Vineyard East Worship

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I listen to Christian radio but I find the songs of the ‘deeper pen’ are found on Indy projects. I look around the internet quite a bit and especially in the British market. We try to pick up songs from the radio with careful consideration—as they are normally produced for the ‘sale,’ — with too many sounds and licks that take away from the worship experience sometimes.

I’m a faithful proponent of being ‘innovative’ rather than ‘imitative’ … so you’ll never find me copying a song arrangement to a “T” because it leaves no room for spontaneaity in worship. For me, I take the basics of the song (tempo and melody) and adapt it for LIVE worship and for what type of musicians I have on my team. Then I let them have a go at personalizing the arrangement as well (that works out great, typically).

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My brother in law John just saw light!!! NH has no Christian radio so we were wondering how this could come up. But you have Christian radio it in Maine!!! As Steve Robbins says, “Context is key.” or “Context is King.” All through VLI i couldn’t tell!!!

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In short: Popular Band or home grown, it better be approved by scripture as accurate and true.

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There are presuppositions that we all operate with when picking songs. I like what people have said on this blog in terms of serving the people who come to our church with songs they know and like, at the same time making sure that we are singing songs that appropriately describe God and his ways as manifested in the scripture.
I would use “Radio Bands” as they have been described, if the song is good and true and cooperate. I would not however, pick a song that uses imagination to describe God in a way that we (depraved humans) want him to be despite it being in the top 20 or 100, or for that matter, written by someone we know, if indeed it is in opposition to how he is manifested in the scriptures. As John Calvin said in Book First, Chapter 4, Section 1: “……that when miserable men do seek after God, instead of ascending higher than themselves as they ought to, they measure him by their own carnal stupidity, and neglecting solid inquiry, fly off to indulge their curiosity in vain speculation.” Meaning, there are a lot of thoughts of God etc. that are really nice and loving, but just aren’t true! As my friend Andy Locke says, “Show me what your church is singing, and I will show you what you believe about God.”

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Yeah Eric, that’s what I mean…there are alot of great worshipful songs on Christian radio that we grab…and they’re already known most of the time. It makes it easy for people to “enter in” quickly on Sunday…

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@Andrew, I’m thinking by Radio Band, we mean a national recording artist; re: Lincoln Brewster, Third Day, U2 (Kinda), Toby Mac, David Crowder, etc. Is that close Michael?

I’ll play anything as long as it’s…

1. Biblical

2. In line with the message

3. Singable (Otherwise, they’re all out there not engaging)

4. Playable – If a group of volunteer musicians can come together and learn it in one or two rehearsals, I’m down. If it will take more than that to pull the arrangement together, my enthusiasm for the song generally dies off.

Sometimes we’ll play a secular song to enhance a message or a point. Then the song won’t really meet the litmus above, but in my book, it needs to at least be honest (like Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”).

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what’s a “radio band”? can you give me an example?

radio i listen to would not qualify as “Christian” radio.

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I’m with ya Deb!
Rich

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I don’t think that’s terrible Deb! You have to be who you are. If I hear a song on Christian radio or youtube that I like, then I look at the lyrics and find the chords or try to work them out. The latest was “Grace like rain”, which people really love at our church. I don’t really use non-worship “radio” songs in worship, but I’m not against it. I have a friend that came to follow Jesus through a Hallmark Commercial. Go God. What about others???

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Hi there,
About once or twice a month I check out KLOVE’s top 19 (don’t know why it’s not 20) and download whatever I don’t have yet. I’ll listen and see what might fit for us and then see if it works for me and the team. We done quite a few of our own versions of songs that have received a good amount of radio airplay.
I’ve found that not many of the worship leaders I’ve talked with even listen to Christian radio yet several of our people in the church do. It’s a good way to add songs to the repertoire that the congregation may already know.
I also venture to the CCLI top 100 about once or twice a quarter just to see if we’re doing any of those songs or not. The other ways I get new songs is by listening to mostly Vineyard songs and suggestions by worship team members. (they know what I like!)
That’s it in a nutshell!
Keith Caughlin
Peninsula Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Yorktown, VA

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i don’t really listen to the radio…is that terrible?!?