The electric guitar can play two general roles in a worship band. Chords or parts of chords can be played in a rhythmical way as a rhythm instrument, or melodic lines can be played to add interest to various parts.
When the electric is a rhythm instrument, consistency is very important. The rest of the band is listening for you to keep the song heading in the right direction. A part like this can be as simple as one note following a songs rhythm, on one chord ringing out at each chord change or as busy as strumming chords (usually down strums work great). It is important to be very careful when adding distortion to your rhythm sound as it can make a muddy mess out of everything very quick. The less definition (more distortion) in your sound, the harder it will be for your band to hear what you are playing. Simple parts like one note, octaves, or power chords could be played with distortion but when full chords are strummed keep the overdrive very light.
A lead sound can add a huge amount of interest to any part of a song. Simple melodic lines are perfect for intros or even during specific parts of songs. A guitar solo in the traditional sense should be approached very carefully and with a humble spirit. If the Spirit is moving in a joyful way during a happy song, a guitar solo can catalyze that movement but if she Spirit is convicting or moving in a more solemn way, a flashy solo could quickly distract from that movement. While soloing can be fun because of the creative possibilities, anything more than simple melodic lines should only be used when requested by the worship leader.
Effects are a lot of fun and each one adds a whole new realm of possibilities to each song. Distortion can add warmth and smoothness to your sound. Delay can make your sound less lonely. Reverb adds grandness to your sound and can help add sustain. Chorus makes your sound fat. A flanger or phaser makes your sound swirl and sweep. Volume pedals can help you boost for a solo, add swells, remove your attack sound, or sound like a violin. Wah pedals also help you add sonic interest. If you are able to use many effects, they should be used sparingly with a good reason for each one. Beginners like to turn them all on to display their arsenal, but this makes for a muddy sound.
Many electric guitarists love playing electric guitar and they want to play as much as possible, but this can easily destroy a good sounding band. Do not think that you have to play your part 100% of the time. Be very careful when increasing your volume and play only when the part you have really adds to a song. Your part needs to be very planned and everything you play must have a reason.
