TLC Singers
Regularly sing at 8:30 a.m. Service
Rehearsals are on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Choir Room. Except Advent and Lent, 6:00PM

Maranatha Singers
SATB Choir regularly sings at 11:00 a.m. Service. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm in the Choir Room. Except Advent and Lent, 8:00PM

Festival Choir
Sings for special occasions

THINKING OF JOINING THE CHOIR?

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High

Have you ever thought about joining the choir and wanted to but were afraid to try? If so, please reconsider and pray about it. For quite some time I have wanted to join the choir but didn’t think I could do it. I love to sing, but don’t know the first thing about music. After being approached by several of the choir members, I finally decided to join. Or I should probably say the Spirit moved me to join and what a blessing it has been to me! Jeff and the choir members are great and are happy to help me. It is a very rewarding and uplifting experience to be able to sing praises to our Lord in a choir setting. I personally feel honored yet humbled to be able to add to the worship experience of others and serve in this way.

So, if you think you can’t sing, think you don’t have the time, or for whatever reason haven’t joined the choir, please seriously think about it. Come join us. You will be glad you did!

Janet Yardley

“CONTEMPORARY” MUSIC & TRADITIONAL MUSIC

All music was originally "new." Historically, the introduction of new styles has always been difficult to accept into the "familiar." J.S. Bach himself was not without his detractors! Certainly, church music has been no exception. For the next two Sundays and beyond we are introducing a new "contemporary" song, "In Christ Alone." It has actually been around for a while and continues to make its way into new hymnals being compiled today.

I believe the reason for it passing the "test of time" is that it meets several criteria: the tune is appealing, singable, and emotionally "matches" the heart of the text. It repeats without seeming trite--the mark of any great hymn. The range of the melody is not too high for men and is not too low for women and children. The rhythm is solid enough to be easily "felt" by large groups of untrained singers. Lastly, the text is theologically sound --- it MUST speak a message clearly to the heart each time it is sung.

One immediate example from the past that comes to mind is a hymn written in 1953 whose extreme range and rhythm along with its unusual text (for the time) raised more than one eyebrow and was met with strong resistance when it was first introduced. It was a challenge to learn --- to say the very least!

Today, it stands second only to "Amazing Grace" in its world-wide popularity.

I truly hope that we can begin learning "In Christ Alone," getting past our preconceptions of what we envision contemporary music and worship to be (we all know what that is!), and will honestly be able to say in time how much this "new" hymn is contributing to our traditional worship style. Personally, I hate labels. When we leave the service, I pray that we come away not thinking "contemporary worship" or "traditional worship," but GREAT worship! Oh, by the way... the "contemporary" song of 1953 I was referring to: "How Great Thou Art!"

Jeff Lewis
Director of Music and Organist

P.S. Folks, it is not too late to join a choir! We are just beginning to prepare music for Advent and Christmas. If you have been thinking about joining but don't think you can make a full-time commitment, join us for the next two months to see how it might work for you. The schedule changes a bit in Advent. Check the schedule, call me or ask a choir member. We would love to have you!!!