Beholding the glory
of God in Christ

 We believe that worship is not our own work or initiation, but rather our response to what God has shown us about Himself. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says that “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” What amazing kindness! Our music helps us to remember and revel in the unchanging gospel of grace, as we ask God to continually show us by His Spirit just how glorious He is.     

 We believe that worship is not our own work or initiation, but rather our response to what God has shown us about Himself. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says that “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” What amazing kindness! Our music helps us to remember and revel in the unchanging gospel of grace, as we ask God to continually show us by His Spirit just how glorious He is.     

Responding As God’s People

Because Scripture is full of commands for all of us to worship the Lord with song (Ps. 100:1-2, Eph. 5:19, and Col. 3:16 are just a few), and because the Holy Spirit is at work in all of us when we sing about the gospel, the music of APC is intentionally centered around the singing of the whole congregation. By incorporating songs and hymns of varying generations, styles, traditions, languages, and instrumentations, we seek to give voice to the faithful, united response of all people whom God has redeemed and placed into His body at APC.

Continue reading below to learn about the different musical groups that help us accomplish this, and reach out to Ben Elliott, our Director of Music Ministries, at [email protected] to get involved!

Worship Team

The Worship Team, a contemporary but versatile band of musicians, is the primary ensemble for facilitating and accompanying the corporate musical worship of APC, and for modeling how to respond to the gospel in both heart and voice. Its vocalists and instrumentalists serve with joy, humility, and musical skill, relying on the work of the Holy Spirit to point all of us to God’s great glory and worthiness. In addition to playing for congregational songs, instrumentalists from this team may contribute to preludes and other musical offerings during services, as well as occasionally providing choral accompaniment.

Team members are scheduled for specific weeks on a rotating basis throughout the year; the weekly teams rehearse together on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings before the first service.

Adult Choir

The Adult Choir is an integral part of regular worship at APC, and also plays a prominent role in special Advent and Holy Week services. They magnify the greatness of God in two ways: modeling and encouraging the gospel-motivated, Spirit-reliant worship of a united body of believers; and enriching APC’s gatherings with well-crafted, gospel-proclaiming music for the congregation to hear. All singers who desire to follow Christ and point others to Him in worship are invited to take part in this ministry.

The choir rehearses weekly on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings before the first service. Additional rehearsals will also occur in preparation for special services. The choir serves roughly three Sundays a month from September through June.

Seasonal Ensembles

The seasons of Advent and Holy Week often involve the engaging of additional musical forces at APC, as we fix our gaze on the glorious work Christ came to do on earth. One such ensemble is the Youth Choir, made up of treble singers ages 8 and older. As the youth involved in this ministry learn to use their voices, memorize theologically rich songs, and enjoy the community element of music-making, we pray that we are equipping them to worship well for the rest of their lives. Another more specialized group is the Handchimes Ensemble, which makes use of good rhythm and music-reading skills to add brilliance to the pronouncements of Christ’s birth and resurrection.

Both of these ensembles rehearse weekly in the months leading up to Advent and Holy Week services

 

Audio / Video Technology Team

All of APC’s worship services and livestreams are made possible by the faithful work of numerous volunteers operating audio, video, and presentation equipment. Every week, each one of these three areas has a designated person serving humbly and capably throughout the morning, so that everyone can hear and see the gospel being read, preached, prayed, and sung. These positions do not require any advanced technological skills, but it is important to have a heart for ministry, a general ear for music, and a thoughtful mind that can follow instructions. 

Volunteers generally serve once every 4-6 weeks, as well as for seasonal and special services.