Rehearsal time: Wednesdays, 6:30-8:15 pm
Rehearsal place: Auditorium
Leaders: Kelly Dismore
The Scripture gives us a picture of worship as the gathering of believers where music, dance, visual arts and drama are important tools for the celebration of God's love, grace and victory. The Worship Choir will minister to bring this picture to life in our congregation through culturally relevant musical expression.
The purpose of the group is three-fold:
- To help the church worship leaders in facilitating a passionate participatory praise and adoration experience for the congregation (working together with the Worship Team, Band, Orchestra, Dance and Drama Ministries).
- To edify the Body of Christ through special music presentations.
- To reach out to the lost through music and worship, musical drama, concerts and other evangelistic events.
In all of these activities our first goal is to continually offer the sacrifice of praise to the Living God (see Romans 12:1-2). Singers of all levels of musical proficiency are encouraged to join the group. We will embrace musical excellence achieved by diligence in preparation as well as a strong spiritual emphasis on prayer and worship. No need for selective auditions! Beginners are welcome! Love for the Lord, musical talent of any size and the desire to grow both musically and spiritually are the only qualifications to enter. The rest we will learn together! The rehearsal times on Wednesday coincide with the church's mid-week programs. Child-care for children under 3 years of age will be available (reservations required!). Moms and dads as well as parents with teen-agers are encouraged to get involved in a meaningful ministry together.
A regular rehearsal time consists of preparation for weekly worship services, learning new music, preparing special pieces and (when needed) practicing music for larger outreach events. An indispensable part of every meeting is a brief Bible teaching exploring God's purpose for praise and worship and equipping members to live godly lives driven by the power of the Holy Spirit. When participating on Sunday mornings, the Worship Choir will gather at 7:45 am in the chapel for warm up followed by a run-through of the worship service in the main sanctuary. While participation in both services is required, most of the time the choir will minister before the preaching of the Word and will be dismissed from the front area before the message. On rare occasion the choir may be needed for the entire service.
In addition to the practical side of serving God and His people, our goal is maturing in our relationship with the Lord and strengthening one another. An extended prayer time will be offered at the end of each rehearsal emphasizing the atmosphere of a "small church" and an environment of a warm and caring discipleship group.
Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: "He is good; His love endures forever." (2 Chronicles 5:13)
