5 Ways to Help Your Church Sing

For one thousand years leading up to the Reformation, hymn singing was a dangerous occupation. Just ask Jan Hus (c. 1370-1415), an early Reformer from modern-day Prague, who was burned at the stake for it. Rewind back to the 4th century (c. AD 350) where a decree by the Church stated: “If laymen are forbidden to preach and interpret the Scriptures, much more are they forbidden to sing publicly in church.”[1] This measure effectually silenced congregational worship in the church for the next ten centuries. Professionals took over (priests) and the congregation—once participants—increasingly became observers of worship.

Why the history lesson, you ask? Because many times the modern church has forgotten the importance of congregational singing in worship. At the Last Supper Jesus, along with the disciples, sang a hymn before heading to the Mount of Olives (Matt. 26:30). In Acts 2: 42-47, one can find an important list of vital activities for the people of God when they gather. These actions include: 1) Preaching and teaching the word of God; 2) Fellowship; 3) The Lord’s Supper; 4) Prayer; and 5) Praise.

“…let’s make sure we do all that we are able to help the church sing “the excellencies of God” at the top of their lungs.”

Martin Luther believed that more people were won to Christ through singing than his preaching, as worship edifies and instructs the Body of Christ (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). When congregations sing, all are truly on the same page together; everyone is singing in the same key, declaring the same words and hearing the same truth at exactly the same time.

      So, if singing is vital to the church, we must make sure our congregations are doing just that. Here are five ways to help worshipers lift their collective voices in praise to God.

1.     Choose sing-able keys

We pick certain keys because the song was initially recorded to promote the lead vocalist on a recording. The original sounded great with all of those high notes and licks put into the performance on the mp3, and it's our desire for the song to capture that same energy and excitement. But for our congregations, we must find a common musical range that an average person can sing, which is considerably limited; the lowest end of that range is around Bb, below middle C—the highest is roughly D, an octave and a step above middle C. Finding the best key is really about being a servant to our people so they can worship freely.

2.     Choose songs that sing like prayers to God

During a recent Internet interview, Tim Timmons was asked, “What is a worship leader?" He described one as a person who helps people sing prayers to Jesus—a very accurate description. As a songwriter, my role is to help believers declare truth, devotion, heart and adoration to God with thoughts that they themselves may never be able to articulate. I have also likened my job to being a writer of greeting cards—helping people say what they really want to express to God. Whether one uses hymns or choruses, it is always advantageous for worship to be in the vernacular (language) of the people. Even as missionaries respect the culture of an indigenous people when sharing the gospel, a worship leader does well to choose songs that are in the heart language of the congregation singing.

3.     Make sure worship songs are scripturally sound

In his book, Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin wrote, “One of the most important aspects of biblical worship we desperately need to recover today is a passionate, scripturally informed exaltation of Jesus Christ and his redemptive work.” The Bible teaches that the church must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4: 24); worship must also be Christ-centered and not man-centered (Matt. 4:10; Rom. 15:1-7; Heb. 13:15); and the Word of God must guide worship (Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). Leaders have the responsibility to make sure that what their congregations sing lines up with Scripture. Remember what Martin Luther understood: many learn doctrine and theology from hymns and worship songs!

4.     Help the congregation hear themselves sing

As an electric guitar-playing worship leader guy myself, I love powerful sound, great in-ear monitoring, lights and an energetic audience. But in a live worship setting, many times we have the scenario all wrong. Actually, those who are leading the songs provide accompaniment to help the congregation sing to God (the priority), Who is the ultimate audience. Often when we attempt to be musically powerful, culturally relevant, while offering a world-class concert experience, we thwart the actual purpose of why we are there—to help the church sing! This is counter-intuitive to many Western churches today, but I challenge churches to turn the sound down so the church can hear itself sing. What happens most of the time is that with a “concert” mentality we force the congregation to look to the stage, when they should rather be fixing their attention upon God. This leads to the next and final suggestion…

5.     Avoid “professionalizing” everything

As mentioned earlier, the problem with the 4th century decree from the Council at Laodicea was that the Church had decided common folk didn’t have authority to preach, read the Word on their own, or even participate in worship—which included congregational singing. Therefore, priests did all of the work. Ironically, the word liturgy (a fixed set of formalities used in public worship) actually means “the work of the people!” It is so easy for leaders to take control of worship and make it uber-professional, when actually the purpose of worship, found in 1 Peter 2:9, states that God’s ultimate design for us is to be: “…a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (NASB).  

