Music Ministry

Handbook

t: 01142301911 m: 07841777482 @: @fulwoodmusic

w: fulwoodchurch.co.uk e: peter@fulwoodchurch.co.uk
Contents
Welcome 2

PART ONE What is Music Ministry? 4

General
Information Music Ministry @ Christ Church 7

Our Values 9

Leadership 10

Music Ministry Areas 11

Songwriting 12

Music Ministry Programme (rota) 13

Monday Night is Music Night 14

A Taste of Monday Night 15

Music Ministry Throughout the Year 16

PART TWO Music Group 18

Specific
Information Fulwood Choir 23

Fulwood Orchestra 25

PA Ministry 26

Youth and Children 32

Worship Matters Course 33

Winter Music Conference 34

Welcome
...to this guide to Music Ministry at Christ Church Fulwood. This is a
good place to start when it comes to understanding and owning
the vision and values of the Music Ministry at Christ Church
Fulwood, whether you are involved in our Music Group, Choir,
Orchestra or PA Ministry.

Part one gives some general information, relevant to everybody,

while part two gives specific information relating to each of these
areas of Music Ministry. We pray that reading this won’t simply be
an academic exercise, but an opportunity to understand and be
excited by the wonderful privileges, responsibilities and
opportunities that serving in Music Ministry brings.

.....read all of part one

& some of part two...

2
 PART
ONE
Music Ministry at Christ Church, Fulwood
What is Music
Ministry?
Where God’s people are found, there is music and singing. But
why? The truth is the rescued people of God have every reason
to sing.

Throughout the scriptures, singing is the natural response to

God’s redeeming work - songs of salvation and judgement
(Exodus 15), songs of remembrance and confession (Deuteronomy
32), of triumph and joy (Judges 5), indeed there are songs for
turning our hearts to the Lord in every experience of life (not least
in the Psalms). We are right to expect music and singing to play a
deeply significant role in the life of our church, but exactly what
kind of a role?

The book of Ephesians helps us to clarify this.

.....every reason
to sing...

4
Ephesians 5:15-20

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16

 15

making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be
filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns
and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the

name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Sing (v18-19a)
Singing is a Christian’s natural response to God’s supernatural gift
of the Holy Spirit. Filling yourself with wine leads to debauchery, but
being filled with the Holy Spirit - a gift to every believer (Eph 1:13) -
leads, amongst other things, to singing!

2. Sing Out (v19a)

Addressing one another in song benefits and builds up the church.
We are to speak to one another in our songs. Elsewhere Paul says
we are to ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach
and admonish one another and as you sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs’(Colossians 3:16). There is great potential for
teaching, encouraging and building up our brothers and sisters as
we gather to sing with them and to them.

5
3. Sing Up (v19b)
We are to sing songs of praise and adoration to the Lord, from the
heart, engaging our emotions and affections, as well as our minds
and bodies, in expressing thankfulness to God.

4. Sing Something Different!

Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs imply some degree of variety!
We’re committed to such variety to express both the depth and
richness of the character of God, and the diversity of the church
family. Such diversity teaches us to grow in Christ-likeness as we
prefer the needs and preferences of others.

6
Music Ministry @
Christ Church Fulwood

There is a diverse Music Ministry at Christ Church Fulwood, but all

of it seeks to bring glory and praise to God and to serve the church
family, by serving the wider vision of Christ Church Fulwood, namely
to glorify God by...

Building Up...
Growth comes to the church from God, by the ‘the word of his
grace’ (Acts 20) Music is, in part, a ministry of the word of God
to one another. The word of God is to ‘dwell with us richly’ as we
sing, as well as when we teach and admonish one another. Choosing
songs carefully, and leading them skillfully and wholeheartedly is
therefore very important. We are ourselves built up as we bring
praise and adoration to God, as we delight in him, making him the
centre of our affections (the thing we love most). We also aim to
build up musicians themselves through formal and informal training
and passing on of skills, not least though our annual Winter Music
Conference.

.....a ministry of
the word...

