This document outlines Curt Harlow's "10 Commandments of Worship Leading." It provides guidance for worship leaders to focus on engaging worshipers in God, avoiding distraction, practicing smooth transitions, matching style to audience, and using well-written songs that teach about God's nature. The 10 points advise eliminating distractions, emphasizing rhythm, incorporating variety, practicing transitions, genuinely engaging worshipers without over-exhorting, explaining unfamiliar things, tailoring style to venue and group, teaching about God, and using high quality songs.

1. 10 Commandments
of Worship
Leading
by
Curt Harlow
Worship Team Series

2. 1. Thou shall not distract from God.
Eliminating distraction is the key job of the
worship leader. Anything from a noisy
ventilation system to a worship band that is
poorly rehearsed can be a distraction from
God in the service.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

3. 2. Thou shall have good rhythm. If you add
poor rhythm to great guitar playing you still
have bad music. If you have a guitar playing
to great rhythm you would have good music.
Find your rhythm section first. Music is not
the international language – rhythm is.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

4. 3. Thou shall use variety in worship devices.
Finding forms of worship that allow people to
adore God and learn something about Him at
the same time. Find a worship form that
incorporates the entire heritage of Biblical
worship.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

5. 4. Thou shall practice the transitions. Most
musical and time eating mistakes are made
during transitions for one song to the next or
from one part of the worship service to the next.
Lots of teams spend their time practicing the
body of the song over and over and never get on
common ground about how to make the
transitions.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

6. 5. Thou shall actually engage.
Many worship leaders are more focused on the
music and the order of service than they are on
evaluating whether the worshipers are actually
engaged by God. It is very important that leaders
become sensitive to this and NEVER JUST GO
THROUGH THE MOTIONS
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

7. 6. Thou shall not over exhort. On the other
hand many people lose the congregation and
interrupt God by using the worship time to
over exhort and force people to worship. Let
worship be organic, an act of free will, not an
exercise in Totalitarian Religious Dictatorship.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

8. 7. Thou shall explain strange things to new
people. When something strange happens,
and it will, address it directly and take the
time to explain it. Do not tone down your
worship experience.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

9. 8. Thou shall match worship styles to the
venue and group dynamic. Also make sure
the song lyrics match the musical style and
Biblical content for your situation.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

10. 9. Thou shall teach something about God’s
nature through worship forms. Worship forms
in the Old Testament had two distinct
purposes. To give God the credit for all good
things and to help the people learn whom
God is. What does your worship form teach
people about God?
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

11. 10. Thou shall not use songs that are poorly
written. Press yourself to find song with a
great lyrics and an assortment of musical
styles. Encourage song writing. Ask yourself
if the song has been written biblically, with a
music fits the lyrics.
Ten Commandments of Worship Leading by Curt Harlow

12. diamond in the rough
(etymology)
origin.
The phrase is clearly a metaphor for the original unpolished state of
diamond gemstones, especially those that have the potential to
become high quality jewels. It is more commonly expressed in the
form 'rough diamond'.
meaning.
The phrase is metaphorical and relates to the fact that naturally
occurring diamonds are quite ordinary at first glance, and that their
true beauty as jewels is only realized through the cutting and
polishing process.