We need to be mindful of our purpose as worshipers; singing together as a congregation is a part of that ultimate design. As leaders, let’s make sure we do all that we are able to help the church sing “the excellencies of God” at the top of their lungs.

About the author:

A native of southern California, Jamie Harvill is best known for writing or co-writing the worship songs “Ancient of Days,” “Firm Foundation,” “Garments of Praise,” and “Because We Believe.” Married to his gorgeous bride, Brenda, since 1985, they have two married children, and three grandchildren. Jamie holds a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Mobile, and an MA in Worship Studies from Liberty University. Check out Jamie’s books, Worship Foundry and To Jesus We Sing. More info at jamieharvill.com

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[1] Elmer L. Towns and Vernon M. Whaley, Worship Through the Ages: How the Great Awakenings Shape Evangelical Worship (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2012), Kindle Edition, location 1590.

Restart: My Road Toward Christ

I came from a family of hard-working skeptics, a home where believing in God was considered a weakness. My maternal grandmother was a person of deep faith, but my father’s family tree was planted firmly in self-reliance. My parents and their three boys grew up without much involvement in church or religious things—a home in which the name of God was rarely, if ever, spoken outside of profanity.

Growing up in southern California in the ‘60s and ‘70s, music, guitars, the beach and a growing hippie sub-culture heavily influenced me. A schoolmate’s house was across the street from us, and he had an older brother who lived in their garage. White smoke from burning marijuana wafted through the cracks in the garage door on a regular basis, and I was curious about the strange character related to my buddy across the street. One day while visiting my friend, the older brother lured me into the shadows of the garage to show me his drug stash and to reveal the satanic bible on a makeshift table next to what was a makeshift bed. I’d never given much thought to the subject of evil, or even God up to that point, so I readily grabbed the satanic bible I was offered and leaped to my feet to join his younger brother inside the equally disheveled house. I never felt safe in that place across the street, and my instincts always told me to run away.

            

A few summers earlier I was invited to join a vacation Bible club in a neighbor’s home about three or four doors down from my friend’s house. There I felt secure and was warmly greeted by the mom of the house before each meeting. The child who invited me to his home was also a schoolmate, and his family was deeply committed to a local Baptist church in town. There on those summer afternoons, I enjoyed the parables of Jesus, the regular-guy disciples, and other characters, especially from Old Testament Bible stories. I didn’t make a connection with God at that point in my life, but was intrigued with the love, acceptance and fun activities—free snacks were also handed out at the end of each meeting, and that was a major draw for me!

            

In 1973 The Exorcist was released. There were reports of creepy, supernatural occurrences on the set of the movie, and the subject of demon possession and demonology became a big topic of conversation across America. The satanic bible that I hid in the top of my bedroom closet a year earlier now had new meaning. I began to mull over in my mind the reality of good and evil; that there just might be a real God and a real devil after all.

            

I put these thoughts on hold through my two years in Jr. High School and, by my freshman year of High School, I met an older classmate who took me under his wing. We would hang out together after school, smoke cigarettes and occasionally smoke marijuana, and experiment with other drugs. When he wasn’t in school, my friend would break into homes and steal jewelry, cash, and anything he could pocket in his mad dash in and out of the stranger’s house. One time he brought me a diamond ring to hide for him until he could get it later. I knew it was wrong and felt guilty knowing a married couple was missing their cherished wedding ring.

