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My job involves many challenging and important duties; however, my main responsibility is to get ready for Sunday. For instance, this morning's worship involved lots of people, and I was partially responsible for coordinating their efforts, rehearsing with musicians, designing the worship order and worship folder, and taking care of many other details. A typical week for me might involve worship planning, staff meeting, committee meetings, rehearsals, rehearsal preparation, long-range planning (seasonal music, future choral presentations, and other special music), project planning (youth choir tour and music camp), administration (writing letters, sending cards and e-mails, ordering music, balancing the budget, purchasing materials, and meeting with tuners and repair persons), practicing, ministry (counseling, hospital visits, visits to prospects, funerals and weddings), continuing education (meeting with local ministers of music, attending conferences, reading, or studying), spiritual development (prayer, Bible study, and meeting with an accountability group), and community service. The real challenge for my job is getting it all done, and the weeks never seem long enough.

How Do You Choose Music for Worship?

Many factors determine what music we sing in worship. They include the season of the year (the Christian calendar and other important days), the theme for the day, what our congregation knows, the make-up of our congregation, theological balance (songs of praise, confession, thanksgiving, proclamation, or commitment), varied styles and forms, and available resources (accompaniment, choirs, singers, leaders, and others). (It is often helpful at this point to talk with the congregation member about the worship planning process, i.e., the process of getting to a particular worship event.)

Why Don’t Preschoolers Sing in Worship?

Giving glory to God is our primary focus in worship. Since preschoolers are egocentric (i.e., they are very centered on self), it is difficult for them to focus on giving gifts to God. Furthermore, the goal of all individuals/groups who lead in worship is to help others focus on God. This is a difficult responsibility for preschoolers and for congregations when preschoolers sing in worship. Many people only see the children as cute and not as worship leaders.