How many songs each Service...

[Wally]

... and what percentage of your service is devoted to music?

We do no more than 6 (including offertory but not counting the Doxology), taking up about 25% or less of the service.

[MrMike]

We usually have 5 or 6. 4 with the band, choir and congregation for praise and worship, 1 as a choir piece, and one as an offertory. The offertory is usually what would be considered "special music"- usually a soloist.

[Teleguy]

Five.
Plus a special, sometimes.

[seagullplayer]

Sunday AM

Two Congregational Hymn's
Choir Special
Song Special
(Just piano for offertory)

PM Service

Two Congregational Hymn's
Song Special

Mid week Teen Service
Two or three group P&W

[kewlpack]

In the Kid's P&W, we do 30-45 minutes straight... this coincides with the Adult P&W (Reverbbb can comment on that). About 10 songs, give or take.

[PatrickH]

hmmm... let's see... I've never thought of what percentage of our service is devoted to music..

I'm part of a rather traditional anglican church that has started a service with contemporary music...

We normally have 2 at the beggining of the service, as a call to worship/time of praise

Then the old testament & epistle readings,

Then a gradual song before the gospel...

Then the gospel reading, sermon, prayers, confession, absolution

Then we have a big song at offeratory (since it is a time to respond to the forgiveness Christ gave us, both financially and with our hearts/lips).

Then it moves in to the preparation for communion, and we always sing "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might..."... what is it called - the sanctus? We've been using an updated version of it by Steve Bell for our contemporary services.

Then during communion we have 2 slower/more reflective songs, then a song after communion in praise of God for the gifts we have recieved, announcements, then a final closing song to send us on our way...

So all together that's... 9 songs each service... and to think we do it all in an hour & 1/2...

Oh, and we also normaly have 2-3 songs before the service starts as prelude music... I guess we have quite a bit... then again, the traditional service has even more music to it, as much of the liturgy is sung...

[Ravindave_3600]

we usually sing 8-10 songs, a longer service having maybe 6 contemporary things and 4 hymns.

We usually have 3-4 near the beginning
prayers and sharing
1 more
message
3-4 to end

Some people say it's alot, but I don't mind when we play bunches!

[Fuddy Duddy]

Our church does very contemporary stuff (like Tim Hughes, Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Third Day, Casting Crowns, Newsboys, etc.) and we do about 7 or 8 songs. We usually start out with one or two songs, then have some chat time (people greet each other) and read scripture, then do about three or four more songs, then the message, then a couple more songs at the end of the service.

[Kitty]

I was new at my church last July and started leading worship a few weeks later (that's one of the advantages of a small church; it doesn't take long to become known). We project the lyrics onto a screen for the congregation, and my first Sunday I gave the projection guy my song list. There were only 5 songs and he said, "oh, only a 15-minute worship time today?" I said, "no, probably about 40 minutes." He looked skeptical, but I had guessed right. :-)

Typically I'll have 3 or 4 songs, and we'll go for about 30 minutes. I'd guess about 40% of our service is worship. (When we say "worship" in my congregation, we're referring to the music, not the entire service.)

The reason I use so few songs is because I leave some space in the music. It's customary in our church for individuals to sometimes respond with a scripture reading, prayer, or a "word" during worship. We're still small enough that it's practical to do that. I'm not sure that would work in a larger church. So I leave room for that to happen. Plus, there's nothing wrong with some silence here and there, maybe just guitar chords quietly playing while people reflect or pray privately.

Kitty

[Wally]

Typically I'll have 3 or 4 songs, and we'll go for about 30 minutes. I'd guess about 40% of our service is worship. (When we say "worship" in my congregation, we're referring to the music, not the entire service.)

Kitty

First let me welcome you to the forum, as I don't think I have done so!

As to the above statement, I would lovingly encourage you to broaden your definition of worship... a worship service is made up of several different activities of worship, and music is just one of them. Prayer, reading and hearing the word, and teaching/preaching are all elements of worship.

[Kitty]

I would lovingly encourage you to broaden your definition of worship... a worship service is made up of several different activities of worship, and music is just one of them. Prayer, reading and hearing the word, and teaching/preaching are all elements of worship.

Thanks for the welcome Wally.

My PERSONAL definition of worship encompasses all of these, and more! I'm just clarifying the terminology used in my congregation. :-)

Kitty

[Wally]

I sort of wish the terms "praise and worship music" and "worship leader" had never been coined. They have become pet peeves of mine... They are misleading, and have caused many to misunderstand what constitutes worship (all of the service, not just music) and who the worship leader is (the Pastor, not the Choir Director, Music Minister, Praise Team Leader, etc.).

[leecow]

Then there's the idea of worship as a lifestyle ;-)

Anyway, we typically have 1 opening tune, 4-5 song p&w set, an offering tune and 1 closer. Somehwere around 30% of the service time is music.

[Kitty]

I sort of wish the terms "praise and worship music" and "worship leader" had never been coined. They have become pet peeves of mine.

I understand what you mean, Wally.

I grew up Baptist and I remember people complaining back then that "worship is MORE than just 1 hour on a Sunday morning!" And of course, they were right. But we were just using a word to refer to the Sunday service, not trying to confine the meaning of "worship" to one thing or another. That's why I wanted to clarify the term I was using.

MY pet peeve is a tangled mess of cables strewn across the stage. You and I will both probably have about the same amount of success getting everyone else to adjust to our peeves. :-)

Kitty

[Teleguy]

A wired up church with tangles sounds like a healthy church, to me!

Drag 'em in, fishscales and all!

[stephen]

Then there's the idea of worship as a lifestyle ;-)

You beat me too it!

We do about 5 to 6 songs. 75% of the time its the set list, but 25% of the time our P&W Team Leader feels lead by the Spirit and goes with a different song or two, and every time, the Holy Spirit has been right!

I'd say time wise its about 30 minutes, but I'm not much of a clock watcher, so I'm not 100% positive on that.

[SAguitar]

We do about 5-7 or 8 songs each service. But that can flucuate each week due to other media oriented stuff like drama, video, dance, or other stuff in there like a missionary commissioning, stuff like that.

I'm always surprised by some of our musicians and singers who say that they are so worn out after a few services. But then I came from the bar scene background where you got used to playing 5 hours of music a night and I enjoyed that. For me anyway, playing for the Lord is truly no effort required because He fuels and propels it with His Spirit. :cool:

[Jena]

5-6 songs, forty minutes - that was in short.

a bit longer - we start with musical worship - and when the preacher (pastor or another minister) feels he should start speaking, he/she comes and we stop. I don t want to write much about that cause I am tired :-)

anyway, after speaking part, there are anouncements and then there s financial offering - during that we play 1 or 2 songs and then the service is over - about 1 and half hour.

[Ascension]

Usually 10 songs or so and it can last for hours . The norm is about an hour and 15 min but you never know :dunno . We get in to prophetic flow jams with everything just coming spontainiously at times that can last for hours at a time .