I was surprised when my burglar friend all but disappeared from school one week, and our daily time together came to a screeching halt. A few weeks later he came to my house, this time with news that would alter the direction of my life. He spoke of his encounter with Jesus, and a man who visited him in juvenile hall, after this time getting caught stealing. The visitor, an evangelist named Big Jim Tucker, stopped by my friend’s room and told him that God loved him, had big plans for him, and that his misbehavior and all of his shenanigans could be forgiven, and that he could be restored to a brand-new starting place in life—just like a new baby has an opportunity to start fresh. He’d just have to reach out to God for forgiveness. My friend eventually said “yes” to Jesus, restarted his life, and then invited me to meet Big Jim Tucker and Jesus at a local gathering place for Christians.

That Friday night I found myself in a room full of other people who had recently restarted their lives in Jesus; they were reading the Bible and singing songs that sounded nothing like my grandma’s church music. I was curious, shy and scared, but I came back the next day to hang out again at Big Jim’s.

After a few weeks, I craved the love, acceptance, and care shown to me at Big Jim’s place. I went there every day after school. Easter Sunday was coming up that weekend and I accepted the invitation to join a carload of others to see a church play about Jesus’ death on the cross. During the play, I realized that it was Jesus I needed; that the devil was real and I needed to restart my life all over again with my eyes focused on God’s plans for my life and not my own. After the play, and returning to Big Jim’s place, a kind man asked me if I was ready to say “yes” to Jesus like my friend had weeks before. Unlike that dark shadowed garage with the satanic bible in hand, I leaped into a new life with Jesus, Bible in hand. I knew my choice was the right one and I was headed in the right direction.

The biggest change after that was that the Bible became my guidebook. I had to trust the words I read in the Bible every day to be true, and that no matter what, God would personally guide me through life. I was learning more every day about Him, trusting in Him—talking with Him. Even though I stumbled from time to time, I would be forgiven and He Himself would guide me back onto the True path.

I want you to know that this opportunity I was given by God can be yours, too. He wants to come into your life, help you restart and will help you get on the True path. Not only will you be walking with God in life, but also He wants to give you life that lasts forever. God wants to cut the chains that bog you down in life, tying you to things that are harmful. He wants to lift the weight of sadness and aloneness from your shoulders, to live a life with a positive future and a definite purpose. Won’t you say “yes” to Jesus like I did many years ago? He’s never left me, betrayed me or failed to deliver on a promise. He’ll be True for you as well!

Pressure Points

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)



Change is good. It can be invigorating and inspirational. Having to adapt to new procedures, lifestyle adjustments, money issues, etc, can come with change. With change it’s easy to look at life, and especially the calendar, as a series of obstacles to be removed—boxes where finished tasks are checked off.

I’ve found that relationships can suffer when change abounds. I call these times ”pressure points.” When things get busy, communication becomes more difficult, and worry and anxiety can take over our lives. Sometimes “drive-by” comments can be misunderstood, simply by how we say it.

Even as we are challenged with change, thoughtful conversation and communication must be prioritized, especially in marriage. What we say and do under stress can create relational barriers, and it doesn’t matter how well we get things done or adapt to our new jobs, school year, etc., we need to nurture our relationships.

Pressure points that come with change can create opportunities to rely on God.

"It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open ones mouth and remove all doubt" ­­- Mark Twain (attributed)

Whatever Happened to Service?

Whatever happened to service? I mean, when did it become the practice of companies, churches and individuals to let customers (current or potential) and/or visitors fend for themselves while deciding whether or not to join something, buy something, or just enjoy simple courtesy?

I was shocked a few years ago when a young mall cologne sales person began to argue with me about my choice of scent; she thought my choice was subpar and didn’t fall for the rubbish that “the customer is always right." I didn’t offer that statement up front, but as she brought it up, I began to ponder the validity of that old quote simultaneously as I fended off my anger, turned and walked out of the store.