7
Reaching Out...
Music is an integral part of Sunday services which are our main
activity as a church family and a ‘shop window’ to outsiders. We, as
musicians, seek to commend the gospel each Sunday in our
attitudes and through our skillful playing, singing and leading. We
must also strive to be musicians, singers and technicians of
integrity - commending the greatness of God to others Monday-
Saturday, as well as in our public praise on Sundays. We take a
specific evangelistic focus two or three times a year when music
plays a central role in our Carols by Candlelight, Easter Celebration/
Hour Around the Cross services and in the summer with our
occasional ‘Music for a Summer’s Evening’ concerts.

Sending Out...
As people move on from Fulwood, to other cities or to our church
plants, we want to send musicians and technicians who, through
their experience and training at Fulwood, have become mature and
accomplished, able to replicate and contribute to vibrant and
growing music ministries.

.....commending the
greatness of God...

8
Our Values
Humility everything done for the glory of God and the good
of others

Quality a natural un-distracting excellence

Variety reflecting the breadth both of God’s character and

his gathered church

Integrity commending the goodness of God in life, as well as

in song

Spiritual depending upon God’s word and prayer in all our

Focus activities

Sharing our resources and gifts with the wider church

Passionate for God’s glory, for the people we lead and for
Commitment fruitful music ministry

.....for the good

of others...

9
Leadership
Music Ministry is led, on the ground, by the Music Coordinator
(Peter Turnbull).

Peter is assisted by a larger team of ‘Music Leaders’ who are

committed to praying for the ministry. Peter meets regularly with
these leaders to pray and plan for the future, they take an active
role in shaping the vision and direction of music ministry. Many of
them also have some specific area of responsibility of leadership
within the Music Ministry.

• Nick Field
• Andy Acheson (Music Ministry Trainee)
• Janet Goepel
• George Parsons (Fulwood Choir)
• Rachel Shenton (Fulwood Choir)
• Becs Walsh
• Lewis Green
• Matt Wiltshire (Youth Music)

.....a team of
music leaders...

10
Music Ministry
Areas
• Music Group
A team of around 45 people, serving in small contemporary bands,
rehearsing and leading some of the sung worship at each service.

• Fulwood Choir
A four part adult choir of around 30 people, rehearsing and leading sung
worship (alongside the Music Group) periodically throughout the year
(roughly every 4-8 weeks).

• Fulwood Orchestra
A orchestra of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion gathering
occasionally to lead sung worship, often alongside the Choir and/or Music
Group.

• Organists
A team of organists provide music to lead the singing of hymns at each of
our services.

• Youth and Children’s Music

Teams of adults and youth leading sung worship for children and youth.

• PA Ministry
A team of 10-15 people, skillfully operating PA for speech and music at all of
our Sunday services, and for other church events.

• AV Ministry
A team of people, skillfully operating projected visuals as required at our
services, and for other church events.

11
Songwriting
Songsforcongregations.com is part of the work of Music Ministry
at Christ Church. The website is a platform for new songs written
by a handful of songwriters, here at Christ Church.

We’re trying to write biblically faithful and congregationally friendly

songs of praise and worship which will serve and resource our
congregation by tackling a wide range of subject matters.
Recording songs to a high standard, and making them available at
low cost is important to us.

The songsforcongregations.com website also serves as a platform

for blogging and sharing music ministry ideas and resources.

songsforcongregations
.com

12
The Music Ministry
Programme
With so many people involved in music ministry, across the various
areas, it’s important that we organise ourselves well.

Our rota or ‘Music Ministry Programme’ is put together every three

months. Nov-Jan / Feb-Apr / May-Jul / Aug-Oct.

