The resources and materials below come from Keith and Kristyn Getty's book, Sing! - How Music Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church, used for our small group discussions in the fall of 2019. 

The Sing! Teachings and Takeaways document includes highlighted teachings from the book that could be used by worship leaders during worship, for music/worship team meetings, or for personal moments of reflection and introspection. The graphics package contains slides with quotes from the book that can be displayed on screens either before or after the divine service experience. Finally, the facilitator guides provided in the fall of 2019 can also be found below, including the bonus facilitator guides. The latter would be especially useful for minister and music/worship team meetings. 

It is our hope and prayer that these resources will be a blessing to you, and help re-inspire singing and worship in your congregation.

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Here are some final thoughts and ideas as we strive to help our congregations better express their worship unto God through singing:

Play supportively

Continuing our series on helping congregations sing, here are some practical thoughts and ideas when it comes to song selection, introducing new songs, and musical decision-making:

Select songs strategically and purposefully

 “Though maybe misunderstood, regularly a bone of contention, and often under-practiced, congregational singing is one of the greatest and most beautiful tools we have been given to declare God’s “excellences,” strengthening His Church and sharing His glory with the world.”
from Keith and Kristyn Getty’s Sing! book

This quote perfectly sums up both the beauty and the challenges of congregational singing. Truly, there is great power and beauty in a congregation that sings together with confidence and energy. Most of the time, however, this is something that may not come naturally—it should be taught, practiced, and inspired. As those involved in music and worship, we have a holy responsibility to help our congregations express their worship to our eternal Father by singing better together. What are some ways that we can do this and how can we fulfill this calling?

Singing is very personal. The voice is the only musical instrument physically connected to our body. Because of this, it’s only natural that our awareness is heightened when it comes to the quality of sound (or lack thereof) that we make when we sing. Perhaps we even become quite self-conscious.

Singing is also a skill and talent. While it can be learned and improved upon through instruction and practice, there’s a certain amount of giftedness involved when it comes to singing, and it cannot be debated that some are more gifted in this area than others. For some, singing is enjoyable and comes quite easy. For others, it can be an uncomfortable experience. As human beings, the reality is that we tend to approach the things that we do well with more energy and enthusiasm than the things that we don’t do as well. Again, this is natural.

Congregational singing is when a congregation gathers together in the name of God to worship Him through song. As Christians, we are called to be a singing people.

In Colossians 3:16 Paul says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to the Lord.” There are over fifty direct commands to sing in the Bible. Another can be found in Psalm 149:1: “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints.” Just as we are commanded to love our neighbor, to forgive, and to repent, we are also commanded to sing, and to do so with other believers. Singing, then, is both our pleasure and our joyful duty as Christians.

Consider the following quote: “Not all singing churches are healthy churches, but all healthy churches are singing churches.” Remember the three parts of our stepping forward initiative: health, growth, and completion. This process starts with health. If we want our congregations to be healthy, then it’s important that we understand the value of singing in worship.