Michael's Notes - Thoughts On Worship, Leadership & Fitness

Sunday Setlists: Genesis and Christmas

Why participate in Sunday Setlists? This is a way for me to connect with other worship pastors and gather ideas that may work in my local congregation. Another reason to participate is to provide to the people at ClearView some links to songs and other resources that may help them continue in the conversation of worship everyday of the week.

We, ClearView, are pushing through the last few weeks in our Genesis series titled “Origins.” The thought behind this series is: if you do not believe the God of Genesis and the facts presented how can you believe the rest of the bible. The sermon this week was from Genesis chapter 9 and all of the music centered on the story of Christmas.

Songs:
Joy to the World (based on Casting Crowns arrangement) This was easy to sing and gave energy to service.

O Come All Ye Faithful. Here we continued the same feel as Joy To The World. The transition was a ‘vamp’ on a D chord, which was the last chord of previous song.  The opening note D became pick-up to the new key of G.

Welcome:

Baptism: (okay I thought the baptism was suppose to happen in the 9:30 service...it wasn't. Due to me not reading the tech sheet I authored my pastor went to the baptistery area looking while I did the big stretch...waiting for the baptism to happen. After seeing him return to the worship center with a puzzled look on his face I continued with the rest of the service.)

Songs: (this set featured our worship choir and it is a longer feature than most Sunday’s.)
Behold Emmanuel (From the book Once Upon A Holy Night, 2008 LifeWay Worship.)
Once Upon A Holy Night (From the book Once Upon A Holy Night, 2008 LifeWay Worship.)
Offering (We will use this worship song three weeks of December and also at our Christmas Eve services.

Sermon
    Video Intro (produced by John Magyar)
    Sermon Genesis 9:1-17
        Mark Marshall, pastor

The Invisible Choir

Back in the day we preached to our choirs of the importance of being worship leaders from the time they walked onto the stage until the sermon was complete. It seemed the hardest part for most of those choirs to understand was the importance of being a worship leader during the sermon…following along…paying attention and not going to sleep.  It seemed that the choir thought that once the sermon started they were invisible to the audience, when exactly the opposite was true.  Every minute of the service someone from the audience was looking directly at them.

 

For many of us today the role of the worship choir has changed somewhat. Gone are the days when the choir stays on stage for the whole service. Yet their role as worship leaders is just as important. People are watching them from the very moment they walk onto the stage. Some things do stay the same…

 

In these days of fun theatrical lights and front-line singers, the worship choir still has the tendency to think they are invisible. “There’s so much going on that no-one will see me.” As much as is taking place on our stages, everyone is still visible to the congregation and they are looking to all who are on stage for the ‘cues’ to engage in worship.

 

So how do we get the ‘worship choir’ to understand their role as ‘visible’ worship leaders?

• Continue to believe in the importance of a worship choir
• Consistently remind the worship choir of its role.
• Encourage the worship choir to be worshippers
• Remind the worship choir that people are watching
  

Related Posts:

Who Sings in the Choir

Worship Choirs Past and Future

Leading a Worship Choir Rehearsal for a Seasonal Choir

Last week I posted the blueprint I use to construct a worship choir rehearsal each week. Since then I have been asked through Twitter, Facebook and comments to this blog how I would implement this plan for a choir that only meets and prepares for special occasions or seasons.  The questions seem to be raised concerning a choir that meets for six consecutive weeks leading up to a series of identical performances.

 

First let me say that the plan posted in the earlier post is what I utilize each week for a worship choir rehearsal preparing that choir for ministry on a weekly basis. Even though that is the case the basic outline can be adapted to the seasonal choir.

 

The backbone of the worship choir rehearsal blueprint is:

• Begin with something familiar
• Put the hard work in the middle
• End with something familiar.

