To let it roll or Plan it vigorously? (Spontaneous or thought out?)

            For many years, there have been many disputes within the church. Disagreements on what styles of music to play, appropriate dress attire, and general things about how a church service "should" be run. Although most of these aren't so important to defining our eternal salvation, there is still much to think about. We raise questions like is it better to thoroughly plan out all details of the entire service, or should we just be spontaneous and throw all plans out the window. I think it is good to find a balance of the two.

There are numerous things that planning can be good for, but there are also things it won't really help us with. Planning cannot replace our dependence on the Holy Spirit. Sometimes planning will hinder us from depending on the Savior through prayer and faith. We rely on our own plans without leaving open room for the Spirit to work through (Or take over when He needs to.) Our goals in planning should be to plan wisely, humbly, and prayerfully, fully expect that God may provide fresh and unexpected guidance during our meetings.

Planning can be profitable though. We must keep in mind that plans are meant to serve us, not rule over us. If done with the right mindset, planning can make more aware of our need of God to work through us. We must make our plans with Him calling the shots. In our uncertainty of our plans, we should be lead to pray for His guidance and wisdom. Plans can clarify what God has set up for us to accomplish. They can also help prepare team members for their contributions in all forms. It helps to really rehearse with all of your musicians, not just to play through the set list. It can be helpful to discuss the dynamics of the music with the musicians and it will give them a better understanding of what you want as a worship leader. 

Spontaneity is the flip side of planning. Bob Kauflin said, "If planning is classical music, spontaneity is jazz. Both are important for serving the church faithfully with our gifts." We want to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us in as many ways as possible so that He can affect people’s hearts and lives. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, it says, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." The Holy Spirit can and will work through anyone. 

If we are going to maintain a healthy tension of planning and spontaneity, we need to know how we can mature in our spontaneity to adhere to God's plans. First, we can't plan to do too much. When we try to overdue it in a limited time, our worship can become rushed and forced. Second, we must practice musical spontaneity alone. Just sing your prayers or make music to different scriptures that God is speaking to you with. Thirdly, work on spontaneity with your team. Practice with them so they can visibly see when you are going to do something unplanned. Lastly, practice spontaneity in rehearsal. It seems like it would defeat the purpose. But when you try something new in rehearsal, you prepare your team for it and you can try it out. This is a great idea incase it fails miserably. So we must find a healthy balance of planning and being spontaneous.