Comments on: i’m having transitional difficulties

By: Lisa Legere

Lisa Legere — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:12:54 +0000

It is true that you will not be able to please everyone in the congregation all of the time. However, it is not our job to please men, but to please God. Pray carefully over your song selection and God will give you the songs that people need to hear. I don’t think that there should be a difference in view of “Hymns” and “praise songs”. Hymns ARE praise songs! I can just as easily worship my God during a hymn as I can with a more contemporary song.
As for the guitar issue, I play my guitar for both hymns and newer songs. Also, playing the hymns that have had choruses added to them in maybe a slightly different way, is quite popular with our church which is a traditional church that was joined together with a pentacostal church (we live in a small community). Also, we use the screen for ALL songs. There is no dramatic or awkward transition this way. We still do have our hymnals though in case people want to use them.
Another thing you can think about is that most Hymns are horizontal(about God) and most contemporary songs are vertical(to God). I find that sometimes contemporary songs are a great response to Hymns. First we sing about our God and then we sing to Him.
Our worship service is broken into two parts. We have a song set (anywhere from 3-5 songs) and then we have a fellowship time with coffee and juice. A time to connect with each other as more than just people that go to the same church. We then have another song set, usually 4-5 songs. And end with 1 song after the message.
Just focus on prayer and be ready to do what God has for you to do. Sorry if this seemed scattered, I had lots of different ideas come to me as I was writing God Bless.

By: Angie Kaltreider

Angie Kaltreider — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:32:16 +0000

We have a blended worship service and it is working very well. After going to a worship conference, I came back and during the announcements, I talked to them about the worship conference that I attended. I explained to them that there are different kinds of worship and we would be experiencing some of the different kinds of worship at our church. I talked to them about it being okay to like and dislike different styles and if we do something that they dislike, just bear with us during that song and hopefully we’ll do another song that they will like. I explained that there are different kinds of people – some people like to dance and swing when they sing – some people like to raise their arms – some people like to just tap a toe – and some people like to stand still while singing. All of them are okay and none of them are wrong. I explained that if you see someone dancing and raising their arms and it’s not your style, don’t squash their mode of worship. You worship your way and let them worship their way. That was the jist of what we learned at the worship conference. So back to our service. Anyway, we start our service with the prelude. Then the preacher welcomes new visitors and does the announcements. Then we Share the Peace of Christ with others. That is followed by our Opening Hymn on the organ, followed by the Call to worship and the Invocation. We then have a “praise set”. We will do a series of 3 praise songs. I start with more upbeat songs and til the third song try to come back down in volume and speed to lead into the scripture. Followed by scripture we have our special music and then our children’s sermon. Next is offering. I play an offertory and after the offering we sing “We Are An Offering”. Next the preacher asks for joys and concerns. After the congregation gives him any prayer concerns, we sing a praise song. Then the preacher prays while I continue playing the praise song. This is followed by scripture and then the sermon. After the sermon, we have our closing hymn, the benediction and then end the service with a praise chorus, followed by the postlude.

It is very possible to have a blended worship service. You just have to work on looking where you are throughout the service and where you go next. For example, in our set of praise songs, I start out lively to create some enthusiasm but I come back down on the third song to lead into scripture. Just an example. Think about where you are going. You don’t want to be doing an upbeat rock Christian song right before the sermon.

Just look through your whole service, and pray. God will lead you in the right direction. There have been many times where He places the right songs at the right place and I am just amazed at how it all works (not by my hands but by His!)

By: Louise

Louise — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:13:05 +0000

I would imagine you could project the name, hymn number and page number AND the words. Warn the congregation beforehand that you will project hymn numbers above the hymn if they prefer to use the hymnal. There is an issue with allowing time to find the hymn and I would imagine that you would be sensitive to that and work in a transition in some way. If you are wanting to use a hymn as part of a set, you would have to make this clear before the set. Not idea, but probably the best way to keep the transitions smooth and allow use of the hymnals.

The guitar change is very tricky without a thought out transition. Presonally I would avoid this kind of change without one. I would talk to the congregation – lead them into the next song or, as has already been suggested, use other musicians, if available, to play or use Scripture. I find it really useful to imagine/play my whole layout through my head before I start practice with the team. It helps me to think through the issues well ahead of time.

