News / Education
Balanced worship celebrated at LifeWay Worship Conference
LifeWay Worship helps prepare many for ministry
The unified tone for the week was set with the first worship service that incorporated traditional hymns, contemporary worship songs and gospel music, all from the new 2008 Baptist Hymnal unveiled at the conference. Each song included in the hymnal survived a rigorous evaluation process to ensure theological soundness and lasting endurance throughout generations to come.
Modern hymn writer Keith Getty, who helped pen the worship song In Christ Alone, summed up the criteria for a good hymn with two points: “We have to write songs that teach great truths of the Bible and that every generation can sing together.”
Focusing on right theology was the critical factor for seeking harmony on style and song content.
“We are taking the Word of God and putting it in the hands of people and a word of praise in their mouths,” Harland said.
“We are going to take this ground back, folks – this division of new songs and old choruses,” Harland said. “When we get past style and making decisions based only on that, we can have unity.”
Hymnal respects church styles, sizes, and technology
The LifeWay Worship Project produced three main tools for the local church: a Baptist Hymnal, a Worship Hymnal, and digital resources offered through LifeWayWorship.com.
Additional print resources included the large print hymnal editions, pulpit editions, piano and organ editions, the singers edition unbound, and the resource and planning edition which contains lyrics for all of the nearly 1,000 titles in the LifeWay Worship Project. Web-based planning tools are also offered through LifeWayWorship.com.
Patrick Watts from LifeWay Worship, who introduced the Worship Project to conference attendees, explained how the tools were created for “paper and pen planners, too.” From printed hymnals and worship charts to digital downloads and PowerPoint backgrounds, the hymnal meets the needs of every type of church music ministry.
“Every ministry is unique and every ministry is going to need a unique mix of these resources,” he said.
Jonathan Riggs of LifeWay Worship introduced the videos and the basic and advanced worship media provided through the Worship Project, including worship charts and lead sheets available on CD-ROM.
“Having lead sheets and worship charts on CD-ROM gives churches a choice of whether they want to have the print or PDF edition,” Riggs said. “We wanted to provide solutions for churches no matter where they are on the spectrum of technology.”
LifeWay Worship also provided accompaniment tracks for all songs included in the hymnal and additional songs are provided online at LifeWayWorship.com.
“The number one complaint we heard from worship leaders is that they don’t have enough musicians,” Riggs said. “So we created accompaniment tracks for all 975 titles. This is helpful for small churches or even missionaries serving overseas.”
Greg Nelson, songwriter and major contributor to the Worship Project, emphasized the spiritual significance of the new hymnal by sharing a story of a musician who was drawn back to Christ during the recording of an accompaniment track.
“I don’t think this is about the new technology, but it’s about this one person who God is changing his life,” Nelson said. “People don’t just hear the words and music, but they are changed and that is essential.”
Seminars explore all aspects of worship
Conference seminars provided technical training for orchestra musicians; keyboard, organ and piano players; drummers and praise team vocalists; audio and visual teams; and children and youth worship leaders.
Wayne Barber, pastor of Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque, N.M., led seminars on worship and God’s love, its conflict with the world, and its relation to God’s Word. He also taught during the daily worship services about worship being a lifestyle, not an event.
“If there is no walk, there is no worship,” Barber said. “If there is no obedience, there is no worship. The more you are with the Lord, the more you want to worship.”
Experienced music minister James Whitmire who served at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., for more than 40 years, shared wisdom about building a music ministry in today’s culture.
Younger worship leader Dan Odle from Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., spoke about leading balanced worship services with a blend of traditional and contemporary elements. His seminar “What’s Re-CHOIRed” focused on the relevance of a church choir in today’s culture.
“The culture’s changing and it will be more challenging to grow a choir,” he said. “But there is value to having a large group leading worship.”
Conference attendees also participated in corporate worship each day and every evening ended with a performance featuring a multitude of acts with traditional and non-traditional elements.
Appropriately, the concluding night featured a unified choir composed of worship leaders and music ministers all seeking to glorify God through song.
For more information about the LifeWay Worship Project or the new Baptist Hymnal, visit LifeWayWorship.com.
For up-to-date news and information regarding LifeWay Christian Resources, visit www.lifeway.com/news.
