"Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang;
To Jesus who had blessed them close folded to his breast,
The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best"
The primary goal of the children's music ministry is to teach each child what it means to worship God through music. We also seek to develop within each child an understanding of his or her role in worship.
We encourage spiritual growth through the children's music ministry. Children have the opportunity to express their faith through the songs they sing. Texts are carefully chosen, either based on scripture or reflecting scriptural truth. Scripture, praise and prayer that are sung last a lifetime. These young singers also learn a great deal about the worship life of the church. They learn about the liturgical calendar and special Christian holidays. They learn about the order of the worship service. They learn what it means to actively participate in worshipping God.
It is important for our children to develop musically as well as spiritually. Participation is emphasized rather than performance. We feel that it is important that our children learn to read music. We also develop other important musical skills such as ear training, rhythmic and vocal training, and ensemble skills such as part singing. Children learn by hearing, much like they learn language. We expect that these skills will be of benefit to each student regardless of whether or not the student continues an active participation in music.
Youth Choir
Christian Musical Arts Program
Our children's choirs rehearse on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 p.m to 6:20 p.m. as part of the Christian Musical Arts Program (CMAP). Our Wednesday program includes a graded choir program for children from Kindergarten through Sixth Grade.
Our Wednesday program includes instruction in choir, handbells, handchimes and musical movement. Devotions and dinner are also part of the program. The CMAP choirs also lead the family Christmas Eve services, sing regularly in worship, sing in the community, present a spring musical and sing for regional choral festivals. The children learn techniques of the Kodaly and Orff Music Education method. The choir curriculum is based on learning the fundamentals of singing correctly, music reading and praising God through music.
The Youth Choir is for students in grades 7 through 12. They rehearse on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m from September through May. They sing on the first Sunday of the month at the 9:00 service, sing in the community and have a choir retreat in August.