 

Before I get to the specifics of what that might look like, I think there is a more important issue for a seasonal choir: building “team” in a short period of time. To be successful as a worship leading choir I believe there must be a sense of team and shared common goal. The shared common goal is easily presented, even done so during the recruiting process. However, instilling a sense of ‘team’ within the group is much harder. I meet with my group weekly and ‘team’ is one of the hardest things to accomplish, it is hard for me to imagine the difficulty of this task with a seasonal group. Here are some ways I would try to bring the team together:

• During each rehearsal plan a time of fellowship
• During each rehearsal divide the team into groups for prayer, change those groups each week.
• Once or twice during the season plan an extended fellowship time that might include snacks.
• Each rehearsal share the reason for having the choir, communicating expectations for participation and dreams for final product

 

Now on to the rehearsal of the music, remember the basic plan is: familiar, work hard on new stuff, familiar. To accomplish this when all the songs maybe new you might want to go this direction:

 

Here is how I might rehearse a seasonal choir.

Week 1

1. Begin with a worship time of a familiar song.
2. Progress to getting them to sing parts on that familiar song.
3. Begin to introduce ministry songs for the season.
1. Often I use recordings
2. Find a section that is repeated often, work on this section hard so that there is success
4. If there are 5-6 new songs to introduce do not work on all of them the first week, maybe 3 of them.
5. End rehearsal with something familiar, again this could be a worship song. One way to end would be to sing something without any accompaniment so that the group hears how they sound as a team.
6. Before they leave I would provide some type of rehearsal CD so that they can get some work done before the next rehearsal and the things you have taught are not forgotten.

Week 2

1. Begin with a easy sing-a-long
2. Bring back one song from last week that the most was accomplished on. Hit the familiar sections and then push on to another part of the song that needs work.
3. Introduced 1 or 2 new songs here following the plan outlined from week 1.
4. Work on the other two songs that were introduced last week using the plan item #3
5. finish with something familiar, that could be one of the seasonal songs or just another sing-a-long. Often here I use a worship song and finish the night with a time of worship and prayer.
6. final instructions would be to communicate the need to listen to the provided rehearsal recording. (One note on rehearsal recordings, please make sure you obtain permission from the publishers before making the recordings.)

 

For the remainder of the seasonal choir rehearsals I would use the following plan.

1. use a variation of week 2
1. eventually you will have nothing to introduce but you will find there are sections that need more work than others. It is those songs I would place in the middle of the rehearsal.
2. as the basics of each song are learned move toward polishing each song, paying attention to details that make it music not just notes.
3. each week memorize some part of what has been worked on.
4. finish the rehearsal with one or two of the songs that the choir has ready to sing, or a section of those songs.

Related Posts

Worship Choirs, Past and Future

Who Sings In the Choir

Planning a Choir Rehearsal for a Worship Choir

Planning a Choir Rehearsal
It is a task that comes around once a week and has been that way for over 27 years…planning to lead a worship choir rehearsal.

Over these years I have developed a plan that works effectively most weeks.

Information:
•    Worship choir sings every week except holiday weekends and the month of July.
•    Most Sundays the choir presents an ‘impact’ song
•    Rehearsal Length 1 hour and 10 minutes
•    Rehearse each song at least 6 weeks from ministry time.
•    Two choir rehearsals a week: Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
•    Ministry members choose one of the two rehearsals to attend.
•    As hard as I try I can only rehearse six songs in the allotted time.

The Rehearsal
Warm-up: 5 minutes (Often a familiar chorus or hymn in a medium range. Lately a more formalized set of warm-up exercises.)

Song 1: The two week out song.
    Very familiar to the group
    Working on specific sections for refinement
    Sing through the song 1 time

Song 2: Sunday’s Song
    If there are parts that need attention briefly work them.
    Sing through entire song…no books…with projected words on monitors

Song 3: The new song (Six week out song)
    This is the spot to introduce something new.
    This song is often introduced by playing a recording of the song.
    Teach two sections of the song that can be easily accomplished. This gives confidence that the song is attainable.

Song 4: Five Week Out Song
    Here we work hard on sections of this song. I am not a fan of starting at the beginning of each song in rehearsals, but rather a fan of jumping to a part that needs work.  Also I like teaching a section and showing the choir how that section can repeat throughout the song. (If there are variations during the repeats those are pointed out.) By doing so we accomplish a lot of work in a short amount of time.

Song 5: Four Week Out Song
    Four weeks out is really not that far so I feel it important to start to put some of the pieces together. Before doing so I have found there needs to be time dedicated to some of the sections that might be harder to grasp. I have made note of these sections from previous weeks and know what needs to be worked on.

