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September 2002 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Devotional Packets:
Staying In Tune by Keeping in Touch
By Allen Guyer
Minister of Worship
Sharon Baptist Church
Savannah, TN
Have you ever attended a J & J Conference and wished that your entire choir could be present to receive the nuggets of truth that were being presented concerning praise and worship? Or perhaps you have been overwhelmed with a biblical truth about worship and you wished that your leaders in the choir could grasp that truth. How can we, as ministers of music, convey the deep biblical truths of worship to our choir?
One way that has helped me to do that is to write devotionals for my choir. This has been a great tool over the past few years that has had a tremendous impact on the music ministry of Sharon Baptist Church. Even though writing devotions is hard work, the results are wonderful! The following information comes from several years of trial and error. It is my desire to share these thoughts with you so that you may experience the wonderful results that I enjoy with my choir.
Each devotional packet should consist of a five-day journey. Encourage your choir to read a devotion per day Monday through Friday. Next, write material that will be applicable to your choir. You do not want to write a devotion concerning praise teams if you do not use a praise team in your Sunday worship services. Always center your devotional thought around a passage of scripture. The choir needs to hear sound biblical truth and not just our opinions. Finally, ask for a response at the end of each day's devotion. For example, ask a thought-provoking question, make a challenge, ask them to pray about the subject that has been discussed, etc… You should consider compiling two devotional packets per year. I have found that January and August are good times to distribute new packets. In January, the choir needs to be rejuvenated following a hectic Christmas season, and in August, they need to be re-energized for the onset of a new Christmas season! Don't forget to make the packets look as neat and professional as possible. Use clip art and make the layout attractive. We put together our packets in-house; however, if you do not have that option, ask someone in your church to help you or get estimates from local printing companies.
You may be asking, "Allen, this all sounds good but how do I get the information that I need to compile a five day devotional packet for my choir?" Listed below are three areas that have helped me in the past. First of all, share insights with your choir that have come out of your daily, personal devotions. I never will forget reading I Peter 2:9-10 one morning and the Holy Spirit revealing a great truth to me that we have been called to proclaim the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. This truth has not only revolutionized my ministry, but also the ministry of our choir as I shared it with them. In fact, these two verses have become the theme verses for our choir. Second, I acquire several ideas as I listen to my pastor and tapes of other great pastors as they preach the Word of God. Finally, other valuable resources are books that I have read concerning worship. Two books that have greatly impacted my life are The Practice Of Praise by Don McMinn and Return To Worship by Ron Owens. One word of caution, be a person of integrity and give credit where credit is due. Don't take their information and plagiarize it; however, there are times where you might want to use a few sentences as written. So, in that case, make sure you recognize the author.
The results of issuing a devotional packet to the choir can produce lasting results in the spiritual lives of your choir members. There are three key benefits that I have observed since developing devotional packets, the most important being the opportunity to expound on the biblical concepts of worship. This is difficult to accomplish during rehearsal times. The devotional packets offer deeper spiritual insight than you could ever offer during a one-hour rehearsal. The second benefit of choir devotionals is that it enhances the vision of your choir. Your choir members must know why they are in the choir loft every Sunday and why they spend so much time at rehearsals. They must understand their role as a lead worshiper and the choir devotionals can help you explain and solidify their purpose for singing in the choir. Finally, the choir devotional packets hold the choir member responsible for spending time in the Word of God throughout the week. As you already know, it is imperative for our choir members to worship God throughout the week if their worship is going to be genuine and acceptable on Sunday as we gather corporately to praise our great and awesome Lord.
As you begin this journey of writing devotions for your choir, remember that it requires hard work, but it reaps great rewards. Dear servant of God, please make it a priority to pass on the great nuggets of truth from the Word of God to your choir. You'll be glad you did!
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