Defining “Service”

I watched a movie last night where the plot line revolved around a grand hotel in Europe just before and during World War II. Though quirky and fatalistic in its depiction of life and humanity, there were moments of sensitivity and poignancy. One such was when the hotel’s concierge—an old-world perfectionist who ruled the hotel staff with an iron fist—began lecturing his new “lobby boy” as to the tricks of the trade and the mindset one must have to be a successful service person. The concierge said, “What is a lobby boy? A lobby boy is completely invisible, yet always in sight. A lobby boy remembers what people hate. A lobby boy anticipates the client’s needs before the needs are needed.” One could replace “lobby boy” in that quote with “service” and my point for this writing would be complete:

SERVICE is completely invisible, yet always in sight

SERVICE remembers what people hate

SERVICE anticipates the client’s needs before the needs are needed

Regarding Church

I think the hotel concierge’s wisdom from the movie can teach a few things to church leaders as well. First of all, we mustn’t make the mistake that our visitors and guests know anything about the church, its customs, physical layout, etc. Using a variation of what was quoted earlier, a connection team at a church must “anticipate the [visitor’s/guest’s] needs before the needs are needed.” All one has to do is put themselves in that vulnerable position of a first-time guest to make sure there are plenty of friendly connection staff ready and waiting to help with any need. Signage must be beyond adequate to direct guests to where they need to go. But just like any fine establishment, it’s best to break from your station to walk with the guests to their desired destination. Introduce yourself and make sure to remember their names so you can greet them afterward.

Also, a service mentality must persist beyond the “welcome” stage in a church. We must help guide frequent guests into the “next steps” of commitment, such as salvation, baptism, new members classes, small groups, etc. For example, when a traveler is driving through an unfamiliar town after a food, comfort and fuel stop, it’s important that there are visible directives to get back to the interstate, and that those directions are clearly displayed. It requires a redundancy of prompts to get us onto the main highway. The same redundant, painfully obvious prompts must be present to properly serve and guide our visitors, guests and regular attenders alike. Everyone is trying to find the onramp to the interstate, no matter how far along the road we are!

Service Wisdom

Here are some helpful service hints from experienced waiters—guidelines that translate easily into general everyday life:

-Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting

-When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right

-Never acknowledge any one guest over and above any other. All guests are equal

-Do not ignore a table because it is not your table. Stop, look, listen, lend a hand. (Whether tips are pooled or not.)

-Do not let a glass sit empty for too long

“And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:44-45 (NIV).

When Worship Wasn't Cool

I think of the days when hymn books lined the pews in our churches and were used in worship services every week. As a traditional '80s minister of music, I would stand at the pulpit and say, "Please take your hymn books and turn to page number (fill in the blank) and sing verses one, two and five." Remember?

I have always been a fan of guitar music, especially classic rock. I'd played my acoustic guitar in worship once in a while back in the day, but in church I was mostly accompanied by organ and piano. I dreamed of the day when my kind of music—rock and roll— would be accepted in the churches I served.

Since the days of Promise Keepers, and through the great worship experiences offered during those events, pastors began to desire "more of that" in their own churches, and slowly opened the flood gates for full bands to take their church stages. I saw this development before my own eyes.

In the days preceding all of this, worship wasn't cool. I mean, for most churches, worship looked for the longest time like it had for two hundred years. This wasn't a bad thing, since classical music had dominated church and sacred music literature, and people were reading music and passing on the wonderful, Bible-rich songs that were pervasive up to that point. Music literacy is a good thing and I hope over time we don't lose it.

The Transition

I was raised in southern California in the '60s and '70s, and the influences of Maranatha! Music and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa were present when I received Christ at the age of 14. The pop music of my early Christian formation became the soundtrack to my spiritual walk. But as I moved away from California to the southern part of the United States, I noticed that this pop-styled worship music was scarce in churches there, and the worship music wave that started on the west coast had not yet arrived on the shores of the east coast.