Song 6: Three Week Out Song
    Here we go back to something familiar. First there will be some time spent on reminding the choir of some of the tougher sections and then there is usually a run through of a major portion of the song. If the above plan works correctly the choir has much of this song learned.

The plan outlined above is the blueprint for most of the large group rehearsals I conduct. I have no hard rule that this plan must be followed, but it sure does give me a starting point.

Worship Choirs, Past and Future

This week while attending a worship leaders conference in California I had an interesting discussion with Stan Endicott about the future of choirs in worship services. Stan directs the choirs at Saddleback Church and Mariners Church in Orange County, California.  The essence of the discussion was choirs are not dead and any church can have one if the leadership understands and supports this ministry.

Stan related the story of events that just took place at Willow Creek Church.  Through some self-searching Willow Creek has decided that it is time for their church to become a singing church so they asked Stan to come up and do a rehearsal for the congregation teaching them to sing with enthusiasm.  While he was there he also led them through starting a choir that will help lead worship.

Worship leading choirs are a part of my tradition. I am this tradition embraced and continues to embrace the ministry of the choir.  Every ministry must evolved some over the generations however; there is something great about a group of dedicated people standing on stage in the worship center encouraging others to encounter God.

Choir Retreat: recap

I am sitting by my fireplace and TV thinking about the good time I had last night and this morning with friends and fellow ministers that are the worship choir at ClearView. This weekend of November for the past several years has been designated as ‘choir retreat.’ Usually we take the whole time to prepare for our Christmas presentation.  This year we got that accomplished and we also spent some time evaluating the current state of our ministry. I was very pleased at the openness with which the choir expressed their desire to see the choir continue to be an important part of the worship at ClearView and to hear their ideas for making it better. Over the next few weeks we will be putting into place a plan to evaluate all the ideas and take steps toward putting into action the ones that will help us be the best we can be for the God’s glory.

 

In a day when many churches have decided not to invest in a choir ministry, ClearView has decided there is value in a choir’s ministry. The ClearView choir is one of the ministry groups in the worship ministry. These groups’ role is to forward the vision of ClearView.  Just recently that vision has been described with these words:

ClearView exist to make radical disciples,

 focused on making God known

 to the ends of the earth.

 

The vision of the worship ministry is:

Using the creative arts

to communicate the never-changing message of God’s love,

encouraging persons to use gifts and talents to glory His name,

and lead others to do the same.

 

The worship choir at ClearView is open anyone who loves to sing and is passionate about serving God.  A few weeks ago I posted a blog that shares my beliefs on who should sing in the choir.  These three statements were the basis:

• People who are passionate about God and live a life of worship

Worship is more than Sunday morning, it is about being a follower of Christ…it is about making everyday decisions that reflect Christ. 

• People who enjoy singing

Sometimes people join the choir just because they love to sing, but it is our desire that through the fellowship, prayer, worship and discipleship of the choir this becomes more about worship than just about singing.

• People who feel called to lead others to be passionate worshippers

The choir is a ministry, and to be involved and fulfilled in a ministry there must be a sense of calling.  Choir is about giving people a place to use their talents and desire to serve God by encouraging others to do the same.

 

I have been amazed at what God has done at ClearView in the ten years that I have been a part of its ministry. I am looking forward to what God has in store for us and I am excited about the future of the worship choir.  It is a real joy to be called leader of this group.

Who Sings In the Choir?

Just recently I was reminded of how I should communicate more often concerning who should be an active member of the worship choir at ClearView. So here goes.

 

The only requirements to be a member of the worship choir is a love for singing and a  desire to worship God, who He is and what He has done through His Son. I know that might seem simple but that is it.  Notice there are no auditions required, just a desire to worship and love for singing. 

 

For all the years that I have been leading choirs I have had many people who love to sing say they could not be a part of the worship choir because their assumption is that all participants in the choir read music and are all soloists.  The reality is that they are people who love God and are willing to give the talent they have back to Him through participating in the ministry of the worship choir. 

