Singing to the Lord in the congregation can be one of the most exciting and meaningful activities of the local church. No other activity equally engages the mind, will, and emotions. No other activity requires the precedent of unity around the truth of God’s Word. It is a wonderful experience when God’s people are fully engaged and unified in worship.…
In the last post on this topic, I explored six ways to find new music for your church. After finding new music, though, the next task on a music director’s list is to choose the best music. Choosing music seems like an elementary topic for a post, but any music director who has choosen music with constraints like a budget,…
My wife and I enjoy being involved in a number of ministries at Lancaster Baptist Church, but most of all we enjoy one-on-one discipleship. Every Wednesday evening, several couples and individual gather to meet with their disciplers and cover one of 14 basic Bible lessons. The goal of this program is to instruct newer Christians in the basic teachings of…
Three of my absolute favorite courses to teach at West Coast Baptist College are Hymnology, the study of Christian song, Philosophy of Church Music, and Theology of Worship. I believe all three are necessary for a biblical and balanced worship program. Our biblical theology of worship builds framework for all matters of corporate worship, including music. Philosophy of Church Music then…
It has been over a month since my last post, so I thought I would take this time to give a quick update about what the Lord has done in our lives. It truly has been a busy but exciting summer. We greatly anticipate what the Lord will continue to do this school year. [We know not everyone that reads…
Let all things be done decently and in order. –1 Corinthians 10:31 Have you even stopped to consider how the smallest details of your order of service can communicate importance to the congregation? Did you know that even a simple detail like how you begin the service can set the wrong tone for the service? Specifically, have you considered that the…
Have you reflected recently on the love of Christ? Have you paused from the busyness of life, family, and ministry just to view it all through the lens of Christ’s love for us? In this short post, I would like to simply inspire reflection and meditation on Christ’s love. Take a moment today to reflect on the awesome love of…
You’ve probably heard someone say, “Leaders are readers and readers are leaders.” I cannot pinpoint exactly when I first heard that statement, but I know that many great books have influenced my thinking on a variety of topics. Sometimes I ask people I meet in ministry to tell me which books have influenced them. I’m amazed how often I’ve never…