This service plan focuses on the importance of the music ministry in the life of the church and the proper commissioning of those who serve in these ministries.
Theme of the Service
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Music is a large part of Christian worship. From the Old Testament choirs until today, song is a vibrant means by which faith is expressed. In many congregations, the church year begins with new efforts by those who lead this part of our ministry. This service focuses on the importance of the ministry of music and the proper commissioning of those who serve.
Note: Some additional material on this subject can be found in 'Congregational Song,' Lesson 18 ofWorship Insights: Bible Studies for Worship Committees. In this lesson you will find perspectives on the historic song of the church, on congregational songs for today, and suggestions for developing your congregational singing.
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WE GATHER BEFORE GOD
Prelude: 'For the Music of Creation' [see
*Song: 'For the Music of Creation' SNC 37
*The Call to Worship
Clap your hands, all you people; raise a joyful shout to God.
For the Most High is awesome and is king over all the earth.
How good it is to give thanks, to sing in honor of the most high God;
to proclaim his constant love every morning and his faithfulness every night;
to make music with stringed instruments and melodies on the organ;
for the mighty deeds of the Lord make us glad;
because of what he has done we sing with joy.
Sing out your joy to your Creator, O people of God!
Praise is fitting, for our lives have been blessed by grace!
Magnify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together. (From Psalm 47:1-2; 92:1-4; 33:1; 34:3)
*Song: 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty' PH 482, PsH 253, RL 145, RN 57, TH 53, TWC 77, UMH 139
*Our Declaration of Trust and God's Greeting:
Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, who do you trust?
Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Grace, mercy and peace to you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen!
*Response: 'I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord' PsH 169, RN 111, TWC 30
WE ARE RENEWED IN GOD'S GRACE
The Call to Confession
The Prayer of Confession
The Assurance of Pardon
We Affirm Our New Identity:
In our world, bent under the weight of sin,
Christ gathers a new community.
Satan and his evil forces
seek whom they may confuse and swallow;
but Jesus builds his church,
his Spirit guides, and grace abounds.
The church is the fellowship of those
who confess Jesus as Lord.
She is the Bride of Christ,
his chosen partner, loved by Jesus and loving him:
delighting in his presence,
seeking him in prayer,
silent before the mystery of his love.
The Spirit empowers each member
to take part in the ministry of all,
so that hurts are healed and all may rejoice
in the life and growth of the fellowship. ('Our World Belongs to God,' arts. 37, 38, 41) [see
GOD SPEAKS FROM HIS WORD
*Song of Preparation: 'Fill Thou My Life, O Lord, My God' PsH 547, RL 147, TH 589
The Prayer for Illumination
The Old Testament Reading: Psalm 27 [see
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The New Testament Reading: Ephesians 5:15-21
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon: Making Music to the Lord
Text: Psalm 27:6c
The Prayer of Application
WE COMMISSION GOD'S SERVANTS [see
The Children's Moment
*Our Affirmation of God's Gifts:
There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities,
but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NRSV)
The Spirit's gifts are here to stay in rich variety-
fitting responses to timely needs.
We thankfully see each other
as gifted members of the fellowship
which delights in the creative Spirit's work.
He gives more than enough to each believer
for God's praise and our neighbor's welfare. ('Our World Belongs to God,' art.33)
Response: 'Somos uno en Cristo / We Are One in Christ Jesus' SNC 179
The Introduction of the Worship/Music Staff [see
The Charge from the Congregation:
We are the people of God who are called to worship him.
We must worship with young and old together, so draw us all in.
We must sing our song to the Lord, so lead us.
We must lift our hearts in prayer; provide words for us.
We must hear the Word of the Lord; speak and read it to us.
We must raise our thanks to God; enable us to do it well.
Teach us always that all glory be given to Him!
The Commissioning of the Worship/Music Staff:
We challenge you as our worship/music staff that, with God's help, you use your gifts to lead us in the holy service of worship to God. Begin all your ministry efforts with the conviction that 'great is the Lord and most worthy of praise' (Psalm 48:1) and 'how good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!' (Psalm 147:1) Always remember that Christ calls us to worship him 'in spirit and in truth' (John 4:24) and that God calls us never to 'give up meeting together' (Hebrews 10:25). All your leadership efforts must be charged with the conviction that 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever.' (Revelation 5:13) Care for your own spirits and hearts well so that your song comes from a heart that is walking closely with the Lord. Stir our hearts, knowing that our worship is preparation for joining the heavenly chorus. Will you now take up your tasks with such a commitment before God?
