HYMN REQUEST/CHORUS PRESENTATIONS/RELATED COMMENTS:

If your programs are primarily CCM-style, we would request about 1/2 of your program

being some well-known classical/traditional gospel hymns.

MY STRONG SUGGESTION LISTED HERE AND ON THE PGM-INVITE LETTERS IS TO START OFF

WITH 3 TRADITIONAL HYMNS (WORDS & MUSIC), (Using 3.2.2)

You may pep them up/update a little, but not mock out or be antagonistic to singing them; AND use the traditional words and tunes. (Bridges to/from hymns to/from contemporary chorus tunes or words, do not count as true full Traditional hymns). Then do two/three hymns during your pgm; then finish with two/three hymns; this would make for happy OG audiences. (Enclosed is/or you may request/or print from this jerseyshoregospel.com website, our Hymn Suggestion List below; The internet has many sites which list all hymn words and tunes to help you learn them). Please have someone leading them that respects older folks or those who appreciate/like/prefer the hymns. We suggest giving out songsheets for some selections, with the words to hymns/choruses, with your church contacts (address/phone/web, etc..), We also suggest you let folks sit for some hymns or choruses, since we have older ages and some cannot stand for lengthy praise times. Sing the most familiar new choruses. Some folks may like audience participation, but all unknown selections do not connect with folks; Try not repeating chorus lines over+over, since some faith backgrounds aren’t used to open-ended repeating of chorus lines, etc..

PROGRESS BEING MADE / THOUGHTS FOR THIS SUMMER:

We are making progress... More groups are adding hymns into their repertoire of selections. I would like to emphasize more strenuously to ALL groups to aim for 1/2 of your program to be traditional hymns (perhaps using 3.2.2); many are included below. And for the sake of myself and some regular attenders, please do more variety of the contemporary choruses/hymns. As nice as the contemporary choruses and the hymns chosen are, we hear the same few selections of hymns and contemporary songs by each group so often. Which means during a usual week/vacation period, I’ve heard 6-7 renditions of : “Friend of God”; “Rock of Ages” (There is no rock version); “Mighty to Save”; “Amazing Grace” (with contemporary bridge verse); "Break the Chains", “The Old Rugged Cross” (with contemporary bridge verse also); “Now Is The Time To Worship”; “Days of Elijah”; “Jesus Messiah”; How Great Is Our God”; etc. etc... There are so many other hymns and choruses and anthems in Christian Worship Music to choose from. We would love more variety. Please don't misunderstand, I am not saying you cannot do such and such; BUT PERHAPS change your repertoire from year to year, so we don't get the same set of songs year after year from some of the same groups. It would be nice in some selections to hear the different parts sung, not just the unison notes. We thank you in advance for considering the above / following thoughts: