Christmas Decisions

As some of you may know, I am the Music Director / Worship Leader at the church we attend. This is something I truly love doing. Just to give you an idea of my responsibilities, I:

• Select all the music for Sunday morning and Sunday evening worship services


• Lead worship for Sunday morning and Sunday evening worship services


• Conduct rehearsals for the adult choir, adult praise team and praise band


• Select all special musical productions (Christmas and Easter)


• Lead the worship rally for Vacation Bible School


• Serve on church council


• Manage music ministry budget


• Build up music library


• Bring in guest singers/groups/artists


• Other responsibilities and duties as required - LOL

and I love every minute of it. I so wish it could be my full-time job. I still have so much to learn, but it's been a lot of fun.

I'm currently at a crossroads that most Music Directors find themselves in around this time of year. What to select for Christmas musical. For the past couple years, we've performed musicals with a "narration" or "dramatic reading" to go along with the singing. We did the same for Easter. This year, I really feel like breaking away from that and going a more "concert" style....or really a worship concert (if there's such a thing). I'm sampling three musicals now, two of which were written by Travis Cottrell (thank God for him). The three I am looking at are:

All Bow Down: http://www.brentwood-benson.com/product.aspx?ProjectCode=457571405

Come in Grace and Glory: http://www.brentwoodbenson.com/product.aspx?ProjectCode=457570438

Hallelujah, Jesus is Born: http://www.brentwoodbenson.com/product.aspx?ProjectCode=457571501#

You can click on the links and scroll down to listen to a sampling of songs. I really want this year to be fantastic and I want so badly for people to experience a worship service. This will be my first year doing a Christmas musical by myself. The set-up at our church used to be that I did all the worship services and another lady handled all the choir stuff. That was a nice setup but at times could prove to be a little tricky as there were two people in charge of the ministry.

I've put some feelers out to my friends in Pensacola to come and sing with us. I hope I like the decisions I hear from them. They are all so talented and would be a great addition to our great little choir. I'm hoping to get 6-8 singers from my former church in Pensacola to help us out.

At any rate, either of these musicals will be wonderful. They combine songs we know, plus new worship songs celebrating the birth of Jesus. If you live in the area and would like to sing with us, just comment me and I'll get you everything you need (upon passing an audition - kidding - partly.....but you have to be saved and an active church-go'er to participate with us).

I would love to hear any opinions on the musicals in question, so I encourage you to go take a listen!