This programme contains the following information

1. Who plays/sings/operates PA when, together with information

about rehearsals and training
2. Song/Hymn choices for a number of the included services
3. An article or message from the Music Coordinator
4. Information about forthcoming events
5. Contact information for our music leaders, those in the music
group and the PA Ministry

ARTICLE
The Second Sermon >>>

Those who preach God's word ought to be clear what their priorities are.
Teaching of the word of God is not a performance art or a spectator sport.
ct
g-O
Successful preaching is not defined as a polished performance. Of course,

Au 1
the preacher will devote time to presenting the message as clearly (as well

1 SEP 25
20
as as faithfully)
SEPas19
he-can,
SEPbut
25successful preaching is marked, in the end,

try
by the changed hearts and obedient lives of the hearers. A preacher’s tools

inis
may be his words but his project is people.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Ministry Time 20.30-20.50

Recently I heard our times of sung worship described as 'the second

c M me
9.15 Rehearsal sermon'. Does this
19.30 sound odd GOD’S
- 20.30 to you? LYRICS
It shouldn't.
3 Music and singing are, in

s i part, given to fulfill similar rolesThe

of teaching
song of and encouraging other
Deborah:

Mu gram
11.00 Rehearsal 19.30 - 20.30
believers, of causing the word of God to
Judges dwell 31
5:1-5, richly among his people (Eph.
6.30 Rehearsal 5, Col. 3). Even
Church the- 21.45
20.50 very act of bringing praise, thanks and adoration to our
God does us tremendous good - we are discipling ourselves to make

Pro
Sunday AM 20.50 - 21.45
God the thing we love most, the centre of our affections. All of which
should serve as a reminder to us that music ministry is not, in the end,
really about music at all.

.....who plays
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25
You see, leading sung worship is not a performance art, nor a spectator
9.15 sport. Successful11.00 18.30
singing in the church is not defined solely as a polished
performance, indeed, that is not enough! Doubtless the musicians and
Music Group G/S - Andy Acheson
singers (L) pour
should K - Janet Goepel (L)
themselves G/S - Andyand
into rehearsal Acheson (L) wanting to lead
training,
K - George Parsons G - Vince Senior K/S - George Parsons
God's people with skill (what we in Fulwood Music Ministry like to describe
B - Tony Simons B - Greg Brown D - Dave Gill
asTurnbull
'a natural undistracting excellence'),
B -but successful
Hughes music ministry is

and sings...
D - Peter D - Pete Rawling Owen
S - Nickmarked,
Field in the end,
Fl - only
Sheilaby the changed
Atkinson EG -hearts and obedient lives of those
Peter Turnbull
who
S - Kirsty sing, wether Sor- Sarah
Bramhall not they hold a microphone
Rooper to do so. Remember, your
S - Ann hollingsbee
Tpt - Vince
toolsAllsopp
are the songs, but your project is people.

Shall we let that mark our time of preparation and prayer over
PA Peter Gore John Grant John Peacock
the coming months in Fulwood Music Ministry?
Organ George Parsons David Pettinger George Parsons

Kendray Pete Longbottom

13
Monday Night is
Music Night
For most areas of Music Ministry, Monday evening is a particular
weekly focus.

All of our rehearsals for the music group, choir and orchestra (with
the exception of the extended Christmas and Easter choir/
orchestra) happen on a Monday evening, as well as a much of our
formal and informal training.

Each Monday night provides an opportunity for ‘Ministry Time’ - a

communal time of particular spiritual focus, as we pray, sing,
share fellowship or study God’s word together.

As far as possible we are committed to making all of the activities

associated with Music Ministry happen on a Monday evening,
making it a straight forward and regular commitment for most
musicians/technicians to keep Monday evenings free, although only
those musicians and sound engineers who are involved in
rehearsals or training will attend on a given Monday.

.....a particular
weekly focus...

14
a taste of
Monday Night
Our Monday night’s are structured as follows. Those musicians
who are playing or singing on the following Sunday attend the
relevant rehearsal and the ‘Ministry Time’.

Church Building Church Centre Sports Hall

19.30 Music Group Music Group Choir

rehearsal rehearsal (when scheduled)
(9.15/11.00) (9.15/11.00)

20.30 Ministry Time

(Lounge)

20.50 Music Group Sunday AM Choir

- rehearsal rehearsal (when scheduled)
21.45 (6.30pm service) finishes 21.30

.....a particular
weekly focus...

