Plymouth Creek Christian Church

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of God’s glory.’ –Isaiah 6:3

Music is one part of Plymouth Creek’s worship culture. But as with many churches, it is a very important part, and something we value highly.

You will find the same principles that animate our broader church life on full display in our music ministry: quality leadership, high levels of lay involvement, passion for creativity, love of diversity, intergenerational empowerment, thoughtfulness, missional focus, joy.

With so much going on, it is nearly impossible to classify our music ministry in the categories many prefer nowadays. Is your music traditional? Yes, and we love the hymns and anthems our forbearers in faith left in our care. Is your music contemporary? Yes, and we love the many diverse ways Christians continue to explore God’s glory through sound. Perhaps, then, it’s best to explain the resources we use most frequently in this ministry.

Our wise and faithful leader is Music Minister, Jeremae Francis. A professional church musician for 30+ years, Jeremae directs the Chancel Choir, accompanies every service with her dynamic piano skills (frequently displaying an old-timey, barroom style all her own) and provides creative oversight to the vision and implementation of our musical ministrations. Comfortable with a musical vocabulary that ranges from Bach to the Blues, Jeremae nurtures the musical gifts of our congregation with relevance and grace - from teenagers with violins to adult soloists. Sometimes she sings or plays flute or one of the myriad of instuments on which she is well versed.

As a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), our major source of songs and hymns is the Chalice Hymnal. This diverse collection of frontier hymns, African-American spirituals, contemporary praise choruses and more provides much theological wisdom, musical inspiration and continual discovery through the creative expressions, insights and passions of a broad swath of Christian artists.

Our Chancel Choir is as much a community as it is a collection of good musicians. Meeting every Wednesday night at 7, September-May, these dedicated church members with a range of musical experience (from LOTS to none-before-joining-this-Choir) provide weekly offerings to our community just before the sermon. At least twice a year, the choir will lead a worship service with longer ‘cantatas,’ typically one each during Christmas and Easter seasons. During Advent, Lent and whenever called upon otherwise, they also will add further wrinkles of artistry to the service in consultation with the Music Minister and Worship Committee. Contact Jeremae or Rev. Shane if you have an interest in joining.

And as is already obvious, it’s the people of the church, from choir members to handbell ringers to youth and children singers/players to the everyday vocalists in the pews, that make our Music Ministry what it is. Our distinctiveness, skill, musicianship, style and sets of interest are as varied as we are. However, we hope to display something profound and shared every week- that God’s glory uniquely makes itself known among us and through us in sound and song, and by doing so, we are all more able to love God, ourselves and all our neighbors Sunday through Saturday.