For the past two summers, my volunteer church choir has enjoyed singing on Sundays throughout the summer. Besides singing easier anthems that they are already familiar with, I’ve been on the hunt for anthems that they can learn in a ~35 minute rehearsal before the service. Oh – and the anthems have to be musically …
Today’s Music and the Church episode features a conversation with Noel A. Snyder about his new book Sermons That Sing: Music and the Practice of Preaching. More about Sermons That Sing: Preaching and music are both regular elements of Christian worship across the theological spectrum. But they often don’t interact or inform each other in …
There are a lot of factors that go into planning music for a church service! When I started listing factors I think about, I was surprised to come up with at least sixteen. It’s a lot of consider, but they are all important. Are there any other factors you would add? 1. Well-Written It might …
The 16 Factors for Planning Worship Service Music (Yes, 16!) Read More »
Singing heals our spirits and bodies as we breath and tune our voices together. It isn’t a metaphor for community but literally is embodied community. And while the pandemic has been difficult for everyone, it has been especially hard for all of us vocalists who haven’t been able to sing chorally—we couldn’t engage in this …
8 Ways to Help Your Choir Heal After Many Months Apart Read More »
Music and the Church with Sarah Bereza is back after a summer hiatus while I finished writing and editing my book Professional Christian: Being Fully Yourself in the Spotlight of Public Ministry (coming your way Spring 2022) – glad to be back into podcasting mode! Today’s episode is an interview with my friends Nathan Myrick …
Dr. Mark Chaves, director of the National Congregations Study, shares recent highlights from the survey and how they compare with the last 20 years of data.
Imagine you have a beautiful garden in your backyard with amazing sunlight and soil, and plenty of room for practically whatever flowers and vegetables your heart desires. But then you move to a small apartment, and your only outdoor space is a teeny balcony with just enough room for some pots and planters. That’s like …
Let’s take stock of where we are in the marathon of the pandemic and of the program year.
I am so delighted to be talking with author Andy Thomas about his new book Resounding Body: Building Christlike Church Communities through Music. So often we think that a great church music program must be heavy on financial resources, but he “encourages music leaders to step up and persevere in low-resource contexts, and challenges all …
