PHILOSOPHY OF CHURCH MUSIC

Music is an important part of the service because it sets the tone for preaching (which is the main event) and helps to prepare hearts for God’s Word. Therefore, music within our church is distinctively Christian and sacred in its message, its manner, and its motive. We believe that all music must glorify God and be a direct reflection of the life of a Spirit-filled believer according to Ephesians 5:18-20:

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We do not believe that music is amoral or “value neutral,” but that music plays an important role in the spiritual life of the believer. That is why we promote the style and type of music that edifies the believer and encourages holy living; consequently, we avoid music that contradicts or hinders the spiritual well being of the Christian.

Further, we believe the subject and the substance of the song are equally important. A song’s subject should be focused on the gospel and/or a doctrinal theme - it should be decidedly biblical. In keeping with the teaching of II Corinthians 6, the substance of the song’s presentation should not mirror worldly performers: there should be not be a jazz, rock ’n’ roll, hip-hop, rap, Broadway, Hollywood, or Nashville sound. Rather, the presentation should maximize the message of the song and should draw more attention to Christ than it does to the person. In addition, in order to keep the church distinctive from the world, we do not use “Christian” accompaniment soundtracks that lend themselves to worldly country or rock music.