I remember back in the early ‘90s, during the days when I was an exclusive writer with Integrity Music, founder and then-owner and President Mike Coleman invited all of the writers and creatives to a company retreat. At dinner one night that weekend, Coleman lamented that the Christian music industry didn’t “get” worship and many companies resisted partnering with Integrity in producing this kind of music for the church.

By the time worship music took to the radio in the 2000s, it was an indication that the genre had "arrived." Once Michael W. Smith’s Worship hit stores on (ironically) September 11, 2001, worship music's importance began to rise in the eyes of the music industry.

Dream Come True

What has resulted over the years is a greater presence of guitar-driven rock in worship services, smaller vocal groups and an unprecedented use of staging and technology in churches. I am excited, to say the least—my dream is coming true!

However, as leaders we must make sure that the music doesn’t become an idol, that it doesn't take the place of the One we worship. We must be careful to raise up worship musicians and leaders with the proper perspective of music in the church: a vehicle to help the congregation sing together and connect with God. We must keep our music approachable, with singable keys and with words that are Biblically sound, lyrics that don’t rely on sensual imagery to describe intimacy with God.

I am hopeful for worship music and its acceptance as a sacred form of church music, and never want to see our music ministries become a surrogate means for our own musical ambitions. Thank God our kids don't have to play in clubs and bars like many of us had to do to hone our musical skills; they can learn and mature right in the church!

Oh yes, I remember when worship wasn’t cool, so let’s be thankful and wise stewards of this great privilege we now have.

Sweet Home Alabama

In January 1983 I rolled into downtown Mobile, Alabama after traveling all night, crumpled up in a tiny seat on a packed Greyhound bus.

Over the three proceeding years I worked with the Columbus, Ohio-based company, American Entertainment Productions (AEP). Through this first-time-away-from-home opportunity with AEP, I became fully immersed in the world of performing; I became a professional musician, whose skills as a guitarist and singer were finely honed in the crucible called “The Road.” As a bonus I learned to be a road manager and a front man for a world-traveling rock group. My three years with AEP took me all over North America, the Mediterranean and Europe. I was grateful for the opportunity, but longed for a chance to serve Christ and His Church through music.

Through the suggestion of some musician friends, I auditioned for the Christian group Truth. I made the cut as guitar player and, along with with all that I owned in the world, was picked up at the Mobile Greyhound station and brought to the Truth office in an oak-shaded house on Old Shell Rd.

Later that day I met Roger Breland and my life would never be the same.

During my 2 1/2-year tenure with Truth I learned about ministry and performing in various churches. I gained an understanding of different denominations—what to say and not to say in certain places—and learned how to conduct myself in host homes.

In September of 1983 Truth was invited to play for the chapel service at a local Christian school called Mobile College. In the auditorium that morning was a beautiful angel—an eighteen-year-old, first-semester freshman—worshipping the Lord during the congregational singing part of the presentation; I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. I looked forward to hopefully seeing and meeting her at the school cafeteria directly after the service. Sure enough, she was there. I had to get a friend from the group to meet her first, then introduce me, because I was too shy to do it myself! Thankfully Brenda didn’t fall for the guy who introduced us, and I shook the hand of the lady that would one day become my wife.

A few years later in 1985, when it was time to leave the group and complete my education, Roger Breland helped me get into Mobile College. I married Brenda that Christmas and, fast-forward to the spring of 1989, we were photographed together at graduation with our two children, Josh and Betsy.

My brother Jon recently said that Mobile has always been a place of blessing for me: I wrote some of my biggest songs and signed an exclusive songwriter’s contract with Integrity Music in Mobile; I was ordained at a Mobile church; Brenda was born and raised in Mobile; we were married there—our kids were born there—all in Mobile!

When my mother passed away in 1997, we moved away for four years to be with my dad in North Carolina. For the past thirteen years we have called Spring Hill, Tennessee home.

