On Sat., Sept. 17, Paul and I were asked to speak at the Elders and Deacons retreat. We discussed music in worship and our vision for the music program.
When Paul and I met to coordinate our thoughts, we came up with these points to share:
• We wish to see every member of the family represented during the service.
• The music program is volunteer-driven.
• We support a coordinated effort in which the spoken word is amplified by the music.
• We believe that people hear God’s message in different ways, so we work to find a consistent message through music of different styles and genres.
• We want to reinforce the variety of worship cultures exhibited in each of our three Sunday morning services. This reinforcement includes the support and growth of congregational song.
• We are committed to the sponsorship of community music events on our campus. (Examples are the recently instituted concert series for the Kansas City Guitar Society in the chapel on Oct. 16, Nov. 6, and Dec. 4 at 3:30 p.m. and the long-held tradition of the Kansas City Brass holiday concert on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.)
As we talked, Paul and I recognized that we would not have become musicians without the support of our childhood church homes, which allowed us to participate in services from a very young age. Our vision of church music is shaped by this shared experience. It is a priority for us to involve children and youth in services and to allow supervised access to church instruments (for example, the sanctuary organ).
We were grateful for the kind comments and support shown by the Elders and Deacons on Saturday. We also received some constructive comments which will be addressed immediately.
Thank you for adding your voice to the joyful noise we make together each week!
Sincerely,
Dina
