Why Songwriting?

I sat in the senior pastor’s office as we hammered out the details of the 12-month coaching program we were beginning with their leaders. Something he said, so flippantly, still haunts me after ten years.

We discussed some of the growth areas for their worship leaders, and he said, “Some of them fancy themselves songwriters, and I know they just want to use our church as their platform to get famous.”

I wish I were making this up.

Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater! Might there be some areas of unchecked ambition or selfish motivation in these leaders as they engage in songwriting? Of course. They are humans. But does this mean that any church or worship leader who wants to write songs for their local worship services is way off base? Absolutely not!

Fast forward to a conversation I had last year with Judah Bartch, who leads the Ablaze School of Worship. One of the exercises that their students engage in is songwriting. I asked him why they include this, and his answer really impressed me.

1. Songwriting elevates your sensitivity to what good lyrics are, rather than just singing the latest new song. When you craft your own lyrics, you become a student of lyrics and will choose better songs that others have written.
2. Songwriting elevates your authority because you’re not always repeating someone else’s revelation - you have some of your own. It’s wonderful to broadcast what others have experienced of God, but it’s even more powerful to share what you’ve learned from Him in your secret place.
3. Songwriting elevates your worship team from a cover band to a band with something to say, a personal message to carry. I love the Church and the songs it produces, and I am also part of that Church. Our team has something worth saying.

Those are good reasons for you to start or keep writing songs with your local church. Who cares if they never see the light of day outside your four walls? They will be a blessing to your congregation. I can testify that the songs our church’s team has written are a significant blessing to us.

Are you writing as a worship team? What do you need to strengthen your efforts?

One thing I’ll offer is that Matt and Kim Goss are teaching a breakout at the April 18th worship workshop on “Songwriting as a Spiritual Discipline.”

I really want to encourage songwriting at both the personal and team levels!

-Dave Helmuth
Author of the Five Faders and Founder of Ad Lib Music

Why Songwriting (Nº 472)