Prayer is our way of communicating with God. It's a way to praise Him, ask for guidance, lift up our burdens, and rest in His promises. But, it's also a way to invite God into our midst. Matthew 18:20 says: "Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." This is the power of praying with others.

God calls us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), "seek His face always" (1 Chronicles 16:11), and "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18a).

Many choir directors open and/or close their rehearsals with a short prayer each week. This is an active way to invite God into the work we do and lift up specific joys and concerns shared by the group. Not only does this help focus the hearts and minds of those present on the meaning of what we do, I believe it also helps build community among choir members.

Coming together in prayer each week helps unite us and draw us closer to one another as we draw close to God.

The summer choir. It's a hot topic among church choir directors everywhere. To sing or not to sing? To have "special music" all summer or no anthem at all?

Some directors feel strongly about giving their choir time off so they'll come back refreshed and renewed and ready to get to work in the fall. Others are worried people won't come back after an extended break.

Some directors feel that the choir sets an example for the rest of the church and by not participating (and likely attending), others in the church may follow suit. Others enjoy the slower pace of summer services and a short break from the weekly choir routine.

This is a not a right-or-wrong, good-or-bad kind of decision. In fact, I'll admit that the summer choir may not work and may not be what's best for certain churches. But for those of you who are on the fence about it and those who are considering adding a summer choir this year, here are a few of the benefits I've seen:

A few weeks ago, I shared a few ideas for keeping momentum in your choir after Easter. One idea was to plan an end-of-the-year choir concert or program. This keeps music in the folders and energy in your rehearsals and gives your choir members another reason to keep coming each week. Church choir programs run the gamut from purely sacred to secular, Patriotic, gospel, Broadway, and everything in between.

Your choice of music will depend on your choir's interest, your congregation, and your goals for the church music program. Will this be a fundraiser? A community event? A celebration of the church year? A music-based worship service?

When planning a choir program (for any time of the year), I like to have a theme in mind. For me, a theme serves as creative inspiration and a way to tie everything together and it helps make repertoire selection a little easier.

Success? Rehearsal? Have you met my choir?! 

I know, I know. Choir members can be chatty and they don't always show up on time and sometimes it feels like you stand up in front of them and say the same. things. every. week.

I get it.

But success doesn't mean everything will be perfect. It doesn't mean setting unrealistic expectations for your group or holding them to unfair standards. Success is simply the "sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out" (Robert Collier).

And it starts with you.

Jim Rohn wisely said, "Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better" (source). What can you do today that will set you up for success in rehearsal this week? What can you do in rehearsal that will set your choir up for success?

Here are a few helpful tips and strategies for running a successful rehearsal, this and every week:

Like most church choirs, you probably have a mid-week rehearsal. This is a great time to prepare music for Sunday and the next few weeks. Please do not spend an entire rehearsal on Sunday's anthem! Plan your time carefully, use it wisely in rehearsal, and everyone will leave happy and encouraged. A successful, productive choir rehearsal takes proper preparation, careful planning, good time management skills, and attention to detail. I recommend dividing your rehearsal time into five components:

Warm-ups
Music for Sunday
Other Anthems
Announcements
Devotion/Prayer

Plan each category carefully the day of (or one day before) your rehearsal. Remember:

"Success in the choral rehearsal is a direct result of thorough planning." (source)

The Day of Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, as told in Acts 2:1-13. Here is an excerpt from the story:

"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4

Pentecost Sunday is 50 days after Easter (May 15, 2016). On this day, churches often celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and God's presence in our lives.

Here are a few spirit-filled anthems (sorry, I couldn't resist!) for your Pentecost celebration:

A few weeks ago, I got an email from a woman asking for help organizing her church's music library.

What should I keep? 
Should I put everything in alphabetical order? 
What about cantatas and reading copies?

Great questions. I'm by no means an expert, but I have learned a thing or two from watching others and organizing a few music libraries myself.

Of course, there are many ways to go about this and if you've been doing this long enough, you probably have your own system. But, if you're new, or you just started at a new church, or you're looking for a few ideas to be even more organized, keep reading, because today, I'm sharing my best tips and tricks for organizing your church music library. 

Where do I start?

If you're standing in a cluttered room filled with boxes, loose papers, and stacks of anthems, this is a valid first question. Sometimes, just the thought of organizing thousands of pieces of music and keeping track of everything can be overwhelming.

It happens in most church choirs: People join at the beginning of the year, eager to be part of the exciting cantata you have planned for Christmas. In January, some will happily take their seat in the pew until next September, while others stay and join the "regular choir," with the glimmer of Easter on the horizon. But, after Easter? Well, we all know what tends to happen after Easter.

Attendance gradually declines, the people who joined for the cantata zip out for an extended summer hiatus, and you're left with the faithful of the faithful, the die-hards, holding on until that last Sunday of the program year.

How do you keep choir members engaged (and present) through the end of the program year? What can you do to get people excited about choir after the allure of Christmas and Easter? 

Here are a few ideas:

Do you listen to podcasts? A podcast is a collection of digital audio files usually presented as a series of episodes and made available for streaming and/or downloading via the Internet.

Podcasts are a great way to learn, be inspired, and stay connected. Listen while driving, doing busy work (filing, sorting, numbering music, etc.), or taking a walk. I enjoy listening to podcasts in the afternoon while doing busy work or designing prints for the shop.

Podcasts have become more and more popular in recent years, with new podcasts coming out all the time on a variety of topics. Today, I'm sharing some of my favorites for choir directors and church musicians. Enjoy! 

Total Choir Resources

Led by choral directors Victoria Hopkins and Christine Mulgrew, Total Choir Resources offers tools, tips, and resources for choir leaders. Though geared to community or school choir directors, many of the materials are relevant for church choir directors, as well.

Every church musician has their go-to resources for worship planning, anthem selection, ministry leadership, and rehearsal planning. Some might say their planner; others, their hymnal. Some of you might find the lectionary an invaluable resource for planning and a one-a-day devotional for staying inspired. But what about when you're away from your desk?

Over the past few years, I've found a few resources that I go back to again and again and the best part? They're all online.

From worship planning to anthem selection, hymn choices to choir devotions, here are some of my all-time favorite online church music resources:

Hymnary.org

Do y'all know about Hymnary.org? This is one of my favorite resources.

Hymnary.org features a huge database of hymns from all different hymnals. Look up texts, additional verses, hymn tune information, and much more. Search by text, tune, writers, Scripture reference, or topic, and look up tables of contents for hundreds (thousands?) of hymnals and hymnal supplements. This site also features links to choral anthems, instrumental arrangements, and digital scores.