And now after 17-years away, Brenda and I return to the place where we first met back in ’83, though these days it’s called the University of Mobile. Roger Breland—now Dr. Breland—having since left Truth after 31 years, has been the Vice President of Project Development and Director of the Center for Performing Arts at the university for over a decade. Once again I am serving under my old mentor, boss and friend, Dr. B, and wear the title of “Artist-In-Residence," which gives me the honor of working with students as a mentor and teacher and director of some of the performance groups on campus. I will also be working closely with the other guitar instructors, focusing on commercial guitar from a real-world, gigging-musician perspective. To top it off, my new book, Worship Foundry, fits perfectly as a text book for my classes. I am humbled with the opportunity to apply my years of experience in worship leadership, songwriting, arranging and producing at this wonderful institution, and am truly thankful for Mobile and its importance to my family and career.

So, I am looking forward to the new school year starting in mid-August. Many thanks to all who have supported us over the years, and especially to those who recognize that this new phase of our lives is a perfect fit and an answer to much prayer. I believe that this opportunity given me has been on God’s workbench since before the beginning of time. For this I am a grateful man.

Personal Sacrifice and Leadership

Dr. John P. Stapp

On October 14, 1947, flying the X-1 at Mach 1.07 at an altitude of 45,000 feet, test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the skies above what is now Edwards Air Force Base, near Lancaster, California. Yeager would later say, "The real barrier wasn't in the sky, but in our knowledge and experience."

Just two months later, a less famous experiment was to bring a new level of understanding to human flight, advancing not only the study of aeronautics, but proving the miraculous resilience of the human body, and, at the same time, displaying an important lesson in leadership.

Captain John Paul Stapp, a medical doctor and member of the Army Air Force Aero Med Lab, was studying the effects of high altitude flight--critical to the future of aviation. Could men actually survive for any length of time in extremely high altitudes? The "bends"—which is basically decompression sickness, arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body—was a frequent underwater diving hazard, and a condition brought on while flying in an unpressurised aircraft at high altitudes. Stapp's experiments on this phenomena led to the discovery that if a pilot breathed pure oxygen for thirty minutes prior to takeoff, the extremely painful symptoms could be avoided—symptoms otherwise temporarily relieved by "bending," or finding a more comfortable physical position.

"I'm going to be the test subject."—Dr. John Stapp

The bigger story for me is about Stapp himself. During the studies, he would offer himself as a willing human guinea pig for experiments. In the scientific quest to solve more problems regarding flight and its effect on humans, Stapp was eventually assigned to the Deceleration Project in March 1947. He arrived in California in April 1947 with the specific objective of studying G forces and the survivability of pilots, both during and after a mid-flight cockpit ejection.

One of Stapp's sleds, now at the Aerospace Museum, Alamogordo, NM

A 2000-foot-long track, built out of welded tubes with a sled atop called the "Gee Whiz," was already
constructed at Edwards AFB—then called Muroc—to test rockets in WWII.  The track was designed to withstand 100 G of force, but it had a meager 50% safety factor. In December 1947, after eight months and 35 test runs with 185-pound crash-test-dummy named Oscar Eightball, Capt. Stapp felt his team had gained enough experience to attempt a manned run. The willing leader said of the test subject Oscar, "We're not going to use these. You can throw this away. I'm going to be the test subject."

Stapp during a test.

When Stapp began his research in 1947, the aerospace conventional wisdom was that an 18 G force against the human body would be fatal. His tests challenged that notion and, as a result, the studies helped establish a standard strength requirement for aircraft seats at 32 G. Also, his studies helped establish requirements that led to the 3-point system of seat belts in automobiles.

Stapp was born in Brazil to a family of American missionaries. His early experiences on the mission field may have helped establish the leadership principles that were prevalent during his career, which I summarize here: Lead by example through personal sacrifice.

Stapp's leadership example is a great lesson for all who desire to step out in front of the pack. I would follow Stapp anywhere, but I probably wouldn't want to take a ride in "Gee Whiz" for all the money in the world!