Thank you for your interest in the Worship & Music Ministry of Calvary Bible Church. We define worship as “ascribing worth to God for who He is and what He has done, and responding to Him in praise, thanksgiving, adoration, reverence, and obedience.” It is our goal to worship God and give Him the glory in all we do, not just on Sunday mornings but every day of our lives.

Our corporate worship times on Sundays are one of the best ways we can express our praise to God publicly, and music is an important part of that. Our music style is blended contemporary. We treasure the “ancient hymns of our faith” and embrace the new songs written by men and women of God today as well; and we incorporate both into our worship services. Much more important than the style or time frame of the songs, however, is the content of the songs, and we always seek to sing songs that are biblically based, doctrinally solid, and lead us to a place of seeing God for who He really is and responding to Him accordingly.

There are several ways to get involved in worshiping God through our worship and music ministry. See below to consider how you can be involved, and then contact Pastor Brad Illian at 434-1516 ext. 212, or by e-mail at brad.illian@ccsderry.org if you’re interested (except where otherwise noted).

Worship Team

Our worship team consists of both instrumentalists and vocalists. Vocalists are put on a rotation and usually sing about twice a month. Instrumentalists generally play each week. All kinds of instruments are welcome from guitars and keyboards to percussion to strings, woodwinds, and brass. Prerequisites for involvement are: salvation and an ever-growing walk with God, membership at Calvary Bible Church, age 16 or older, ability to play or sing adequately as determined by the worship pastor, and above all a heart for worship. If you’re considering being a part of this ministry, it’s important to remember that the worship team is not a performance group, but is a group of “lead worshipers” who are there to serve the body of Christ by leading them to a place of fellowship with and worship of God.

Adult Choir

Our adult choir is currently made up of 30+ men and women and performs approximately twice a month (except in the summer). Additionally, the choir performs an annual Christmas Cantata. The choir attempts to sing their music from memory as much as possible. Although the word “perform” is used, the choir is really about helping to create an atmosphere of worship and pointing the congregation to God rather than performing simply to be heard and receive applause from men. God is always our ultimate audience. Prerequisites for involvement in the choir are similar to those for the worship team: salvation and an ever-growing walk with God, membership at Calvary Bible Church, 10th grade or higher, ability to sing adequately as determined by the choir director, and a heart for worship.

Solos and Ensembles

Occasionally we have opportunities for soloists and/or ensembles to sing in our services, what is commonly referred to as “special music.” We do not have these on a weekly basis but rather have them periodically when we want to use a song that fits particularly well with the theme of a service and therefore enhances the atmosphere of worship. Once again, these “specials” are not an opportunity to showcase talent, but to give God glory and point the congregation to Him. Those participating in these opportunities must also see themselves as “lead worshipers” and not merely as performers. The opportunity to be involved in these is open to anyone interested pending an audition and approval from the Worship Pastor.

Children’s Choir

Our children’s choir is directed by Mrs. Melody Talley and is composed of children grades 1-6. They perform occasionally at events such as our Christmas cantata, our missions conference, and other services throughout the year. Sadly, many churches today think of children’s performances as merely an opportunity for a child to be up front and look “cute.” While they do of course look cute and entertain us to a degree, we believe that children are more than just entertainment and can have a powerful ministry through song by singing from pure and innocent hearts and pointing us to truths about God. Therefore the children’s choir is an opportunity for its leaders to teach them about how we can use music to worship God and to train them to be “lead worshipers” both now and in the future. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). Contact Melody Talley at 421-1833 for more information.

Signing Ministry

Sign language is both a beautiful way of expressing our love for God as well as a way of ministering to those in our body who are hearing impaired by signing the songs and message for them. For more information on how to get involved in this ministry, contact Cherry Bradford at 432-9406.