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November 2004 - Fulfilling the Vision
Contemporary Worship Marks 10 Years at Good Shepherd
“It only takes a spark to get a fire going.
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it:
You spread His love to everyone, you want to pass it on.”
(From “Pass It On,” the hymn that opened
Good Shepherd's
first contemporary worship in November 1994)
With the startup of weekly 11:15 a.m. Contemporary worship services in September, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church fulfilled a vision that has been 10 years in the making. During each Sunday morning, our church now provides both traditional services at 8:30 and 10 a.m. with choir and organ, as well as Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) with guitars, keyboard and song leaders at the late service.
With its adoption of the Master Ministry plan, the congregation aims to grow while offering different experiences in liturgical and musical styles that can spark a spiritual fire in each worshiper.
“Good music is good music if it can inspire people, and help them get closer to God,” says Director of Music Peter Schmidt. People can find the same excitement and spirituality in “a Bach cantata with organ as they can in a song by (CCM composer) Twila Paris with guitar, keyboard and praise group,” he explains.
Our vision and mission surveys, as well as the study conducted last year by Kairos Associates, underscored the need for GSLC to nurture different worship styles. If we are to serve our membership, grow as a congregation and attract newcomers from our surrounding community, the weekly worship with CCM is a welcome and necessary part of the mix.
Many congregations have learned that by engaging people to be excited by what is offered at worship each week, “We can take the Great Commission a step farther and draw in more people,” says Schmidt. Neighboring churches also have found that offering CCM worship weekly, instead of merely once or twice a month as Good Shepherd had, works in broadening their appeal and connecting. “Now we have a balanced musical diet at Good Shepherd.”
Our new worship setting uses a quintet of CCM musicians -- including organist Charles Pugh on synthesizer, John Lopez on drums, Rick Schmitt on piano, David Craig on bass guitar, Peter Schmidt on guitar and vocals -- and Vicki Schmidt as song leader for liturgy, hymns and special music. Folks with sound or technical know-how, and additional musicians who are excited by the CCM mix, should contact Peter Schmidt to help with this growing ministry( (Pwsch1@aol.com). Music with a spiritual context performed by popular artists also will be used from time to time in liturgical ways. (For example, recordings by Sting and Cindy Lauper have been sampled at worship.)
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Last Updated: 12/19/06