Worship Handbook

Welcome to the Celebration Choir and more importantly, welcome to the world of being a "lead worshiper." I believe that God has a specific purpose for your life and how He has gifted you. Ephesians, chapter 4, teaches us that God has redeemed us and gifted us to serve within the Body of Christ. What could be more fun than fulfilling the purpose that God has set you apart to do? In the Old Testament, God would "set-apart" musicians to lead in the temple worship. God is still "setting apart" people today and gifting them to serve in His church. We have been "set apart" for just that purpose. There is a huge difference between "volunteers" and "the called". If you see yourself merely as a "volunteer", the following pages will be "enlightening" to you. I'm not sure it's possible for a volunteer to commit to the things that are in the following pages. I'm convinced that only a person, gifted and called by God will be able to fulfill these expectations, or better yet, would even desire to. As you read the following pages, pray about your calling. This promises to be a great year of worship and leading our people each Sunday and opportunity we have. I am excited to be serving with you! Let's agree together and say "yes" to what God has for us this year!

Henderson Hills Celebration Choir & Orchestra

Purpose
Helping people improve their relationship with God and each other by freely expressing our hearts to God and committing ourselves to leading the body into celebratory and intimate worship through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Vision
To be a thoroughly biblical worship and arts ministry that passionately seeks God's manifested presence and leadership.

Ministry Principles

Accountability
In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. Acts 24:16 (NASB)

In every great organization, there is always a high degree of accountability. We believe it is a biblical principle as pointed out in Acts 24:26 as well as other passages in scripture. Without accountability to each other, we can become very "tunnel" visioned and unaware of blind spots in our lives or ministry.

Consistency
...Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the lord is not in vain.
I Corinthians 15:8 (NIV)

We want to be a ministry that is consistent in everything we do. In our lifestyles, in our commitment to excellence, in the quality of presentations that we produce, in the worship times we lead, "consistency" must be one of the chords in the strand that brings these things about.

Encouragement
Encourage one another and build each other up.
I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

We can encourage each other in many ways. As we minister together, there will be times that individuals will need encouragement just to make it through the day. Scripture also teaches that we are to encourage one another in "growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." Encouragement will also mean that we pray for each other, write a note of encouragement or take the time to ask someone how they are doing and then have the time to listen if necessary. The objective of encouragement is to "build each other up" as it says in the passage in 1 Thessalonians.

"What is the Worship Leading Choir?"
(An excerpt from a monthly published article)

We all know what a choir is. And most of us know what worship leading is when we see it. But what do we mean by the term, "Worship Leading Choir?" Don't all church choirs lead worship? The answer is, yes and no! Yes, in the sense that every "living sacrifice" offered by the believer is an act of worship, and every time any choir of believers sings about God in spirit and in truth it is an act of worship. But, no, in the sense that until our hearts, minds, and spirits are fully engaged in passionately glorifying Jesus in the congregation so that its members are drawn with us into an encounter with the living God, worship leading has not fully happened.

The form today's choir is beginning to take on is a departure from much of the "traditional" aspects we have come to recognize.

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