Response: Yes, we will, God helping us!
May God richly bless you as you carry out the commitments you have just made.
Our Litany of Dedication:
We gather this day as children of God who loves to hear his people sing,
We thank you God for the gift of praise.
Our Lord Jesus knew and loved the Psalms, and sang with his disciples even on the night on which he was betrayed.
We thank you God for the gift of song.
The Psalmists, the church fathers, the Reformers, and members of the church today have all given expression to their faith through Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
We thank you God for the heritage of expressing our faith in song.
We challenge you, as our music and worship staff, that with God's help, you use your gifts to lead us in the holy service of worship to God.
(By staff members only) We will take up our ministries with the conviction that 'great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.'
We challenge you as a congregation to use your voices to sing your faith with all your heart.
We will sing our song to God as he desires.
As we gather here each Lord's Day, may we rise above the pressures of a world that can mute our song, and find our hearts and voices lifted again to the God who deserves our praise and desires to hear us.
We pray that in our songs we may praise God for his goodness. We seek to express our faith, our fears and our needs in unified voice. May all our songs delight our Lord, give expression to our hearts, profess our faith, direct our children and youth, and draw unbelievers to the new song God has placed in our hearts. To God alone be all glory. Amen.
The Prayer of Intercession [see
A Festival of Song [see
*Song: 'When in Our Music God is Glorified' PH 264, PsH 512, RL 508, RN 62, TWC 403, WOV 802, TWC 402, UMH 68
Responsorial Anthem: 'Sing to the Glory of God,' O'Brien
*Song: 'Psalm 147: Sing to God, with Joy' SNC 29
Anthem: 'With Every Breath,' Medema
The Offertory
The Offering of Music: 'When In Our Music God Is Glorified' [see
We offer our gifts for..
WE LEAVE WITH GRATITUDE
*Words of Sending: Colossians 3:15-17
*The Benediction with Congregational Amen!
*Song: 'Let All Creation Bless the Lord' SNC 34
or: 'Sing a New Song' SNC 1, RN 21
Postlude: 'Fanfare,' Lemmens [see
* - You are invited to stand.
Sermon Notes
The Christian church and singing go hand-in-hand. Indeed, today we find group singing in few places besides the church. So, one of the goals of this service is to reinforce that the song of the church is part of its very life. The gathered congregation IS a choir, and those who lead should aim to enable the congregational choir to sing!
Psalm 27 is a well-known Psalm of David, usually known best for its opening verses. The text for this sermon, however, is found in the latter part of verse 6. David, who is experiencing fear because he is under attack from his enemies, gives testimony to his faith and lays out his strategy for coping with the difficulties he is facing. In verses 4 and 5 he explains that he goes to the house of the Lord, gazes on the beauty of the Lord and seeks safety in God's care. The result is that he need not be afraid (see v.6a). But there is a further result: when he successfully finds peace and safety, he breaks forth in song to God! (cf. verse 6b, c) From this example of David we can conclude that one of the marks of a healthy church is that it sings to God! The soul of a healthy church needs to break forth in song!
Several marks of the song of the church stand out.
- The church sings from experience. David first seeks and finds the care of God, and 'then' (note the first word of verse 6) he sings. Our song is the result of our experience of God's grace and care.
- The church sings corporately. David went to the Tabernacle to join with others. While we enjoy singing alone (and God enjoys it too!), our song takes on new significance when it is 'congregational song.'
- The church sings heavenward. David doesn't sing to others, or to himself, but to God! What a phenomenal privilege to think that God is listening while we are singing!
- The church sings intergenerationally. Though it isn't specifically addressed in this passage, the Old Testament practice showed that Hebrew families came to the Tabernacle and Temple together. Their song surely included all voices.
