What happens when leading worship at Elim’s big events?

Ian Yates takes Direction behind the scenes to discuss the planning and the God moments, as well as the bloopers they hope went unseen at ELS2025.

Getting started
While everyone is heading home for some downtime after ELS, did you know the worship team is already thinking ahead to next year?

“At the end of ELS 2024 we were already talking about 2025, reviewing what went well and what we could improve on,” says Ian Yates, who with the Elim Sound band heads up worship at the summit.

“Around February we send out invites to the team and from then till the conference we’ll be working on the song list, talking things through and doing other bits of planning.”

Song selection
With attendees, singers and musicians coming from all over the world, plus an endless choice of songs, how do you get the worship mix right?

“We need a mix of fresh and familiar, Elim Sound songs, the theme song for that year, hymns and – especially since Covid – songs where people don’t have to look at the screen for the words. We also have to think about which songs Elim churches know and are singing this year,” says Ian.

“One tricky thing is that each individual worship leader has a favourite song or one they’re carrying at the moment, but if everyone brought new songs it would be chaotic.

“On the other hand, it would be easy to just bring all the latest songs that everyone is singing, but that might not serve the conference well either.

“We need to steward worship at the event well, and getting that balance right can be a challenge, so a lot of planning goes into it.”

Planning for spontaneity
“It’s very rare that a whole set goes the way we planned,” says Ian. “Just before a session you might be told that a video has been added, that you’ll need to do three or four songs instead of five, or that a speaker has asked for an extra song after their talk.

“That’s always a fun challenge because it can be one we know or something totally random! I can’t think of anything we’ve not been able to do, though. There have been a few songs that the majority of the team haven’t known, but usually one person says ‘I know it!’ so it all works out.

“A big thing for us is that if we plan really well beforehand it gives us space for spontaneity. It’s about being really flexible.”

God moments
Most years at ELS there are plenty of moments where God moves or something unexpected happens. “Trying to be open to that is key,” says Ian.

“During last year’s consecration session, for example, Helen Yousaf brought a spontaneous song. When she does that these are beautiful moments and key parts of the session. I don’t want to say we’re flying by the seat of our pants there, but in that moment you want to be sensitive and steward it as best as possible.

“What’s good is that a few of us have been doing this for a while now, so if that happens and you’re not sure what to do next someone else can step in and lead that moment. That’s the beauty of a great team, isn’t it – that everyone can play their part.”

Worship bloopers
What about when things go wrong? They definitely do, says Ian.

“We have in-ear monitors to hear each other and our music director. One year, I don’t know why but when we changed the key of the song I was leading I didn’t hear it, so I continued playing in A while the band were in G. Incredibly, I was playing in one key and singing in the other too. I’m like, ‘Something’s really wrong…’ and the music director was shouting ‘Ian! You’re in the wrong key!’ That was funny.

“Then a few years ago we had people at ELS from various nations so we did a big intro with drums. It was popular so we did it again the second night, but one of the guitars was in completely the wrong key. That was an interesting moment.

“I’ve also seen people start a spontaneous song and forget the words, a keyboard fall over, and one year at Prestatyn Joel Pridmore dropped his guitar and snapped its neck.

“It’s not just us though. I remember seeing Martin Smith at an event. He put his Bible down on the keyboard and accidently started the drum machine. He was looking at the drummer, but it was actually him. That was pretty funny!”

Worship highlights
“Last year we wrote a song, ‘Awakening’ for the conference,” says Ian. “It’s always a bit scary when you do that so we test them in our local church first, but it’s humbling and a real honour when you bring something that maybe started off in a quiet time with God and see people singing and responding to it. That blows me away every time.

“Then there are moments when you can feel the presence of God in the room – we sang the chorus of ‘All Heaven Declares’ last year and hearing all the leaders worshipping together was incredible.

“I love it when we step back and see that, because it’s not about us. If we can bring people to that place where the whole focus is on God and worshipping him then that’s a real highlight.”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.