As the leadership of the church is contemplating our overall mission, I thought it would be a good time to remember the mission statement of our Music Ministry. It was written by our Music Committee about 15 years ago and I have tried to publish it in conjunction with Genesis articles at least annually ever since. It can also be found on the music page of our website, in Music Ministry brochures, and on the bulletin board over my desk in my office where I see it every day. I hope it sounds familiar to you.
It is our mission to enable and encourage all members of the parish to share in the experience of glorifying God through music; to teach together the skills of music and the practices of faith; and to build the body of Christ through worship, rehearsal, outreach, and fellowship using music as an instrument of God’s peace.
This can easily be broken down into three sections. The first reminds us that we strive to do music in such a way that it enhances our worship for all members of the parish be they musicians in the choirs or congregants in the pews. The second shows that we do not separate music from the rest of our faith but instead experience both notes and words together in a way that is entirely sacred. Finally, we recognize that music in the church is truly a ministry intertwined with many aspects of our church life. From 8 year old choristers to 80 year old bell ringers, our church’s music participants spend countless hours not just practicing the sacred art of music but supporting the overall mission of the church using music as an instrument of God’s peace. For that, I am supremely grateful.