 

In the New Testament we find the story of where a large crowd of people were fed with an amazing amount of food that started out as just a small portion.  One of the accounts of this story states that the beginning portions of food were that of a lunch of a boy.  The boy was willing to offer what he had and then Jesus took it, gave thanks for it and multiplied that gift. 

 

For those who participate in the choir I believe they are giving to the Lord through their hours of preparation and their ministry what they have, a love for singing and their love of God that is expressed through worship.  God then takes that offering and multiplies it for His glory.

 

Do you have a love for singing and a heart for God that you love to express through worship?  If so the worship choir at ClearView can be a place of ministry for you.

Trumpets and Singers

One of my favorite scripture passages comes from the book of II Chronicles 5:13-14

“The trumpets and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the LORD with these words: 

“He is good! His faithful love endures forever!”

Temple. At that moment a thick cloud filled the of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God.”

 

There are a few reasons that this scripture has become one of my favorites. 

• I am a trumpet player, (or at least used to be) and I love the mention of trumpets in scripture.
• All the years I have been serving as a worship minister I have been a big proponent of involving many people and instrumentation in the leading of worship. (In the verses just before the one I printed, you find an accounting of all the instruments and there is even mention that there were 120 trumpets.)
• At the end of this passage the statement “the priests could not continue…” is seen and it implies that the people were overwhelmed as they recognized God’s presence. 

 

The reality is that the ‘glorious presence of the LORD’ is present in all of our services.  We are the ones who limit our recognition of His presence or do not engage with Him in the conversation of worship.  I believe it is the worship leaders’ responsibility (singers – instrumentalists – tech personnel – pastor) to help all those who enter the worship room on a Sunday to recognize the presence of the LORD.

 

Sunday is just three days away and I am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet God in the conversation of worship with like-minded people and in so doing being a witness of God’s presence to those who may be in the room who do not have a personal relationship with Him.

 

And…we will have trumpets this week (4 not 120) and other orchestral and band instruments and a multitude of voices…

 

God help us to recognize Your presence at ClearView this Sunday.

Christmas In August

WARNING…long blog

It is that time of year when I start the intentional drive toward the Christmas season.  For the last couple of months I have been thinking about Christmas as I researched what type of services and music should be added to the schedule at ClearView.  One of the things that is still being decided is what type and how many services we will do on Christmas Eve.  A lot of that decision will be determined by the completion of the new building on our campus.

 

What has been decided is the special music that the worship choir will present.  For the last few years the music and style of service, the worship choir has led, has been of a particular genre.  This year I felt it was time to take a different direction. I am looking forward to the change. The music feels like Christmas and has some nice choral moments, some nice orchestral moments and time for worship and reflection.

 

At the time I was trying to decide on the music the Clearview staff was discussing the ‘core values’ of ClearView: Biblical Teaching; Passionate Worship; Transformed Lives and Missions.  Through the music and other elements of the Christmas presentation, ClearView will have the opportunity to demonstrate and participate in all of these core values.

 

Biblical Teaching: the content of the musical is directly based on scripture, and most of the spoken parts are direct quotes of scripture.

 

Passionate Worship: there are specific times in the musical that the choir and congregation will be given the opportunity to participate in corporate worship.

 

Transformed Lives: there will be opportunity to witness this core values in two ways: 1) the members of the worship ministry (people with transformed lives, because of Christ) will get to share their witness; and 2) there will be an intentional time of invitation for those who do not know Christ, to meet Him and decide to recognize Him as Lord.

 

Missions: Christmas is celebrated in most homes in our area. With openness and familiarity to the story of Christmas there is a great opportunity to get ‘non-churched’ persons inside the doors of a church.  This year the worship ministry will be presenting their Christmas production three times, two on Sunday, December 14, 9:30 and 11:00 AM  and one on Saturday night December 13 at 7:00 PM. The Saturday night performance was scheduled so that the ClearView family could invite neighbors and friends to celebrate the season of Christmas…missions in action.

 

It is not too early to begin thinking and praying about how you can be involved in inviting persons to attend these presentations of the Christmas story.   Be watching for more information about this mission and worship event that celebrates the life transforming power of Christ and is based directly on the Word of God.