15
Music Ministry
throughout the year
Jan/Feb Worship Matters’ Our four-week introduction to
Music Ministry, reading through
Course
‘Worship Matters’ by Bob Kauflin.

Feb Winter Music Our weekend residential training

Conference conference providing biblical and
practical training to inform our
Music Ministry.

Easter Easter Music with Our series of Easter Services,

extended Choir and celebrating the death and
resurrection of Jesus in music
Orchestra
and song.

May/Jun PA Training Course Our four-week course training

new volunteers to operate PA
with skill and diligence.

Jul Music For a Summer’s Our biennial evangelistic summer

concert/s of classical music.
Evening

Oct Music RE:launch Our annual relaunch evening to

evening prayerfully launch our efforts in
Music Ministry into the upcoming
academic year

Dec Carols by Candlelight Our annual evangelistic

Christmas services with extended
Choir and Orchestra

16
 PART
TWO
Specifics for Music Ministry Areas
Music Group
Who are you?
• Committed to Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
• Committed to Christ Church Fulwood as your church family.
• Committed to making Monday night rehearsals a priority.
• Committed to spiritual growth.
• Committed to musical growth and improvement.
• We encourage you to be part of a small group at church.

Leadership
The Music Group operates under the leadership of the Music
Coordinator

Rota/Music Ministry Programme

The Music Group rota is included in our ‘Music Ministry
Programme’, put together every three months. We request details
about your availability (by email) before assembling the rota. Bands
of 4-8 people are then formed to serve at each service. We
encourage flexibility in availability as far as possible, seeing Music
Ministry as service of others. We are also realistic and understand
that the degree of flexibility you can offer will vary depending on
your life situation. If playing or singing every other week
(fortnightly) would be too big a commitment then Music Group may
not be the ministry area for you.

Music Group

18
Monday Evening Rehearsals
Monday night is music night! - the home and focal point of music
ministry, outside of Sundays.
Musicians and singers serving on a Sunday must attend on the
preceding Monday, for rehearsal and ministry time.

Training
Training is an essential part of all music ministry. There are several
aspects.

• Winter Music Conference

The Winter Music Conference (in February) is the annual focus of
training for everyone involved in Music Group. As well as great Bible
teaching and fellowship, we are committed to running a number of
seminar streams, training musicians and singers in practical and
theological aspects of Music Ministry. We strongly encourage the
whole music group to attend.

• Informal training and practice

Monday nights are, in many ways, the best training of all. Time to
spend practising with other musicians provides plenty of
opportunity for sharing ideas and informally passing on help, tips
and advice.

Music Group

19
• Monday training Evenings
From time to time, we give over our an entire Monday evening to
some specific topic of training. We strongly encourage those for
whom the training is relevant to attend.

• The ‘Worship Matters’ Course

This course runs annually for any who are new to music ministry in
the last year, or for those wanting a refresher! Over 8 weeks and
four-six group discussions/Bible studies (on Monday evening), we
read through the book ‘Worship Matters’ by Bob Kauflin. The
book is an excellent introduction to the issues surrounding Music
Ministry in the local church. The course is designed to give new
members a biblical grasp of what it means to serve the church in
this way, whichever area of music ministry they serve in.

Music Group

20
Sunday expectations

9.15am

8.20 meet to pray church / music office

8.30 Sound-check and rehearse church

10.30 meet for feedback & prayer music office

11.00am

10.20 meet to pray church centre foyer

10.35 Sound-check and rehearse church

12.15 meet for feedback & prayer church

12.20 help set equipment for 6.30pm church

6.30pm

17.15 Sound-check and rehearse church

18.15 meet to pray church

20.00 meet for feedback & prayer church

20.05 help pack away equipment church

Music Group

21
New members
We want to effectively welcome new members, examine their gifts,
and help them think through the implications of involvement in
Music Group. To help with this we have an induction process. This is
a requirement for anyone who is thinking of serving regularly in this
way.

