Let the People Sing

One of my favorite moments from this year’s SBCMC Conference happened long before the final song was sung.

It wasn’t a musical arrangement.
It wasn’t a production element.
It wasn’t even a keynote message.

It was a simple idea.

Let the people sing.

Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with our friend Scott Connell to talk about a new ministry he is launching, and the conversation reminded us of why this message matters so much. After decades of serving the local church as a worship pastor, Scott has become deeply convinced that one of the greatest opportunities before us is helping our congregations recover the biblical practice of singing together.

For many years, worship leaders have worked hard to build excellent worship ministries. We’ve invested in musicians, technology, rehearsals, arrangements, production, and planning meaningful worship experiences. Those things certainly have value.

But somewhere along the way, many churches unintentionally shifted the focus from the congregation participating in worship to the congregation experiencing worship.

Scott shared that over the past several years he began reading Scripture with fresh eyes and noticed something he had overlooked. Again and again, God’s Word calls His people to sing. Not just choirs. Not just worship teams. Not just gifted musicians.

Everyone.

There are no exception clauses attached to those commands.

As Scott explained during our interview, many believers have quietly accepted the label, “I can’t sing.” Sometimes it came from a childhood experience. Someone laughed. A music teacher embarrassed them. A family member made an offhand comment. Maybe they simply concluded they weren’t musical enough.

Eventually, they stopped singing.

The tragedy isn’t simply that they stopped using their voices.

The tragedy is that they stopped participating in one of the primary ways God designed His people to worship together.

That perspective changes everything.

The question isn’t, “Can I sing well enough?”

The question becomes, “Will I join God’s people in giving Him the praise He deserves?”

One statement from Scott particularly challenged me.

Every Monday, he gathers with his worship staff and asks one simple question: “How did the people sing?” Think about that. Not…

How was the band?
How were the transitions?
How was the production?
How many compliments did we receive?

Instead…

How did the people sing?

That’s an entirely different scorecard.

If the congregation is singing God’s Word with conviction, something healthy is happening.

If they are standing silently while the platform carries the worship, perhaps we’ve missed the target.

Scott reminded us that worship leaders have tremendous influence over this. Song selection matters. Familiarity matters. Teaching matters. Scripture readings matter. The way we introduce songs matters. Every decision can either invite people into worship or unintentionally make participation more difficult. He even challenged leaders to remember that people love to sing what they know. When we continually replace songs before congregations have truly learned them, we may be making participation harder than it needs to be.

Perhaps my favorite quote from our conversation was this:

“Putting God’s Word on the tongues of God’s people is what we’re supposed to do every Sunday.”

What a beautiful description of our calling. People may forget the outline of Sunday’s sermon. They may not remember every announcement. But they often carry the songs of the church with them throughout the week. Those lyrics become prayers in hospital rooms. Hope during difficult seasons. Truth during moments of temptation. Encouragement while driving to work.

Songs have a remarkable way of helping Scripture settle deeply into our hearts.

That’s why congregational singing matters so much.

Our conversation also introduced two exciting new ministries Scott has developed to help churches recover this vision.

The first is Let the People Sing, a newly formed nonprofit ministry dedicated to equipping churches to cultivate vibrant, gospel-centered, theologically rich congregational singing through training, resources, consultation, and leadership development.

The second is 96one School of Singing, an online teaching ministry designed specifically for people who have always believed they “can’t sing.” Its first course, Your Voice Matters to God, helps believers understand the biblical importance of singing while providing practical instruction to help them confidently join their voices with the congregation.

What I appreciate most is that these resources aren’t about producing better performers. They’re about helping more believers participate. As worship leaders, that’s a vision worth embracing. So let me leave you with the same question Scott asks his own team every week:

How did the people sing?

Perhaps that’s one of the healthiest questions we can ask as we evaluate our worship ministries.

Because at the end of the day, our greatest success isn’t measured by how well the platform performs. It’s measured by whether we’ve helped God’s people lift their voices together in joyful, biblical, Christ-exalting worship. And that’s a sound every church needs to hear.

Let the People Sing is a newly formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to equipping and inspiring churches to cultivate vibrant, gospel-focused, theologically rich congregational singing through training, resources, consultation, and leadership development.

Learn more:

Learn More Here

Scott has generously made the first course from 96one School of Singing available free for SBCMC members.

This introductory course is designed especially for those who have always believed they “can’t sing.” Through biblical encouragement and practical instruction, participants can begin building the confidence to join their voices with the congregation in worship.

Access the free course here:

Click Here for the Free Course

This is good until August 31st.

96one School of Singing is the online teaching ministry that provides practical instruction to help everyday church members become confident congregational singers.

Learn more about the ministry and available courses:

https://www.96onesing.com/

A special thank you to Scott Connell, Pastor of Worship & Music at First Baptist Jacksonville, for investing in the Church and for his partnership with the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference. We are grateful for his vision, his friendship, and his passion to help churches once again let the people sing.