Song Selector Quick Reference¶
Owner: Director
📄 Download the two-page PDF — rebuilt automatically on every change.
Two pages for the person who decides what we sing and why. Every line points into the skeleton; if this sheet and the linked page disagree, the linked page wins. Clocks: Our Congregation.
The job in three lines¶
- You curate what we sing and why — theologically sound, pastorally timed, musically reachable for this room (Song Selector).
- The Worship Lead owns how — keys, forms, charts, rehearsal — published by the keys/charts deadline (Worship Lead).
- You propose; the Director confirms — silence by the confirm-by time counts as confirmed. After that only a named exception changes titles (Scope & Authority).
Success: 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. If you also wear the Worship Lead or Director hat, complete both charters.
Weekly rhythm¶
- Pull series notes, calendar, pastoral themes
- Draft the set (or a short menu) with an intentional arc — opener energy, response moment, closer
- Review with the Director (pastor when a lyric is sensitive)
- Publish the proposed set by the weekly deadline; it is fixed on confirmation (or silence past the confirm-by time); hand off to the Worship Lead for keys, forms, charts, tracks
- Confirm Media has titles early enough to build the deck; flag anything new, track-heavy, or production-special to Worship Lead / Media / Tech Lead
- After Sunday: keep, rework the teach, or rest — one line in the register
Rehearsal may amend keys, forms, arrangements, and cues; wholesale song replacement is an exception you or the Director lead, not a rehearsal habit (Rehearsal Standards).
Must before the Worship Lead locks rehearsal materials¶
- Proposed set published by the deadline and confirmed (or silence past the confirm-by time)
- Every title passes the policy and is in the rolling repertoire register
- At least one carryover from last week — or the Director exception is noted with a reason
- New-to-us songs flagged with teach intent; landmines called out (range, complex form, sensitive lyric)
- Rough flow notes if no full planner doc
Use the Setlist Worksheet; it carries the policy checklist and the repertoire count.
Six core criteria — every song passes all six¶
| # | Criterion | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biblically defensible theology | Faithful to Scripture in context; nothing the church must excuse or privately reinterpret? |
| 2 | Corporate-worship intent | Made for the gathered church to sing together, not to hear performed? |
| 3 | Congregational ownership | Can the gathered body truthfully say these words together? |
| 4 | Congregational singability | Can an untrained voice on row 12 sing it in the published key — melody, rhythm, range, repetition, phrasing? |
| 5 | Clear Christian confession | Unmistakably the God and gospel of the Christian faith — not generic transcendence or romance? |
| 6 | Pastoral usefulness | What work of worship and formation does it help this congregation do now? |
Plus: repertoire fit (adds a function, not a duplicate) and team stewardship (this week’s roster can deliver it). Source: Song Selection Policy.
What we avoid, and the rules around it¶
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| 50-title rolling ceiling | No more than 50 distinct titles sung in the trailing 12 months — seasonal titles count; Rest/Archive titles count until they age out; “resting” a song does not free a slot today. A maximum, not a target |
| We avoid secular / generic love songs | In the worship set — a lyric that is only Christian once the leader explains it. Walk-in/transition music is a separate programming call |
| We avoid singing in God’s voice | The room singing continuously as God (“I, the Lord, say…”). Sung Scripture with a clear speaker cue is a leadership call |
| Week-to-week continuity | Carry at least one song from the preceding service; meaningful repeat over token repeat; Director may waive — record why |
| Theology-sensitive lyrics | Go to pastoral oversight before use |
| Exceptions | Director may grant a one-service exception to the defaults. The two avoidances are not the Director’s alone: Director with pastoral oversight may make a documented exception. Record every exception on the worksheet; if it recurs, revise the policy openly |
Add your church’s own “we allow / we avoid” rows in Our Congregation so the gray areas are owned locally.
Repertoire-shaping defaults¶
- One unfamiliar song at a time per service
- Teach through repetition — plan the next uses before the first; ~3 outings in 6–8 weeks
- Known songs carry new songs — most of each set is already owned by the room
- Prefer durable over newly released or currently popular
- Cover the whole Christian vocabulary across the year — adoration, creation, incarnation, cross, resurrection and reign, Spirit, confession, assurance, thanksgiving, lament, petition, mission, communion, baptism, hope
- Balance pronouns — teach the church to sing we, address one another, tell what God has done
- Let text govern treatment; rest songs on purpose; evaluate fruit, not applause
- Licensing and lyric accuracy still apply (Licensing)
New-song gate (before a title enters Trial)¶
Record in the Annual Repertoire Register:
- Six criteria confirmed in writing · line-by-line lyric review with Scripture references and concerns
- Fits under the 50-title ceiling · named function the repertoire lacks
- Congregation-friendly key and teach strategy agreed with the Worship Lead · second and third outings scheduled
- In the licensed catalog (or rights cleared) · Director approval; pastoral review if theology-sensitive
Lifecycle & review rhythm¶
Scout → Trial → Core → Rest → Archive (Song Lifecycle). You own what enters and which titles this week; Worship Lead owns arrangement/rehearsal; Media/Tech Lead owns support; keep/rework/rest is a joint call after 2–3 outings.
| Cadence | Do |
|---|---|
| Per service | Carryover present or exception recorded; each title’s stage known; every title in the register |
| Quarterly | Count titles sung in the trailing 12 months; review participation, over-repetition, neglected themes, range, season; move titles deliberately |
| Annually | Full repertoire review with pastoral oversight; doctrinal alignment and gaps in sung theology; publish next year’s core list with room under the ceiling |
Handoffs¶
Director — proposed set, exceptions with reasons, register count · Worship Lead — confirmed titles, teach intent, landmines · Service Planner — where songs sit · Media — titles and forms early · Tech Lead — choir, orchestra, tracks, guests.
Where to look¶
| Need | Page |
|---|---|
| Charter, policy, lifecycle, who decides | Scope & Authority · Song Selector · Song Selection Policy · Song Lifecycle |
| Templates · keys, charts, licensing | Setlist Worksheet · Annual Repertoire Register · Charts, Keys & Tempos · Licensing |
