THE MUSIC MINISTRY by Samuel Tolbert |
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| BASIC CHURCH MUSIC MINISTRY Processionals Holy, Holy, Holy Guide Me O thy Great Jehovah Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart Choir Chant Hear Our Prayer Lords Prayer Morning Hymns A Mighty Fortess is Our God Great is Thy Faithfulness Blessed Assurance 'Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus Jesus is All the World to Me Love Lifted Me O How I Love Jesus Down at the Cross Sweet, Sweet Spirit in this Place Invitation Hymn What a Friend We have in Jesus No not One Pas me not O Gentle Savior God will Take Care of You I Surrender All I have Decided to Follow Jesus Just As I Am I Am Thine O Lord Easter/Communion Selections What Can Wash Away my Sins At the Cross He Lives Because he Lives At Calvary The Old Rugged Cross Amazing Grace The Blood that Jesus Shed for Me There's Room at the Cross There is a Fountain Filled with Blood Misc(Funerals) I'll Fly Away Blessed Assurance No not One Precious Lord Take my Hand Come Ye Disconsolate One Day I'll be caught to Meet Him Soon and Very Soon Just a Little While to Stay Here When We All get to Heaven Bye and Bye when the morning Comes Doxology Praise God from Whom All Blessing Flow God be with you til we meet again Threefold Amen |
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Music Ministry And the Levite say " The Lord be Praised for his Mercy Endureth Forever, Selah" From before the Earth was formed and each of us conceived in the minds of our parents, God ordained that we become the modern day Levites, the musicians spoke of in the Old Testament scriptures. Imagine, as we minister in music, God himself comes in sings with the melodic chords we play. "Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty". When the spirit of God through the annointing enters through your music cancers can be healed, relationships restored and deliverance from whatever ill's the people. Know that you have been annointed and appointed to become a Levite, to serve in God's church for this time. God created music for three purposes: 1.To Praise Him 2. To Create an Atmosphere of Glory 3. To Make Announcements. As new musicians coming in to this ministry, the spirit of God has led me to actively create an atmosphere both educational and spiritual for your training. We cannot be defeated because the battle is already won but, we still have to show up. There is place for everyone in this ministry and, when you have recognized were your place is, you will be doing that which God created you for. He invested his spirit in you and has given me the opportunity to stir up the gift that is within you. There will be questions you as new musicians and seasoned musicians will ponder. As new musicians you may question your effectiveness early in your music ministry. The more seasoned musician may grow weary as your workload of choirs, services and rehearsals increase. Having encountered each of these situations and others you will yet face gives me the confidence that I can share vaulable information so that you won't be overtaken by these concerns. First, remember who you are in the Lord. " It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves, we are his people and the sheep of his pasture" Psalm 100:3. I have found comfort in the scriptures during trying times in my life. I was not trained to be a church musician, like most of you it was something for me to do in the church. My musicial background was that of a French Horn instrumentalist. I was from a family of church musicians and I enjoyed getting the chance to play the Hammond B3 after my father and brother were through practicing. In the earlier years there were so many church organists and piano players around that they would litterally push one another off the organ to "show"off their whares during the service. It was exciting times when I would listen to the newest runs from the New Yorks's own topgun organist now "Pastor Timothy Wright". Everytime he sat down to the B3 in any service you could feel the vibration from congregation buzzing with enthusiasm when he began to run his trills and medlodic finger runs ending with a phat blues 7th chord. There were perhaps none other like hearing the artisticness of "Twinkie Clark". I had the opportunity to sit in musician workshop sessions when she was on the B3 and marvelled at her hand speed and technique. It would do you well to find any of the "Clark Sisters" early albums and feast on the marvelous way she combines classical training with gospel flavor. There were gospel instrumental albums release from the likes of "Billy Preston" and "Alfred Bolden". These names may seem foreign to you new musicians but it brings a smile to us old timers when we remember the chords we learned from hearing them play. Today, we have a new more sophisticated gospel music with keyboards, synth patches and sampling. Where do we you go from here? You are the new generation musician who find himself or herself minstering for your home or local church. I encourage you to stay within the confines of the church as you venture in the music ministry. Realistically speaking, you will be tempted to expand your music outside the foundation of the church. Is it wrong to seek financial gains using the talents God gifted you with? In the Bible, read Matthew 25:14-30 then sit with the pastor of your church and get an understanding from these scriptures. My feelings are this: God has given everyone a measure of talents/gifts in order to survive in this world. If you acknowledge the GIVER of the gift, then you will do nothing unpleasing in HIS site. "In All thy way acknowledge HIM and He shall direct your paths" Proverb 3:8. There are manys roads one can take in the life of a musician. Choose the one where God gets the most glory from your life. Here are some scriptures for you to read for when you get in to the moods that we all go through as musicians: Proverbs 1:7, 2:6, 2:10, 3:3-10, 4:5-7. A word of advice, stop listening to LOUD music from your headphones or car stereos. This is damaging your natural ears. If your hearing goes bad then you won't hear the chords and melodies that you must play in order to announce God's presence into the worship service. You are the new songwriters, arrangers and composers of this new millenium. God will elevate you to where he want's you to be if you humble yourself before him. You have been chosen to be a part of God's music ministry. Sam Tolbert |
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