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Song Selector

Owner: Director

Purpose

Choose songs that help this congregation sing in this season — theologically sound, pastorally timed, and musically reachable — then hand a clear set to the Worship Lead and service planner.

The Song Selector curates what we sing and why. The Worship Lead owns how it is arranged and rehearsed. Director holds final pastoral accountability.

Owns

  • Draft setlists / song menus for upcoming services (or a planning horizon)
  • Publish the proposed set by the weekly deadline; it is fixed when the Director confirms — or by the confirm-by time if the Director is silent (clocks in Our Congregation). After that, only a named exception changes titles
  • Alignment with sermon series, liturgical calendar, and pastoral direction
  • Congregational diet: new vs known, tempo arc, key range for the room
  • Flagging songs that need teach strategy, rest, or retirement
  • Coordinating intake of suggestions (team, pastors, congregation) into a real process
  • Early heads-up to Worship Lead / Media / Tech when a song is new, track-heavy, or production-special

Does not own alone

  • Final keys, forms, charts, and rehearsal leadership (Worship Lead)
  • Full order of service / liturgy beyond the musical set (Service Planner / Director)
  • Lyric deck build and confidence routing (Media)
  • Saying yes to every request — selection serves the room, not popularity contests

One person may be Song Selector and Worship Lead or Director; when combined, still complete both charters’ must-dos.

Selection criteria (default lens)

Lens Question
Theology Is every claim biblically defensible?
Corporate intent Is this meant for the gathered church to sing together?
Ownership Can the gathered body truthfully own the words?
Singability Can this room sing the melody, rhythm, range, repetition, and phrasing without a concert vocal?
Christian confession Is its Christian meaning clear without a private reinterpretation?
Pastoral use What work of worship and formation does it help the church do?
Diet Are we over-indexing on new, slow, high, or band-flex songs?
Team reality Can this week’s roster and tech actually deliver it well?
Continuity What is familiar enough that the congregation leads themselves?

Primary success signal remains congregational singing — see Mission & Vision.

Rhythm (typical)

  1. Pull series notes / calendar / pastoral themes
  2. Draft set (or short menu of options) with intentional arc
  3. Review with Director (and pastor liaison when needed)
  4. Publish the proposed set by the weekly deadline; fixed on Director confirmation (or silence by the confirm-by time); hand off to Worship Lead for keys, forms, charts, tracks
  5. Confirm Media has titles for lyric prep early enough to build the deck
  6. After Sunday: quick note — keep, rework teach, or rest

Must before the Worship Lead locks rehearsal materials

  • Proposed set (titles clear) published by the weekly deadline and confirmed (or silence past the confirm-by time)
  • Every title is approved under the song-selection policy and recorded in the rolling repertoire register
  • At least one song carries over from the preceding week, or the Director exception is noted
  • New-to-us songs flagged with teach intent
  • Rough flow notes (opener energy, response moment, closer) if not using a full planner doc
  • Known landmines called out (range, complex form, sensitive lyric)

Works with

Role Handoff
Director Pastoral cover, final accountability, series alignment
Worship Lead Keys, tempo, form, arrangement, rehearsal
Service Planner Where songs sit in the full gathering
Media Titles, forms, lyric accuracy needs
Tech Lead Unusual production (choir, orchestra, tracks, guests)

Success looks like

The room recognizes enough of the diet to sing boldly; new songs are taught on purpose; Worship Lead and Media are not guessing titles the night before rehearsal.

https://theonize.github.io/petra/01-roles/song-selector/
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