Resources & Blog
Breathing in Hymn Singing
Several weeks ago I was playing organ for worship in a local church. After the service concluded a member of the congregation came up to me and said “may I ask you a question about the organ?” I, of course, said “yes” and assumed the question would be something...
The Theology of “The Chord”
Church musicians refer to “the chord” every Christmas season. This chord really has a cult following. It is referenced in social media posts and can be found on t-shirts, memes, and even coffee mugs! The chord is found in a free harmonization of the Christmas hymn...
How to Avoid Decay in Worship
Everything in our world is in a constant state of change and decay. Things that are new and fresh today are old and worn tomorrow. We’re reminded of this in the text of the hymn “Abide with Me,” in the line “Change and decay in all around I see. O Thou who changest...
Get Help Selecting Hymns for Worship – Review of Prepare!
Selecting hymns for worship is not something I enjoy. I’m a perfectionist and it takes me hours to select hymns for a worship service. I am never satisfied with what I select and constantly second guess myself. It is an excruciating exercise! Anytime I can I’ll...
Hallmarks of an Effective Order of Worship
The most public ministry of any church is the corporate worship of God. For most congregations the Sunday morning worship service is the “front door” to the church. But that does not mean that the church should plan and implement its worship to focus on worshipers. ...
Fix It! – Let’s Fix This Order of Worship – Episode 1
With this blog post we begin a new series in our “Nuts & Bolts” section. The blog posts in this series will be titled “Fix It” and will focus on an order of worship currently used in a congregation with analysis and recommendations for improvements. There will...
How to Select New Hymns for Traditional Worship
The Psalms tell us over and over to “sing a new song to the Lord.” Each generation has followed this command and sang their new songs with the church of their day and shared them with the church of the generations to follow. The hymnal is the repository of the...
Matching Music & Message
Traditional worship that is effective and meaningful will naturally focus itself around a central theme. In order to effect a thematic approach all of the elements must point in the same direction. To achieve this goal both the music and message must match. In this...
Fellowship & Worship – What’s the Difference?
The body of Christ is a family, and in this family we have fellowship with one another as The Church—all faithful believers throughout the world—and the church, our own local congregation. Fellowship is a crucialpart of the body of Christ. It’s the fundamental basis...
Worship through the Offertory
Throughout the Bible we are instructed to be faithful stewards of all that God has given to us. We’re taught to bring our tithes and offerings to God in worship. The Psalms prescribe this responsibility. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, took an opportunity to have a...
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