Perhaps a caution is in order here. Though David speaks of 'shouts of joy' and the Psalms repeatedly talk about 'songs of praise,' there are also different kinds of songs that the church must sing, even as there are different kinds of Psalms. True, we sing praises to God for who he is and how he has cared for us, but there are many circumstances in life that make it difficult to sing praise. Life's stresses can mute our praise, and in every group of worshipers there are a number who find it difficult to sing praise because life has been hard for them. At times we cry out our laments, our sorrow and complaints to God. Sometimes we sing our confessions and sorrow for sin. At other times we sing out our testimonies of faith and commitment. The song of the church, like the psalms, has many expressions to reflect and form the body of Christ.
As a New Testament church, our song takes on a whole new dimension because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. We are able to sing of God's perfections, but also of his mighty acts in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our song reaches its climax when we sing of our eternal hope and anticipate the return of Christ and the final consummation.
In light of all of this, those who lead in worship and music have a high privilege and awesome responsibility!
Music Notes
Glossary of Hymnal Abbreviations:
PH The Presbyterian Hymnal (Presbyterian Church USA; Westminster/John Knox Press)
PsH The Psalter Hymnal (Christian Reformed Church; Faith Alive Christian Resources)
RL Rejoice in the Lord (Reformed Church in America; W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
RN Renew! (Hope Publishing Company)
SFL Songs for LiFE (children's songbook; Faith Alive Christian Resources)
SNC Sing! A New Creation (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Christian Reformed Church,
Reformed Church in America; Faith Alive Christian Resources)
TH Trinity Hymnal (Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church in America; Great
Commission Publications)
TWC The Worshiping Church (Hope Publishing Company)
UMH The United Methodist Hymnal (United Methodist Publishing House)
WOV With One Voice (Augsburg Fortress)
Suggestions for prelude, based on the opening hymn can be found in the following resources:
NETTLETON ['For the Music of Creation']
Organ:
Bish, Diane. The Diane Bish Organ Book, vol. 4. Fred Bock B-G0776 [1985] (M)
Callahan, Charles. Six Meditations on American Folk Hymns. Concordia 97-6140 [1992] (E-M)
Cherwien, David. Groundings. Augsburg 11-11119 [2001] (E-M)
Eggert, John. Partita on Nettleton. Concordia 97-6862 [2000] (adaptable [mostly] to piano; E)
Hildebrand, Kevin. Easy Hymn Preludes for Organ, vol. 3. Concordia 97-7052 [2004] (E)
Hobby, Robert A. Three Hymns of Praise, set 6. Morningstar MSM-10-542 [2000] (E-M)
Manz, Paul. God of Grace. Morningstar MSM-10-599 [2004] (E-M)
Manz, Paul. Ten Chorale Improvisations, set 9. Concordia 97-5556 [1980] (E-M)
Martin, Gilbert. Two Preludes on American Hymn Tunes. H. W. Grey GSTC 962 [1972] (E-M)
Wood, Dale. Wood Works. SMP KK357 [1986] (E-M)
Young, Gordon. Variations on an American Hymn Tune. Fischer 9288 [1941] (M-D)
Piano:
Carter, John. Folk Hymns for Piano. Hope 240 [1987] (E-M)
Carter, John. Hymns for Piano II. Hope 8197 [2003] (M)
David, Anne Marie. Here I Am, Lord. Augsburg ISBN 0-8006-7566-5 [2002] (M)
Medema, Ken. Sanctuary. Genevox 4181-16 [1989] (M)
Handbells:
Bish, Diane. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Fred Bock BG0798 [1986] (4-5 octaves,
level 4)
McChesney, Kevin. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. (3-5 octaves) (E-M)
The Festival of Song includes two possible anthems, both of which could be adapted and learned by adult and children's choirs/teams in a pre-service rehearsal. 'Sing to the Glory of God' by Francis Patrick O'Brien is scored for SATB voices, congregation, keyboard, guitar and 2 optional C instruments. This responsorial anthem is published by GIA G-3773 [1992] (E-M). 'With Every Breath' by Ken Medema is scored for SATB voices and keyboard and is published by Shawnee A6792 (E-M)) If your congregation is unfamiliar with 'Psalm 147: Sing to God with Joy' (SNC 29), consider having your musical groups sing the verses with the congregation joining on the refrain. Remember that your congregation remains the main choir in worship!