Initial contact

fill out induction form

read through MM handbook

meet with Music Coordinator to

discuss, pray, and play/sing

begin serving in music ministry, or

prayerfully consider other options

Music Group

22
Fulwood Choir
Who are you?
• Committed to Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
• Committed to Christ Church Fulwood as your church family.
• Committed to making Monday night rehearsals a priority.
• Committed to spiritual growth.
• Committed to musical growth and improvement.
• We encourage you to be part of a small group at church.

Leadership
The choir is lead by George Parsons and Rachel Shenton, two of
our music leadership team. This work is overseen by the Music
Coordinator.

Rota/Music Ministry Programme

Dates when the choir will sing and rehearse in the coming calendar
year are published in the autumn term. The choir then refer to the
Music Ministry Programme, put together every three months for
specific details of rehearsals and music.

Choir

23
Monday Evening Rehearsals
The choir rehearse and lead sung worship in ‘phases’ throughout
the year.

With the exception of the extended Christmas and Easter choir,

typically a ‘phase’ consists of two Monday evening rehearsals,
followed by singing in either both morning services or the evening
service.

Choir rehearsals on Monday evenings run from 19.30 - 21.30,

with a break halfway through to join in the ‘Ministry Time’.

Sunday expectations
Specific guidance on when to arrive will be given out at rehearsals.
Arriving at 4.30pm to sing in an evening service, or 8.00am to sing
at the morning services would be typical.

New members
Those interested in joining the choir should contact the Music
Coordinator to talk and pray through whether this would be the
best use of your gifts. A basic ability to read and understand sheet
music is beneficial to those thinking of joining the choir.

Choir

24
Fulwood Orchestra
Who are you?
• Committed to Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
• Committed to Christ Church Fulwood as your church family.
• Committed to making relevant Monday night rehearsals a priority.
• Committed to spiritual growth.
• Playing at at least grade 5 standard and committed to musical
growth and improvement.
• We encourage you to be part of a small group at church.

Leadership
The orchestra operates under the leadership of the Music
Coordinator.

Rota/Music Ministry Programme

The orchestra is a fairly informal group, convening several times a
year, most notably at Easter and Christmas. Members will be
contacted and offered a chance to play at a given service/s and
rehearsal time arranged accordingly.

Orchestra

25
PA Ministry
Who are you?
• Committed to Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
• Committed to Christ Church Fulwood as your church family.
• Committed to making relevant Monday night rehearsals a priority.
• Committed to spiritual growth.
• Committed to technical & musical growth and improvement.
• We encourage you to be part of a small group at church.

Leadership
The PA Ministry operates under the leadership of the Music
Coordinator.

Rota/Music Ministry Programme

The PA team is included on our Music Ministry rota, put together
every three months. We request details about your availability before
assembling the rota. One member of the PA ministry is assigned to
each service, except when training or mentoring is taking place.

PA Ministry

26
Monday Evening Rehearsals

Monday night is music night! - the home and focal point of Music
Ministry, outside of Sundays. We strongly encourage that PA
team attend on Monday evenings when the band they are
mixing is rehearsing in the church,

Where this is the case, PA team are expected to participate fully in

‘Ministry Time’ too. Involvement on Monday evenings serves the
musicians and provides time to practise and improve operating the
PA, as well as helping with setup and teardown, and expressing our
unity and involvement with the Music Group. We also make use of
Monday evenings for informal training and mentoring where that is
helpful. We ask PA team to inform us if they are not able to attend
on a Monday evening.

PA Ministry

27
Training
Training is an essential part of all music ministry. There are several
aspects.

• Winter Music Conference

The annual Winter Music Conference (each February) is the annual
focus of training for everyone involved in Music Ministry. As well as
great Bible teaching and fellowship, we are committed to running a
seminar stream or streams for the PA team each year, and strongly
encourage all members of the PA ministry to make this a priority.

• Informal training and practice

Being there on Monday nights provides plenty of opportunity for
practice, sharing ideas and informal passing on of help, tips and
advice.

• The PA training course

This four-week course runs annually and is a comprehensive course
aimed at taking a newcomer with no previous experience up to the
point of being mentored through running PA at Sunday services by
a more experienced member of the PA ministry. This training

Music Group

28
course is also open to those who run PA in other ministry areas
(besides Sunday services) where it is helpful.

