Who does this?
A service leader is confident to speak in front of a crowd; a clear speaker, able to engage people and direct them to focus.
A service leader clears away distractions and puts people at ease, so that they are able to focus on the content, that is, the Word of God and its explanation.
Brief Description
Being church service leader involves:
Preparing before the service, by learning of the main points and passages to be conveyed, the songs, format and service outline.
Preparing talking points or prayers. Working from notes is fine, so long as the leader’s presentation is engaging and personable. Eye contact is crucial for engaging an audience; aside from prayer time, this is true of a church service.
(Where there is not a separate song leader) Introducing songs/hymns in such a way as to engage the audience, and focus them on God.
Identifying people who might benefit from corporate prayer, and consulting with them sensitively beforehand.
Calmly and tactfully working through service difficulties such as mistakes, absences, technical problems.
Being at the lecturn ready to speak as soon as the music or previous item ends, so as to minimize down time.