I am sitting by my fireplace and TV thinking about the goodtime I had last night and this morning with friends and fellow ministers that are the worship choir at ClearView. This weekend of November for the past several years has been designated as ‘choir retreat.’ Usually we take the whole time to prepare for our Christmas presentation. This year we got that accomplished and we also spent some time evaluating the current state of our ministry. I was very pleased at the openness with which the choir expressed their desire to see the choir continue to be an important part of the worship at ClearView and to hear their ideas for making it better. Over the next few weeks we will be putting into place a plan to evaluate all the ideas and take steps toward putting into action the ones that will help us be the best we can be for the God’s glory.

In a day when many churches have decided not to invest in a choir ministry, ClearView has decided there is value in a choir’s ministry. The ClearView choir is one of the ministry groups in the worship ministry. These groups’ role is to forward the vision of ClearView. Just recently that vision has been described with these words:

ClearView exist to make radical disciples,

focused on making God known

to the ends of the earth.

The vision of the worship ministry is:

Using the creative arts

to communicate the never-changing message of God’s love,

encouraging persons to use gifts and talents to glory His name,

and lead others to do the same.

The worship choir at ClearView is open anyone who loves to sing and is passionate about serving God. A few weeks ago I posted a blog that shares my beliefs on who should sing in the choir. These three statements were the basis:

People who are passionate about God and live a life of worship

Worship is more than Sunday morning, it is about being a follower of Christ…it is about making everyday decisions that reflect Christ.

People who enjoy singing

Sometimes people join the choir just because they love to sing, but it is our desire that through the fellowship, prayer, worship and discipleship of the choir this becomes more about worship than just about singing.

People who feel called to lead others to be passionate worshippers

The choir is a ministry, and to be involved and fulfilled in a ministry there must be a sense of calling. Choir is about giving people a place to use their talents and desire to serve God by encouraging others to do the same.

I have been amazed at what God has done at ClearView in the ten years that I have been a part of its ministry. I am looking forward to what God has in store for us and I am excited about the future of the worship choir. It is a real joy to be called leader of this group.