Musical suggestions for offertory music are as follows:
ENGELBERG ['When in Our Music God Is Glorified']
Organ:
Callahan, Charles. Voluntary on Engelberg. Morningstar MSM-10-702 [1990] (M)
Cherwien, David. (1999x) Augsburg Organ Library - Easter. Augsburg 11-11075 [2000] ( D)
Cherwien, David. Gotta Toccata. Augsburg 11-11008 [1999] ( D)
Cherwien, David. Interpretations, bk. 1. AMSI OR1 [1980] (E-M)
Hobby, Robert A. Three Hymns of Praise, set 2. Morningstar MSM-10-757 [1994] (M)
Powell, Robert J. Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart. Augsburg 11-10478 [1994] (E-M)
Wallace, Sue Mitchell. Hymn Prisms. Hope 270 [1985] (E-M)
Wood, Dale. Preludes and Postludes, vol. 3. Augsburg 11-9320 [1974] (E)
The organ postlude 'Fanfare in D' by J. Lemmens is published by Fischer P2319. It is also published in the organ method books by Clarence Dickinson and by Roger Davis.
Liturgy Notes
1. Because of the focus of this service, this liturgy should include lots of music. Since it is early in the season, it may be difficult for some musical groups to have adequately prepared anthems. It may be helpful to have some early rehearsals.
2. Our Affirmation of God's Gifts is from 'Our World Belongs to God,' a Contemporary Testimony that has been adopted by the synod of the Christian Reformed Church. To reprint for personal use, a ministry setting, or classroom use, include this credit line: © 1987, CRC Publications, Grand Rapids MI. www.crcna.org. Reprinted with permission.
3. Psalm 27 is a very rich Psalm and the reading of it should communicate its richness. It is possible for the entire congregation to read it in unison. It can be very effective for multiple voices to read it, each taking a section. With this option, we suggest that one voice read verses 1-3, a second voice read verses 4-6, a third voice read verses 7-12, and all three together read the concluding two verses. Some careful practice, and perhaps even coaching, with help communicate these sacred words!
4. The Commissioning Service is intended to include all who contribute efforts to the musical life of the congregation. The group should, therefore, be comprehensive and (we hope) rather large. Let it include the worship planners, accompanists, instrumentalists, choirs of all ages, bell choirs, ensembles, and such. Identifying each group in the bulletin, worship sheet or insert would be helpful for the congregation. During the commissioning all can be asked to stand for the congregation to see who serves them. There are parts of the commissioning service in which the music staff will respond with one voice.
Recommend Music For Your Church Services Free
5. The prayer of intercession could include several persons who would be able to pray for different persons and needs-for worship leaders, for choirs, for directors and accompanists, and for all worshipers.
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Learn which questions to ask to help you better meet your congregation’s needs.
The holidays are a time to focus on the good in the world and brush negative thoughts aside in the spirit of the season. At least that’s the message I took away from all the Christmas movies I watched growing up.
Music For Your Church Services
This especially holds true at churches, where Christmas services are typically among the highest attended of the entire year, and the warmth and tradition of the season can encourage a positive outlook and increased giving.
Like drifting snow covering curbside litter, the obligatory good cheer of the holidays can temporarily put problems with your church out of mind.
But what happens when the snow starts to melt, attendance wanes, and things go back to the way they were before the holiday season? Do you tighten your belt, hunker down, and wait for the Easter attendance spike?
Or do you take action and find out what would make your congregation as excited to come to church in February as they were in December?
One great way to find out what your congregation and visitors are looking for is with a church membership questionnaire. A questionnaire allows you to poll church members on what they enjoy about your church, what they feel is lacking, and whatever is on their mind about their church experience in general.
Survey software can make the process much easier, especially when used in conjunction with the member database in your church management system.
What church survey questions should I be asking?
Distributing a survey is one thing, but you also need to know what questions to ask on the survey. And to do that, you’ll need to know what direction you’re trying to take your church in. Are you looking to boost attendance, or trim spending, or expand to new locations? Each situation calls for different questions.
As Brett Andrews, lead pastor of New Life Christian Church in Chantilly, Virginia, says, “You don’t always have to have a goal, as long as you have a direction.”
