Many casual singers used to have the opportunity to exercise their gifts by singing in the church choir. However, this is no longer the option it once used to be. It is rather unfortunate, but with the exponential growth of contemporary worship services it is no wonder many church choirs have died out. It is estimated that only 35% of evangelical congregations still have choirs that are used on a regular basis. For some reason, this just is not seen as important as it once used to be and while it likely will not make a resurgence, this article explains 4 reasons that churches should never let their choir ministry end (and others should crank them back up!).
1. Choirs can support good congregational singing of worship songs. It is very typical that most congregations do not sing the select set of worship songs with much enthusiasm, if even interest. This could be they they do not know the songs very well or cannot hear their own voices above the volume of the band and singers from the stage. However, a choir can demonstrate that the voice of the congregation is primary, not secondary and encourages robust singing in church services. much more so than an array of instruments and few worship singers alone can do.
2. A choir's visual presence can be an encouragement to the congregation. In once sense, the choir is like a miniature congregation who's main aim should be to lead the larger congregation's singing. A larger group of singers will often entice others to consider joining the music ministry.
3. Choirs can help singers develop and improve their musical gifts. Church choirs provide a free musical education, and can help to refine the abilities of amateur musicians who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Much of the general population has had experience singing in choir at some point while many others have had other exposure to musical arts through band or orchestra. This is a huge population that is ready to either sing in a choir, or to appreciate and be encouraged by well-crafted and executed choral music. Additionally, providing opportunities for children in choral education in the local church setting primes congregations to be accepting and supportive of choral music.
4. Choirs can help singers grow in creative artistry. Many churches no longer teach anything of artistry. The poverty of creativity and imagination found in contemporary musical output is fairly obvious to even the casual listener, as is our willingness to fill our worship gatherings with "Christianized" versions of this genre. Choirs often teach disciplined singing and an output of artistry not typically found in contemporary singing.
While contemporary music will continue to fill our churches (many of these songs carry wonderful tunes and solid doctrine), churches should consider the incredible advantages of having a choir in their worship services. Perhaps your list would include several more reasons than I have here, but the point is to not underestimate the value a choir can bring to your church body and worship services on a regular basis, whether they simply sing the worship songs as a back-up to the worship team or sing a special number from time to time. Choirs can and should fill a specific hole that their absence has created since they have been dropped from the music programs of many churches.
© Clint Holden. All rights reserved.