Music Ministry

The single ultimate priority of our music ministry is to bring glory to the Triune God by giving Him the praise, honor and thanks due His Name for who He is and what He has done and continues to do. The music ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church seeks to keep this principle at the forefront of all its endeavors.

Our music ministry seeks to be consistent with Covenant’s overall goal of Christian Education–to glorify God by preparing " . . . God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13). Therefore, we seek to edify believers by encouraging and equipping them for service to God. The music opportunities are intended to instill this by teaching sound doctrine through the texts of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, teaching a God-centered focus in worship, educating believers musically, and encouraging service.

Music is also a tool for the evangelism of the unregenerate by presenting God’s people in worship, by bringing the unregenerate into contact with the Word of God, by showing the distinctives of the Christian faith, and by emphasizing our sinfulness and Christ’s redeeming work and presence.

For the 2007-2008 Church year, the Session has adopted the following report for the Sunday morning services:

Thank you for those many members of the congregation that commented on our worship services at Covenant during the months of October and November. The Session considered your comments, and has approved the plan proposed by the Worship Committee for Sunday morning services.

Covenant Presbyterian holds to the principles set forth in the Westminster Standards. This simply means that we believe that our corporate worship is to be conducted in accordance with God’s Word. From Scripture we know that congregational worship services include (i) prayer, (ii) the signing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, (iii) reading, teaching and preaching of the Word, (iv) the Lord’s Supper, (v) fellowship and (vi) giving of our offerings. (see Acts 2:42, Col 3:16 and Chapter XXI Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day, page 860 in the Trinity Hymnal). There are “circumstances” or minor aspects of worship that vary from church to church and from culture to culture, such as style of music, order or arrangement of the service, times of meeting, use of air conditioning, standing vs. sitting, etc. The purpose of the questionnaire was to receive your thoughts concerning the “circumstances” of our worship here at Covenant, and there were many excellent thoughts and suggestions.

The summary plan for the Sunday morning services approved by the Session is as follows:

1. The primary emphasis will remain on the reading, teaching and preaching of Christ in the Scriptures. Our worship services are all about Christ and his Word; our worship services include the hearing, teaching, preaching, reading and singing of the Word.

2. Maintain a commitment to continue a theologically accurate thematic service that is blended by singing (i) traditional and modern musical settings and (ii) traditional hymns, psalms and contemporary songs. Responsive Bible readings, creeds and special prayers will be rotated into the services on a periodic basis as appropriate. Information will be provided from time to time to concerning the historical richness of our worship.

3. Worship leaders are not “performers” for the congregation but are “facilitators” assisting the congregation in its worship to God. From a practical implementation point-of-view, we desire to encourage the participation, on a periodic alternating basis, of an orchestra, contemporary instrumentation, worship singers, special music and an adult choir for the purpose of enhancing congregational worship.

4. The themes for the singing and responsive readings during the year will be taken from the traditional “Church” or “Christian Calendar Year” which focuses on themes such as the birth of Christ, his ministry on earth, and his death, resurrection and ascension.

Please consider how you can serve God and the congregation by meeting with the worship committee, singing in the choir, playing in the orchestra, accompanying contemporary songs, singing in a praise team, assisting with the sound or video team, or by ushering or greeting. To get started please talk to Nevin Zimmerman, the Music Director, e-mail him at nevin@nevinzimmerman.com  or telephone him at 215-6604 concerning your desire to participate and he will pass on the information to the appropriate person.

CHOIRS

Rather than contributing to a spectator/entertainment orientation, music is to be offered as a beautiful sacrifice of praise to God on behalf of the entire congregation in corporate worship (Hebrews 13:15). When a choir sings alone, the congregation participates vicariously. The most important choir in the church then is the congregation.

Adult Choir. The Adult Choir, directed by Nevin Zimmerman, generally rehearses on the 2nd and 3rd Sunday afternoons of each month.  They sing twice monthly for the Sunday morning services and practice twice a month on Sunday afternoons at 4:15.

Youth Choir (grades 7-12). The youth and children’s choir programs are established under the conviction that the future of congregational participation in the music of the church lies in the training and nurturing of its youth and children.  Youth Choir sings the first Sunday of each month October-May. They are active in community functions, and participate in an annual summer tour. The Youth Choir is directed by Nevin Zimmerman and rehearses on Wednesdays from 4:45-6:00 during the school year.

ORCHESTRA

The orchestra plays twice monthly for the Sunday morning services, and also practices twice monthly on Sunday afternoons at 4:15.

HANDBELLS

Adult/High School Handbells.  Rather than scheduling regular weekly rehearsals, the Handbell Choir will rehearse four or five times at a mutually convenient time to prepare for a specific selection for a specific Sunday.

This group provides the musical accompaniment for the Sunday evening contemporary worship services.  Instruments include piano, keyboard, guitar, bass and drums.