A Data Dive into the National Congregations Study

Sermons that Sing - Interview with Author Noel Snyder

Today's Music and the Church episode features a conversation with Noel A. Snyder about his new book Sermons That Sing: Music and the Practice of Preaching. More about Sermons That Sing: Preaching and music are both regular elements of Christian worship across the theological spectrum. But they often don't interact or inform each other in meaningful ways. In this Dynamics of Christian Worship volume, theologian, pastor, and musician Noel A. Snyder considers how the church's preaching might be helpfully informed by musical theory. Just as a good musical composition employs technical elements like synchrony, repetition, and meter, the same should be said for good preaching that seeks to engage hearts and minds with the good news of Jesus Christ. By drawing upon music that lifts the soul, preachers might craft sermons that sing. Noel A. Snyder (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is program manager at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University and an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Ethics and Christian Musicking

Music and the Church with Sarah Bereza is back after a summer hiatus while I finished writing and editing my book Professional Christian: Being Fully Yourself in the Spotlight of Public Ministry (coming your way Spring 2022) - glad to be back into podcasting mode!  Today's episode is an interview with my friends Nathan Myrick and Mark Porter. They have a new collection of essays out - Ethics and Christian Musicking - and we discuss why both researchers and practitioners of Christian music should consider ethical questions as they research and/or make music in Christian communities.  Sign up for my free newsletter here!

A Data Dive into the National Congregations Study

Dr. Mark Chaves, director of the National Congregations Study, shares recent highlights from the survey and how they compare with the last 20 years of data. The National Congregations Study is a wide-ranging survey of congregations in the U.S. It's taken place four times (starting in 1998), and results of the fourth wave are just being released. Explore the National Congregations Study here. And if you'd like to read about church music highlights from the study, you can check out this series (my very first blog posts!).

Nourishing Your Musical Soul Amidst Disruption and Constraint

Imagine you have a beautiful garden in your backyard with amazing sunlight and soil, and plenty of room for practically whatever flowers and vegetables your heart desires. But then you move to a small apartment, and your only outdoor space is a teeny balcony with just enough room for some pots and planters. That's like our current reality as musicians: in the pandemic, we are constrained by limited in-person music making, closed church buildings, virtual choirs and so on. But amidst this disruption and constraint we're living with, we can still make music - we can still make a beautiful garden on that little balcony. It just looks different from the backyard we used to work in and will hopefully return to soon. Join me in this podcast and video to discover your own inspiration for growth and develop a plan to nourish your musical soul. This month's Music and the Church with Sarah Bereza episode is from a workshop I taught for my local American Guild of Organist's chapter. Here's the video if you'd like to watch it, and if you'd like to listen to the podcast, tune in above, or find Music and the Church with Sarah Bereza in your favorite podcast player. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yyUZ6wPRkg Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Mid-Marathon

Let's take stock of where we are in the marathon of the pandemic and of the program year. Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church with Sarah Bereza episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.