MUSIC MINISTRY
Bridgewater United Methodist Church Choir
United Methodists are a singing people, and we are called to hold a song in our heart as well as lift them up to God. Our music ministry is active, with hymns and other musical arrangements provided during worship by our congregation and music minister.
The choir at BUMC is open to all who wish to sing, whether weekly or once in a while. Practice is held on Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM, in preparation for the service at 10:00 AM. There are also occasional after church or evening rehearsals, especially when there is special music to learn. For example, the choir prepares a Christmas Cantata in December to sing as a part of our holiday worship, which
requires additional practice time. Come and join us!
Bridgewater United Methodist Children’s Choir
All children who participate in Children’s Time during the service and who attend Sunday School are able to be a part of the Children’s Choir. Rehearsals take place weekly as part of Sunday School. The children sing regularly throughout the year and have special performances at Christmas and other holidays and special events.
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. …” (Ps. 98:4.)
Music and song play a vital role in worship, complementing the spoken word and preparing us to hear it. Through congregational singing, Christian faith is not only expressed, it is also formed. Since people tend to remember the messages they sing more than the theology that is preached, a congregation's hymns are important in shaping the faith of its people.
Music that honors God can cause our hearts to sing and moves them towards God in ways that other forms of worship can’t accomplish. We are changed on the inside as we’re filled with the Spirit and are able to communicate with God in a way that doesn’t happen as we hear the spoken word. Music allows us to express our love to God with our whole being.
As United Methodists, we have a long history of congregational singing, going back to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who set down “Directions for Singing” as an appendix to our first hymnal in 1791, including encouraging everyone to sing, even when you are weary; singing “lustily and with good courage”; and above all, “singing spiritually [with] an eye to God in every word you sing.”
Our Music Leadership
*Search In Process*, Minister of Music
Shari Sprong, Children’s Music Leader