Music Ministry News
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For about four years now, the music department at NCF has
been a subscriber to an online service called Planning
Center. This web-based software enables us to keep a data
base of songs, people, and 'plans' or services. When a
particular member of the praise team is scheduled into a
plan, that person receives an email message, and when it is
complete the full outline of the worship service. Where
song titles appear, there can be attachments
including .mp3s and .pdfs of the songs. The program even
sends notifications two days before the performance. When
the participant receives a request to sing or play, that person
may accept or decline the request and the response shows
up on the master site. Each person who is in the data base
may update his own profile with specific information and
even block out dates.
Personal contact is the best way to communicate. There is
nothing like a human voice and face to speak with. But we
live in a complex society with layers of commitments. Some
things are best communicated in a short message where one
can quickly respond and move on to other things. Planning
Center has made each Sunday's preparations smoother.
We Seek to Do Both
"And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with
skillful hands he led them." -Psalm 78:72
"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts,
especially the gift of prophecy." -I Corinthians 14:1
The question has been asked of music ministries, "Which
would you rather have, an amazingly gifted musician who
was spiritually immature, or a spiritual giant who isn't that
great on his instrument?"
The answer is that we press on for both in our music
ministry. It is an often noted distinctive of African-
American worship that the music has got to be good. An
old African adage says, "The Spirit will not descend
without a song."
One of the joys of working in a cross-cultural context is the
expectation that our music must be good. It is not our
intention, however, to replace a walk with Jesus with "crazy
praise." One of the tragedies of modern Christianity is the
way that obedience to Christ has been neatly truncated by
show and hot licks. May we at New City always find the
Spirit of Jesus at the heart of our worship through all the
rehearsing, all the planning, and all the technology. Praise
his wonderful Name! |
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