Music, being perhaps one of the most controversial issues in Christianity today, brings up a lot of questions. Many of them deserve to be answered personally and honestly.

Is bigger, louder, more majestic… better?
When I listen to sacred music throughout the week, am I using it for entertainment?
If I like it, does that mean I should listen to it?
If I like it, does that mean I shouldn’t listen to it?
If I don’t like it, does that mean I shouldn’t listen to it?
If I don’t like it, does that mean I should listen to it?
Does culture play a part in what I like to listen to? Am I conditioned?
Can I change my conditioning?
Do I really worship in the worship service?
Do I pray when the song is a prayer?

Mobile Phone Etiquette for the Church Goer
By Jason Harris

One of the most distracting things that can happen during a church service, second only to crying babies and sleeping deacons, is when the phone rings. You know the drill. The pastor is drawing the Scriptural points together and the power of the message is hitting home… then Satan personally dials your mobile number and next thing you know cows are mooing or we’re all bopping to the Nokia® tune. Of course everyone in the building is craning to see where this monstrous interruption has come from… everyone that is, except for the owner of the phone who is still obliviously caught up in the message, though somewhat puzzled as to why Read the rest of this entry »

Effective Use of Projection
By Jason Harris

Since hymnals have been around for years, there’s less need to discuss their use. Projection on the other hand is relatively new and extremely difficult to use well. As seen in my last post, I’m not arguing for or against using projection. I am saying that if you use it, watch out for these pitfalls.

Template

Conservative - Choose a conservative template that does not draw attention to itself and be sure it is free of any graphics or animations. Look for a balanced colour scheme and use an appropriate font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Tahoma. If possible, consult with someone who works in professional graphics design.

Consistent - Use only one template or work from a small pool of templates. Nothing about the template should draw attention to itself.

Class - Avoid “cheesy” like the plague. I know the animated words are kind of cool, but save that for somewhere else. Also, avoid Comic Sans and scripted fonts. The goal is classic simplicity. You are communicating much about your ministry by your presentation.

Contrast - Always use light text on a dark background or, less ideally, dark text on a light background for high contrast and visibility. Be sure you’ve selected a projector with appropriate projection strength for the room and lighting in your auditorium. If unsure, ask the professional you are purchasing from to visit your auditorium and make a recommendation.

Content

Accuracy - No spelling errors. Ever. Nothing communicates carelessness like consistent spelling and grammar errors. Nothing distracts like spelling errors. Check. Re-check. Triple check.

Uniformity - There is the question of Read the rest of this entry »

A Comparison
By Jason Harris

God has blessed the church today with a wonderful heritage of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs which have been passed down through the centuries. In recent centuries the church has enjoyed the blessing of modern technology in the form of hymnals. More recently, many churches are using modern technology to project music onto a screen or wall. The question is, which should your church use? Printed music or projection? While the church must always be eager to use the resources the Lord has entrusted to us for His glory, change should always follow thoughtful consideration.

My goal in this comparison is not to promote either medium, but to provide a helpful resource for pastors and worship leaders who are considering which tool, or combination of tools, will be most effective in their ministry.

Printed music

Strengths

Direction - You can set and communicate the musical and philosophical tone for a music ministry simply by your choice of which hymnal to use. When I walk into a new church building, one of the first things I do in order to get a feel for where the church is theologically and philosophically is to see which hymnal they use.

Discernment - When you choose a good Read the rest of this entry »

A closer look at our worship.
By Jason Harris

Speaking with various leaders about music and the worship service, people kept saying “something’s missing.” Maybe we can’t put our finger on it, but we know that what we have isn’t everything we’re supposed to have””something’s missing. We know the answer isn’t to go the way of Hillsong and the Praise & Worship Movement, but we also know that we don’t have it… whatever “it” is, we don’t have it. Read the rest of this entry »