AUMC AV Blog

One of the main topics in the meetings that I have been in is "When we move into the new building, what will our worship schedule be?" We knew we wanted at least one contemporary service, but we also wanted a service with a strong chancel choir. The other question was: "Do we switch to those services now, or wait for the new building?"

Well, the decisions have been made, and they were announced via e-mail this week. Here is the e-mail that I got from Joe, our "Minister of Music, Worship, and the Arts":

Greetings friends!

I hope this email finds you well! It is with great pleasure that I write you this evening announcing our new plan for the Sunday worship schedule at AUMC. Beginning Sunday, October 5th, the following will be the AUMC Worship Schedule:

8:45: The music at this service will be led by Joe, Anastasia, and various soloists. We will ask for some folks to help lead the congregational singing from time to time but the chancel choir will not be the primary worship leaders in this service. My hope is that in three years the primary choir for this service will be a youth choir.

10:00 The music at this service will be led by Joe, Anastasia, and various soloists until we move to the new building. Once we move to the new campus this service will be led primarily by Nathan Bryant and the evensong band.

11:15: The music at this service will be led by the chancel choir.

5:30: evensong (which begins Sunday, September 21st)

Occasionally all of the musical groups will sing at the various services but the primary leadership will fall as listed above.

Of course, there is no perfect decision that fits everyone's needs/desires but this schedule has been arrived at via prayer and months (literally) of discussion around the ideas of the identity of the various services, our ability to provide the highest quality worship leadership that we can, the mission of the church, and the future of the church as a whole.

If this schedule provides significant challenges to you, I would invite you to talk to me about it and we can find ways for you to participate other than in the mediums listed.

It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve as the minister of music, worship, and the arts at AUMC and I am so thankful that God has seen it fit to put us together at this point in our journey's! You are a blessing! May we all realize that we are blessed because God is going to bless others through us!

Have a wonderful weekend!

In Christ,

Joe

So, to say it again, the early service is cutting out their choir (they may keep a few people to add voice). The middle service will stand as it is for now, but in the new building will become the contemporary service, and the late service will continue to grow it's chancel choir. I think that this is the best of all worlds. Every plan that we talked about had pros and cons, and this plan had the most pros with the least cons.

I hope that come October 5th, everyone will agree that the new worship schedule will work out best for everyone.

Matthew