A practical handbook on music and its application in local church ministry. Widely used as a textbook in Bible schools.

This readable, practical, classic work covers every aspect of church music from congregational singing to the roles of the choir and church organist, how to select a hymnal, how to plan a worship service with music, and much more. Only by knowing these things can the minister, choir director, organist, and music committee together create worship services that lead to the Christian growth of their congregation, small or large.

What is the role of music in the twenty-first century church--and what should it be? Johansson examines this and other crucial questions concerning church music and offers "redirection" for the function of music ministry in the life of the modern church.

This work is an introduction to church music administration that provides insight into the responsibilities and demands placed on the person who heads the music program of a church. The chapters are written by various experts in their fields and address the topics of weekly worship planning, choir rehearsal preparation, recruitment, church staff relationships, financial management, working with children and youth choirs, and leading orchestras and handbell choirs. This addition to the Smyth & Helwys Help! series is a must-have for those just beginning a church music ministry or for seasoned professionals looking to improve the administration of their music programs.

Contemporary or traditional? Blended or seeker? Pop or "classical"? Chorus or hymn? Combo or organ? Questions concerning music in worship abound these days. Is there a practical way to deal with these issues?In "Music and Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint," Calvin Johansson looks to God's Word for principles foundational to music ministry. Weaving together great scriptural truths, he establishes the need for a "directional balance" between pastoral contextualization and prophetic purity. In a time of facile musical accommodation of the gospel to culture, Dr. Johansson suggests that a heightened concern for musical style and quality is in order" not for the sake of music, but for the sake of the gospel.

Why do the books of Chronicles regard the performance of choral music as an integral part of the sacrificial ritual at the temple, despite the lack of sanction for it in the Pentateuch? And why do they stress that it must be synchronized with the presentation of the regular public burnt offering at the temple? These and other questions are answered in this challenging new volume. After an introductory chapter defining the scope of the study as an analysis of the ritual function and theological significance of sacred song, the author examines the divine institution and royal establishment of the Levitical choir in Jerusalem. This is followed by an examination of the components of the Lord's song in terms of its contents, location, times, instruments and performers. A chapter on the function of sacred song as determined by its place within the sacrificial ritual follows, and the fifth chapter deals with its theological significance as the proclamation of the Lord's presence with his people.