A New Year of Music Begins

A New Year begins tomorrow—fittingly, on a Sunday. What music is your church using to begin the new year?

At my church, we are beginning the service with “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul”—based on Psalm 146. As I was practicing this afternoon, I was contemplating the beginning of the new year, and thinking how fitting this hymn is for the occasion. The first verse begins with almost a New Year's resolution:

Help! What If I'm Not a Musician?

So far, most of my articles have been geared toward church pianists, but what if you're a pastor or other church leader who is starting a church or who has been left without a regular pianist for some reason? Don't worry—this article is for you.

It's Not Elevator Music

What is an offertory? An offertory, or “musical offering,” is a piece of music played for the glory of God during the worship service. Its main purpose is to give glory to God, and it serves as a time of focus for the congregation. During the offertory, it would be appropriate to listen and enjoy it, or pray, or meditate on scripture, or otherwise prepare your heart for worship (especially if the offertory is before the sermon). The offertory is NOT elevator music. The point is not just some tunes in the background while the ushers are taking up a collection. Yes, this is happening at the same time, but it is not the primary purpose of the musical selection (unless you are planning to rewrite the song as “Bringing in the Dough”). Its function is the same as if there were no monetary offering being taken up at the same time. That being said, there are some technicalities to consider....

Resources

Here are some of my favorite resources for church music, accompanying, and music in general:

Music for Special Occasions Part 2: Weddings and Funerals

Copyright Mavy Ducote Photography

As a church musician, you will sometimes get the opportunity to play for special services other than holiday celebrations. Both weddings and funerals are times in which you can use your abilities for the blessing of individual families in particular, whether in celebration or mourning.

Helpful Hymn Hints (Link)

Check out this article about hymn-playing. There are lots of helpful hints about giving singers time to breathe, and adding variety to each verse of a hymn.

http://gretchenspianos.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/creative-hymn-playing/

Music for Special Occasions Part 1: Easter and Christmas

Easter is only 3 weeks away—are you planning ahead? What kind of special music are you preparing for your church?

Selecting Music That Fits with the Sermon

One of the most difficult parts of being a church musician is choosing appropriate music for the sermon. Music should complement the message and help emphasize and reflect on the main points.

A Starting Point

Each person has a unique calling from God. Some are called to ministry in a small church. Small churches bring different blessings and challenges from those of larger churches. I hope this blog will be a place to share ideas and solutions for handling the responsibility that's just as large, no matter the number of worshipers who come to your church every week.

Some helpful hints to keep in mind when preparing each Sunday's music: