Before we planted Saints Community Church in New Orleans, my husband, Wayne, and I traveled for 15 years as youth evangelists. We were in all kinds of Assemblies of God churches. Some were legacy churches; others were recent plants. Some had many older people; others had a younger demographic. We visited rural, suburban, and urban settings, ministering to congregations of various sizes. We might have been in a church of 3,000 one week, and a church of 100 the next.

Despite the differences, we observed that healthy Pentecostal churches had one thing that cut across demographics: a dynamic culture of presence-driven worship. Regardless of a church’s size or style, the openness of the people to the movement of the Holy Spirit was what mattered most.

What are the hallmarks of a healthy Pentecostal worship culture? It’s fairly simple. First is a tangible sense of God’s presence.

In The Reward of Worship, Jack Hayford writes, “God is waiting for a human invitation to manifest himself, and worship is the means for inviting Him to do so.”

The second hallmark is that the majority of people participate in worship. They sing, clap, raise their hands, and join the synergy of what is happening in the room. When Wayne and I went to New York City as part of our sabbatical, we visited a number of churches, including Brooklyn Tabernacle.

We expected to hear the famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. But when we walked in a few minutes late, we heard 4,000 people — the entire congregation — enthusiastically singing. I had never experienced anything like it in my life.

Overcome with emotion, I said to Wayne, “Every person struggling with depression should come to this place. This is a place of healing.”

It wasn’t even about the church’s choir, impressive as it is. What moved me to tears was the congregation’s participation.

I know how challenging it can be to get everyone involved. It seemed easy when we were leading large, energetic youth events. But when we planted a church among new believers in a predominantly Catholic area eight years ago, it felt a bit like a crash landing.

Our band and singers were high energy and demonstrative. Why weren’t the people participating? I grew so frustrated during those first two years, I was biting my tongue weekly to keep from lambasting the congregation.

Praying sincerely that God would transform hearts and show us what to do, we realized we were falsely blaming the people. We had not been teaching them how to enter worship or fostering an environment that would make it easier for the congregation to do so.

We made significant changes to our priorities and our services and began to see breakthroughs that could only happen due to the presence of the Holy Spirit.

More recently, we merged with an older church. We have many faithful saints in our services who, over decades of church attendance, had grown unaccustomed to participating in worship. The lessons we’ve learned are helping them reengage as well.

I’ve also seen churches where the regular attenders are so caught up in a wildfire of extended worship that it creates an awkward environment for outsiders and wears the people out before they hear the Word.

When talking about healthy worship culture, many leaders immediately jump to excellence as the No. 1 priority. Yet I have observed many congregations passively listening to quality presentations from talented bands and dynamic worship leaders.

Worship leaders should see themselves as teachers, instructing and encouraging people.

As pastors and worship leaders, how can we strike a right balance and cultivate a healthy environment of presence-driven worship? Here are four things we’ve learned:

1. Teach and Encourage

If our people are not participating, it is often because no one has taught them. Perhaps they grew up in a more liturgical setting, or they may not have a church background at all. We cannot assume people know how to — or even that they should — participate.

Nothing discourages a crowd from worshipping like a leader who chastises them for their lack of participation. Worship leaders should see themselves as teachers, instructing and encouraging people.

Make a list of topics you could teach on in one-minute talks. For instance, why do we come together during worship? Why do we raise our hands? How do I sing in the Spirit?

These are a few examples of topics I cover briefly during worship. I repeat these lessons frequently. Then I give people a chance to put them into practice.

2. Time It Intentionally

We previously did three songs, for a total of about 18 minutes of worship. When we added a fourth song and went to 25 minutes, the change was dramatic. The extra time provided more space for the presence of the Holy Spirit to move.

Some leaders might be appalled that we worship for only half an hour. But in my experience, when the singing portion of the service goes longer, the people grow tired and have a harder time tuning in to the message. We can always create time at the end of the service to sing another song or call people forward.

3. Lean Into the Familiar

As a worship leader, I quickly tire of repetition. After leading a song four or five times, it begins to feel stale to me. But then I visit services at other churches and find it difficult to enter in because I don’t know any of the songs.

Church attendance patterns have changed in recent years, and COVID has made the situation even more complicated. Showing up for church twice a month is now considered faithful attendance. By the time I’m getting tired of a song, many people have only heard it once or twice.

Consequently, I repeat songs more often and do less new music. In every set, I try to include at least one song that is older than 10 years, and I often bring in hymns.

People slowly filtering back to Sunday mornings from months of absence will be unfamiliar with the music, even if they were watching online. I try not to do more than one or two new songs a month. It’s not about my listening pleasure. It is about our people being able to freely worship.

4. Lead by Example

How will people learn to worship if leaders are not modeling it from the pews? How can we expect the congregation to participate if we don’t do so ourselves?

Don’t let tasks and conversations that could happen at another time keep you from joining the congregation in worship. Take an active role in welcoming God’s presence.

We ask our pastors and leaders to come in at the beginning of the service and sit toward the front. It affects how others participate, from kids and youth to senior saints.

Leading by example extends beyond what people see on Sunday morning. It’s leading the call to prayer, even when we’re the only ones there. It’s pursuing God’s presence in secret places, so we lead others from a place of overflow.

Let’s lead our people from a heart of worship that invites God’s glory into the room.

This article appears in the April–June 2021 edition of Influence magazine.