I love the previous idea suggested of using the guitar with the hymns, but I’m aware that you may be playing another instrument for the hymn?

By: Alastair Vance

Alastair Vance — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:18:54 +0000

I wouldn’t bother with the hymnals. Just display the words on screen like you do with the contemporary songs and go straight into the hymn.

Also, consider mixing contemporary with the chorus of a old hymn. This can work amazingly.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:51:06 +0000

Hey Mandy,
Not being facetious but can’t you just keep your guitar on while you’re singing the hymn? My personal tendency would probably be to blend the music a bit more – use the band setup for older and modern stuff. A hymn like Great is your faithfulness I’ve done loads of times from a more modern song – just eased into it gently with an acoustic guitar and got the band to pick it up along the way.

It doesn’t have to be that way though – most important is just being ready to move straight from one song to the other.

Scripture over a musical backdrop can offer a great transition as well – no matter what style you’re going from/to.

One other thought: I respect what you’re trying to do and I certainly think there’s richness and benefit to both hymns and more modern stuff. However, I tend to think that what we do should be centred around mission more than preference. If mission is strong enough it’s amazing how these things have a way of coming together in a way that serves everybody and pleases God. When mission isn’t strong isn’t amazing how difficult it is to please anybody!

Without wanting to sound too harsh, the geriatrics aren’t going to be around for long. If they love Jesus then the love of making disciples and reaching the next generations will be greater than the love of the hymnal. Not saying we shouldn’t be doing all we can to serve the older folks and help them worship as well. Just saying the focus and the reasons are important.

Worship is firstly about loving and serving God. There’s something awesome about doing it in a way that causes the number of worshippers to multiply greatly – brings God all the more glory.

By: Peter Park

Peter Park — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:48:06 +0000

Great Question Mandy. I typically just transition using the same chords, which is step one. Also, if you are using powerpoint, just have the words on there. I’ve transitioned from How Great is our God to How Great Thou Art. I just needed to fade out a little bit and go right into it. I hope this helps.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:14:33 +0000

We do not use hymnals but there are times when I feel like I need to say something or pray and am not wanting a lot of action going on musically. During these times we have started using the strings/piano setting on our keyboard. I don’t know if you have a keyboard/keyboardist that could slowly play chords on the strings until you are done talking and ready to start the hymn.? I love the sound and emotion that these strings evoke and our pastor likes them so much that is what he requests now for his altar calls. We got the idea from the conferences we were attending where we would notice that the strings were always playing, even during quiet times of worship. I also like the the vamps, we have sometimes built those up musically and worshipped when we felt the Lord moving. Well, hope that helps.

By: Shannon Lewis

Shannon Lewis — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:42:13 +0000

Personally, I’d ditch the hymnal, & MAYBE (if they feel the need to hold something in their hands) have a small booklet printed with both your hymns & contemporary songs – and of course, also have the lyrics projected… the songs will be in one place, and it’ll ‘weed’ the older folks off of the hymnal, yet not be too totally unfamiliar .

By: Billy Chia

Billy Chia — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:45:11 +0000

Vamps are great for transitions. Have the rest of your band vamp while you are switching instruments – or vamp an intro to the hymn. You can talk over the music giving people the page number and what not.

I love the idea of still using a physical hymnal. Having notes to read can be really valuable and the kinesthetic feeling of holding it in your hand can be a physical act of worship.

If the hymnals aren’t working though, I’d reconsider canning them. Using hymnals because they work is good. Using hymnals despite the fact that they don’t work is not so good.

By: Joe Louthan

Joe Louthan — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:20:17 +0000

I would be like, “What? I know the words to both How Great Is Our God and How Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”

Baby Boomers and Gen Y’ers: eat it!

Seriously, it is the only advantage that Gen Xers has.

ANYWAYS,

Could you have two leads when you switch from hymns to contemporary? As for the guitar, you can do the traveling guitar folksy rocker thing go on and keep it on your back during the hymns.

From contemporary to hymns, just a heads up in the bulletin would be lovely.

I, as a worshipper, don’t like not knowing the words to songs before service so I go and look them up on our worship team’s website.