• Mentoring
Those who complete the course will be mentored through running
PA at Sunday services, firstly watching another, then being watched
and guided, before ‘flying solo’!

• The ‘Worship Matters’ course

This course runs annually for any who are new to music ministry in
the last year. Over 8 weeks and four group discussions/Bible
studies (on Monday evening), we read through the book ‘Worship
Matters’ by Bob Kauflin. The book is an excellent introduction to the
issues surrounding Music Ministry in the local church. The course is
designed to give new members a biblical grasp of what it means to
serve the church in this way, whichever area of Music Ministry they
serve in.

Music Group

29
Sunday expectations

9.15am

8.20 meet to pray church / music office

8.30 Sound-check and rehearse church

10.30 meet for feedback & prayer music office

11.00am

10.20 meet to pray church centre foyer

10.35 Sound-check and rehearse church

12.15 meet for feedback & prayer church

12.20 help set equipment for 6.30pm church

6.30pm

17.00 Check setup and rehearse church

(Band at 17.15)

18.15 meet to pray church

20.00 meet for feedback & prayer church

20.05 help pack away equipment church

PA Ministry

30
New members
We want to effectively welcome new members, examine their gifts,
and help them think through the implications of involvement in the
PA Ministry. To help with this we have an induction process. This is
a requirement for anyone who is thinking of serving regularly in this
way.

Initial contact

fill out induction form

read through MM handbook

meet with Music Coordinator to

discuss, pray, and play/sing

begin serving in PA ministry, or

prayerfully consider other options

PA Ministry

31
Youth and Children
There is much music ministry among our youth and younger children.

Sunday School Music

Fortnightly, a small band leads singing amongst the young children in
‘Altogether time’ which kicks off the Sunday school programme each
week. Small numbers of dedicated musicians are committed to
leading this Singing at both morning services. This work is overseen
by the children’s worker, Kate Selby.

Sunday AM
Each week, sung worship is an important part of Sunday AM, our
11.00am service for youth ages 15-18. This work is led by Matt
Wiltshire and overseen by Youth Worker, Joe Houghton, as well as
Music Coordinator, Peter Turnbull. The Youth are an important part of
the wider music ministry and rehearse alongside the other adults on a
Monday evening, joining in with our Ministry Time and other training
events, including the ‘Worship Matters course’ and the Winter
Music Conference.

Youth & Children

32
‘Worship Matters’ Course
‘Worship Matters’ is our annual Music Ministry training course,
studying through Bob Kauflin’s excellent book ‘Worship Matters’.

Running from mid January - mid March (8 Weeks, 4 fortnightly

sessions), the course is for any who have joined the music ministry
family in the last year, or who have yet to complete the course.

Through a series of set reading, discussion and Bible studies we

explore the theological and practical issues surrounding the ministry
of music in the local church, preparing hearts and minds to be ready
to lead God’s people in music and song.

Course Structure

Session 1 My heart: what do I love? WM Ch. 1 & 2 + 1 Tim 3 & 4

Session 2 My mind: what do I believe? WM Ch. 3 + Titus 1

Session 3 My hands: what do I practise? WM Ch. 4 + Psalm 33

Session 4 My life: what do I model? WM Ch. 5 + 1 Tim. 4

Worship Matters

33
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music is a great joint venture in Music Ministry training
between four, like-minded churches, all based in the North of England.

• Jesmond Parish Church

• Christ Church, Fulwood
• Holy Trinity Gateshead
• Christ Church, Endcliffe

This weekend residential conference happens annually in February

and is an opportunity to share friendship and fellowship, hear
insightful Bible teaching, praise and worship God alongside other
musicians and, crucially, grow and develop your gifts, experience and
love for the Lord in in a whole range of seminars, directly relevant to
Music Ministry.

The Winter Music Conference is a must for all involved in Music

Group, Youth Music and the PA Ministry, and highly recommended for
others.

...fantastic joint
venture...

34