Feature: Energizing Worship: A Team Approach
Jonathan W. Bergt
by Jonathan W. Bergt, minister of music, Washington Park Fellowship, St. Louis, Missouri
How does the average pew-sitter who has always assumed he's "not musical" awaken to the joys of worship through wholehearted singing? What can inspire the 70 percent who often mumble their way through hymns?
A good precise organist helps.
In many churches, a vigorous songleader—usually male—sets the tempo and sings out strongly.
But to modern North Americans, the organ is hardly a popular sing-along instrument. And one man waving his arms at a podium reminds us of the concert hall.
At Washington Park Fellowship, we didn't sit down and analyze these limitations when we began worship teams. We only knew we wanted everyone—not just the musical minority—to interact with God in worship. We were less concerned with carrying on traditions than with meeting God.
So we found ourselves evolving toward teams—small ensembles that would lead congregational singing as a group. They were not on the platform to perform special arrangements (although some developed those as well); their primary task was to model worship and lead the congregation. The combination of three or four voices and several instruments created higher impact than a lone songleader could ever hope for; still, each group was small enough to be flexible and tightly synchronized.
When I became Washington Park's first minister of music in the late '70s, I began to build on what was already happening. My background was a blend of the Lutheran church, with its medieval, Renaissance, baroque, and classical styles, and some influence from various charismatic churches. Before becoming a Christian I had been in a rock band, and later on I received a college degree in classical guitar.
This church ...
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