Leading a Service: EmCee

First thing: wives are invited because even when the lesson don’t apply to you, you are a part of making your husbands ministry work.

The most unthought about aspect of a service is the Emcee or service leader.

We practice music, vocals, study, fast and pray for messages, pray about altar call songs.

And get up with little or no thought about the order of service and how to navigate the service.

What is the point of a service?

Worship? Singing? Offering? Preaching?

ALTAR CALL!!!

So everything we do, every word, song, every moment has to be lived out with the end in mind!

The service leader - emcee becomes the literal gate or valve to everything that service accomplishes.

Three things that have to be considered to make a service successful.

The pre service action

You should spend almost as much time preparing to lead the service as you spend getting ready to preach.

Fast, Pray

GREATEST UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR JOB AS AN EMCEE IS THE WORD TRANSITION.

Your job is to assure that each aspect of the service smoothly transitions from one thing to the next, into the altar call.

Smoothly goes from Open to Worship to Offering to Preached Word to Altar call to Dismissal and Deployment.

Gather information

What needs to happen in the service

What are the things that need to happen in every service?

Physical needs

Spiritual needs

What you do NOT need is a Word from God for the people!

Why?

THAT IS THE PREACHERS JOB!

Don’t sneak a preach!

The Service

Arrive 45 minutes early at least

Atmosphere and tone

You set the tone/atmosphere and direction for the service.

Are you a cowboy or a shepherd?

Do you drive or lead

Remember you are not the preacher, cheerleader, cowboy

You are the Master of ceremonies!

Don’t preach BUT give time for response!

Open with a song or call to action.

Don’t harass the people

Don’t make demands on the people

Don’t sneak a preach

You don’t have a word for the congregation - THAT IS WHY THE PREACHER IS THERE!

Don’t take longer than 2 minutes and let worship begin!

Be positive! Give direction! Set the tone and atmosphere.

Example: When you talked to the worship leader (and looked on FaithTeams) and find out the opening song Healer in the House so your opening remarks could be: “Praise God everyone! As you stand, turn to your neighbor and give them a high five and tell them Jesus is about to heal you TONIGHT!”

Have the conversation with the music teams and let them know, here’s my opening statement…

What is after worship?

Offering

Be ready with the mic in your hand as last song begins to come to an end.

Lead in the direction that the song and worship have taken the congregation.

If people are worshiping, lead them farther into worship.

If it continues, confer with the Pastor and or Preacher.

Follow the steps you just discussed.

If people are just endearing and you can’t move them quickly, more on!

You’re up there to take the offering! Do it!

Set up the offering song, testimony, or whatever is next.

The after service action

Watch yourself and give yourself an honest critique

Look for things to do better

Watch for overused sayings, terms or phrases

Watch for tiring or offensive gestures

Read the crowd