration to our God. When we make room for self to decrease and God to increase – where even two or three are gathered in His name – He is there in our midst. So keep it simple, know your group and serve them well. Introduce new songs with wisdom and give others an opportunity to grow and serve alongside you in this area. Saturate everything that you do in prayer as you lead worship in small groups that God may have His way and His Kingdom may come through you. 

Read More:

Different Ways To Worship God And Why They’re All Important 

I’m The New Worship Leader, Now What? 

Thoughts To Share With Your Worship Team