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Our Music Sunday Service

Our Music Sunday Service

Earlier this year, I wrote a post on planning a music-themed service with liturgy, music, hymns, anthems, and other worship planning resources. (Read it here, in case you missed it.)

This past weekend, we had a Music Sunday at our church and I thought I'd share a copy of our service for those of you looking to do something similar in the future.

We decided to use the basic pattern of worship as an overarching structure: Gathering, Praise & Thanksgiving, Proclamation & Response, Sending Forth. Within each section, we pieced together hymns, music by all our ensembles, and short readings that helped tie everything together.

I tried to find something creative to add to each of the hymns: a modulation up a half step, a harmonization for the last verse, a 4-bar interlude before the last verse, a trumpet fanfare before the introduction, etc.

Overall, it was a great day in worship, and it was so fun to see (and hear) everyone come together in worship and song!

Here is a detailed outline of our service:

How to Plan a Hymn Festival

How to Plan a Hymn Festival

"No other form of expression can so richly translate the depth and breadth of authentic religious experience like a well-conceived song of praise.” - Juan Vidal (source)

It’s true, isn’t it?

A hymn or song of praise reminds us of who God is and what he has promised us. It fuels our faith - a foundation we can stand upon throughout our lives. It weaves our lives together as believers and connects us with the church’s history and the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us.

This is a powerful thing.

A hymn festival is a special service focused on the hymns and songs of our faith. These might include old favorites and newly-composed hymns, traditional, contemporary, and everything in between. The nature of your hymn festival will depend a lot on your congregation and what music they hold dear.

Here are a few helpful steps for planning your own hymn festival:

5 Creative Worship Order Templates

5 Creative Worship Order Templates

What is the purpose of worship? Why do we come together as a community of believers on Sunday mornings? What elements are important and meaningful to all who gather?

These are powerful questions for anyone that takes part in worship planning to ask, and answer. If you haven't already, take a few minutes to write out your answers.

When it comes to worship planning, there's no right or wrong way to do it; though, it is important to be intentional about what goes into the worship service and why. Here are a few more questions you might ask:

What does your church value? What will teach them about God's Word and lead them in prayer and praise?What will engage them and draw them closer to God?

 

Follow along with my creative work and daily adventures: @ashleydanyew

Sending you love and warm wishes this season! Here’s to another year of teaching, writing, creating beautiful music, and building community wherever we are. 💛🎵🥂 Love, Ashley, Steve, and Rory
In honor of #smallbusinesssaturday2024, here are my ✨2025 predictions✨ for musicians and creative entrepreneurs: 1️⃣ Pivoting will still be essential: Flexibility and adaptability will define success—embrace change and be willing to evolve.
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