Let’s take a look. But first, a few general tips on crafting church survey questions:
- Keep your survey as succinct as possible. The longer it is, the less likely it is that someone will take the time to complete it thoughtfully.
- Leave space for optional comments. You don’t want to prevent someone from sharing what’s on their mind just because you didn’t specifically ask about it.
- Whatever technology you use to distribute the survey, allow respondents the option to fill it out manually. The more responses you get, the clearer the picture, so it should be as accessible as possible.
- Request basic demographic information such as age, sex, and residence, and other basic info such as frequency and years of attendance, so that you can track trends.
Church survey questions to boost attendance
If your goal is to boost attendance, you should take a two-pronged approach: make sure that your regulars are happy so they’ll continue to attend, and also find ways to evolve to make sure that your church is an appealing destination for new visitors.
Here are several sample questions to help you illuminate the path to increased attendance:
- What do you most enjoy about attending services here?
- What, if anything, would you change about attending services here?
- Would you recommend this church to a friend or family member? Why or why not?
- What are some ways that you think we could make our church family more welcoming for new visitors?
- Have you attended a different church in the last year? If so, what—if anything—did you enjoy about that church that is different from our church?
What to look for: When you get these surveys back, keep an eye out for things that your members enjoy about attending services at your church, but be even more aware about what they’re missing.
Do your members wish that they could get a cup of coffee on their way in? Hook it up! It’s a small price to pay for keeping your loyal members happy and maybe even attracting some new members.
Church survey questions to trim spending
In his book, “Autopsy of a Deceased Church,” Thom Rainer writes, “In dying churches the last expenditures to be reduced are those that keep the members most comfortable.”
Indeed, a healthy budget is one of the most important vital signs of a healthy, growing church. Any church can find a way to spend more money: on ministries, facilities, or even just charitable giving.
But if your budget is out of whack and you’re spending more money than is coming in through donations, you need to trim the fat.
Here are five questions to help find places to cut:
- Among our service times, which do you usually attend, and which are you least likely to attend?
- Which of the following ministry opportunities are you most interested in participating in during the coming year? (List upcoming ministries)
- Which of the following ministries are you least interested in participating in during the coming year? (List upcoming ministries)
- Which of the following amenities (free coffee bar, mission trips, church barbecue/field day) do you enjoy the most?
- Which of the following outreach programs would you be most interested in volunteering with? (List outreach programs)
What to look for: By determining which services and ministries are the most popular, and which are just going through the motions, you can zero in on where to focus your spending and resources to get the most in return. Church attendance tracking can also be a valuable tool for figuring out which programs could most benefit from additional funding.
Coming at it from a different approach, you can also look for which programs your members are most interested in volunteering in. If someone wants to donate their time to do something, it’s a good indicator that it is a worthwhile investment.
Church survey questions for churches looking to expand
Surveying your congregation is one of the most important parts of the church planting process.
If your church is looking to open a new location, you’re in good company. To get here, you’ve created an environment that people want to be a part of, you’re spending your money and resources wisely, and you’re ready to grow beyond the walls of your current location.
This process is more complicated than just opening a new location across town, though.
Here are some questions to ask if you’re looking to expand:
- Which religious services, if any, do you avoid because they are too crowded? (Include worship services, Bible study, etc.)
- Have you ever attended—or considered attending—church online instead of in person?
- How far do you travel to attend our church, and where do you travel from?
- Have you recommended our church to friends or family in the area? If so, where do they live?
- If we were to open a new location, which members of our leadership team do you think would be best suited to help launch the new location?
What to look for: By asking these questions, you can determine if crowding is becoming an issue, or not, and if livestreaming your services—or even starting a dedicated online campus—might help alleviate some of the overcrowding.
You can also hone in on which area of your region would make the most sense to expand to. Finally, a new location will require some of your staff to relocate as well. Your congregation deserves to have some input on this process.
What questions do you want answered?
These examples are just that, but hopefully thinking about them has at least greased the wheels a little in your own mind. If you have any church survey questions of your own that have been useful for your congregation, please share them with your fellow church leaders in the comments.
Also, if your vigor for church improvement has been piqued, check out these other helpful articles:
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