ABC' s Music Ministry and Praise Team plays a huge role in Church and serves as more than one purpose. Every Sunday we provide a ways and means for the people of God to have communion with God.

We "set the tone" so that you are able to receive God's' word. We help get you to that place where you can have that exchange of intimate thoughts and feelings. We want to get you to engage with God.

God strongly desires to have intimacy with His sons and daughters. The idea of this communion reflects God’s nature of love. God has a vision for worship and it is to be together.

I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Exodus 6:7

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. Leviticus 26:12

OUR PURPOSE:
A primary purpose of the Music Ministry is to “gather” God’s people together to draw near to Him as a community of faith. [James 4:8, Hebrews 10:25]

Worship is a pattern of revelation and response.
God reveals, man responds.

Therefore, “We can love Him because He first loved us” 1 John 4:19
We then give Him glory through words, songs, prayer, and actions of praise and adoration through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Giving God’s people a vocabulary of praise and adoration.

Another purpose for the Music Ministry is edification – to encourage one another and build each other up.
Praise & Worship unites a church at the heart level.

Speak to “one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” Ephesians 5:19

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8

The pure in heart may sing out of tune, play out of tune, chose cheesy songs, be over the hill, out of style and basically un-hip; but they are the ones who not only see God, they are the ones who reflect God.

Akron Bible Church and it's Praise Team encourages God’s people to be the real deal and build one another up. But most importantly the purpose of the Praise Team is to help change and transform the worshiper themselves.

God is in the transformation business. His Spirit changes us from the inside out, both as individuals and as a community of faith.

Worship works hand in hand with discipleship. Through worship and discipleship, we learn to walk in the ways of God and be imitators of Christ in all we do.

When we gather for worship, we should leave changed, a filling of the cup with a fresh revelation of God for who He truly is – holy, good, merciful and loving.

Worship “in spirit and in truth” will affect you to take action as an ambassador for Christ, to go into all the world and make disciples. [John 4:24, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 28:19]

Then we will know that the purpose of church worship is being fulfilled.

MUSICS ROLE AT ABC:

1. First, music in worship can help people commune with God.
“The nearness of God is my good.” Psalm 73:2

2. Music in worship gives us the vocabulary and actions to express praise and worship to God.
When the church gathers for worship we engage with God through singing, clapping, bowing, lifting hands, and other biblical actions, often led by music. Other worship actions are accompanied with music in the background. Music also unites us physically when we clap together in rhythm.

3. Music both expresses and affects our emotions so that we grow closer to God.
In worship, one role of music is to help express emotion. It’s a two-way exchange of feelings.
We can experience the emotions of God to man, such as Jeremiah 31:3:
“I love you, O LORD, You are my strength.” Psalm 18:1

4. Music helps unite, encourage and inspire the body of Christ.
Think of some of the great anointed songs, old and new, that have inspired you and motivated the church.

Authentic excellence is simply doing your very best. We honor God when we offer Him our very best musical preparation, heart condition and positive spirit, keeping our eyes on Jesus as we serve him, as best as we can, with our musical abilities.

Music in church should help us “be” with God, hear from God, bless the Lord, and be a blessing to one another.

God desires that we “sing praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:7; 1 Corinthians 14:7-9)
and “with thanksgiving” (Psalm 147:7). We are exhorted to “play skillfully with a loud
noise” (Psalm 33:3) and to “Sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our
salvation” (Psalm 95:1) and “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in
song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Psalm 98:4)

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16

Kristin Flowers
330--687-2954