Though we prize creativity, new songs, and the development of unique cultures of worship at churches throughout the world, we also believe that it it is good for the Church to share songs in common across denominations, cultures, and traditions. Such songs reflect the unity of the Body of Christ and give us common ground when we gather ecumenically.
With this poll we aim to discover which songs are the most important to your particular congregation, and from the aggregate results, to produce a helpful, though informal, list of 50 songs "everyone should know." Such a list will be useful for training new music leaders, as well as planning ecumenical services.
THANK YOU for taking the time to fill this out!
Wendell Kimbrough
http://churchmusicblog.wordpress.comBruce Benedict
http://cardiphonia.orgFAQs:
Q: Who should take the poll?
A: If you are a worship leader, choir director, pastor, or hold another position by virtue of which you select songs for weekly Christian worship, please take this poll.
Q: Should I answer with hymns, psalms, praise songs, retuned hymns or what?
A: All of the above and any other category. The important thing is that it's essential to your congregation's worship life.
Q: What does "most essential" mean?
A: Think about the health of your congregation--what do they need to sing in order to be spiritually healthy? Maybe think of it as your "desert island" list of songs for worship.
Q: What if two (or more) versions of a song exist? How do I indicate which version we sing?
A: Just do your best to be clear. If you know the version you use is not the most common, then list the unique author, composer, or arranger after the title. Example: Abide With Me (Justin Smith tune)
Q: What if we don't observe Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter?
A: Then just leave those blank. But you should think about observing them!
