--- title: Welcome to the Prelude Music Planner Blog! (2) description: Gain insightful tips, perspectives, and ideas in the Prelude Music Planner Blog, designed for practicing church musicians to energize their passion for music in worship. (2) --- [![AF-prelude-logo](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/AF_Prelude_Blog/AF-prelude-logo.png?width=181&height=52&name=AF-prelude-logo.png "AF-prelude-logo")](http://www.preludemusicplanner.org/) - [LEARN MORE](https://preludemusicplanner.org/) - [BLOG](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org) - [SIGN IN](https://members.preludemusicplanner.org/) # [Prelude Music Blog](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org) # Prelude Blog ## [New Life from Death](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/new-life-from-death) Posted on May 11, 2023 9:00:00 AM by [Andrea Baxter](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/andrea-baxter) I’ve been a part of more than one conversation in the recent past that involves sadness about decline in the church. Many, perhaps most, of us are experiencing decreased numbers of singers, worshipers, and volunteers, and it’s easy to allow feelings of frustration and disappointment to spiral out of control. I’ve also noticed that some of us may feel as though we are somehow responsible for addressing or resolving this challenge. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/new-life-from-death) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/new-life-from-death#comments-listing) ## [[Music Suggestions for Fewer Musicians on Pentecost](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/new-life-from-death#comments-listing) Posted on Apr 25, 2023 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [Pentecost](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/pentecost) This year, the festival of Pentecost falls on a holiday weekend in the United States. Memorial Day weekend signals the beginning of summer vacation, and many people choose to travel. As a church musician, I know that it is not wise to plan for a four-part anthem with brass quartet accompaniment on a Sunday like that. So how does one make a festival Sunday feel special when one has limited resources? [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost#comments-listing) ## [[Building Trusting Relationships](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/building-trusting-relationships)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost#comments-listing) Posted on Mar 7, 2023 9:15:07 AM by [Chris Cherwien](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/chris-cherwien) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [relationship](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/relationship), in [trust](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/trust) *Recipients of our appreciation are apt to express their own gratitude to others, lengthening the unending, golden chain of connections-in-goodness that stretches across the world. —Mary Ford-Grabowsky* [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/building-trusting-relationships) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/building-trusting-relationships#comments-listing) ## [[Hymns to Connect with the Presentation of Our Lord](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hymns-to-connect-with-the-presentation-of-our-lord)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/building-trusting-relationships#comments-listing) Posted on Jan 24, 2023 9:00:00 AM by [Omaldo Perez](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/omaldo-perez) in [Hymnody](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hymnody) For the imaginatively inclined, the church calendar provides endless opportunities to delve into stories creatively. The upcoming Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord (February 2), falling precisely forty days after Christmas, is no exception. As a pedagogical strategy, projecting ourselves into the story gives us a chance to playfully engage with the material, increasing the likelihood of making unexpected connections. Moreover, full immersion in the biblical narratives seems to be the starting point for many of our hymns, making our hymnody fertile ground for meditation or personal devotion. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hymns-to-connect-with-the-presentation-of-our-lord) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hymns-to-connect-with-the-presentation-of-our-lord#comments-listing) ## [[Hospitality in Worship Leadership and Planning](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hospitality-in-worship-leadership-and-planning)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hymns-to-connect-with-the-presentation-of-our-lord#comments-listing) Posted on Jan 10, 2023 9:00:00 AM by [Julie Grindle](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/julie-grindle) in [Hospitality](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hospitality), in [worship](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/worship) *Hospitality* is defined as “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hospitality-in-worship-leadership-and-planning) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hospitality-in-worship-leadership-and-planning#comments-listing) ## [[A Healthier Holiday Perspective](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hospitality-in-worship-leadership-and-planning#comments-listing) Posted on Dec 1, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [Advent](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/advent), in [Christmas](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/christmas) There are certain seasons that are inherently stressful, and we are currently in one of them. There were Christmases past in which it was difficult for me to keep the proper perspective. I felt overworked and underappreciated, and the added pressures I put on myself to have a beautifully decorated home and provide a “perfect” holiday for my family only produced feelings of personal failure and silent resentment toward others whom I believed had it easier than I. Does this sound vaguely familiar to anyone? [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective#comments-listing) ## [[On Gratitude, Joy, and Hope](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/on-gratitude-joy-and-hope)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective#comments-listing) Posted on Aug 4, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Omaldo Perez](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/omaldo-perez) in [gratitude](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/gratitude), in [Hope](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hope), in [joy](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/joy) *If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is thank you, it will be enough. —* Meister Eckhart. Gratitude, the condition of being thankful or the readiness to show appreciation, is both a feeling and a disposition. In the last few decades, science and popular culture have rediscovered what our hymns have long taught us: science has ascertained its health benefits, and self-help books remind us that it is one of the habits we need to develop to achieve peace of mind. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/on-gratitude-joy-and-hope) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/on-gratitude-joy-and-hope#comments-listing) ## [[What Time Is It?](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/on-gratitude-joy-and-hope#comments-listing) Posted on Jul 7, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [music](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music), in [time](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/time) *For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …* The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything. How we choose to live in each of these times affects our own well-being and that of others. I can relate to this passage more as I have gotten older, and I can relate to it in my vocation as a church musician as well. Here are a few thoughts: [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it) [1 Comment](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it#comments-listing) ## [[Summertime Renewal and Growth](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/summertime-renewal-and-growth)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it#comments-listing) Posted on Jun 7, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Chris Cherwien](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/chris-cherwien) in [Summer](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/summer), in [music](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music) Well, here we are. Another choir season has come to an end, and the summer months are upon us. The Sundays keep coming and the planning never stops. How are you doing? Now is an ideal time to check in with yourself. What do you need in the next several weeks to restore, energize, and enliven you and your music ministry? [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/summertime-renewal-and-growth) [1 Comment](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/summertime-renewal-and-growth#comments-listing) ## [[Rethinking the Role of the Children's Choir in Worship](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/rethinking-the-role-of-the-childrens-choir-in-worship)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/summertime-renewal-and-growth#comments-listing) Posted on Apr 26, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Andrea Baxter](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/andrea-baxter) in [Children Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/children-ministry), in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [children](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/children) Theologian and teacher Marva Dawn once said that children are the fingers and toes of the body of Christ that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians. The metaphor works beautifully for many reasons, not least of which is the wiggling nature of both fingers/toes and children. Dawn’s point was to drive home the importance of children in the worshiping body; children bring unique characteristics of innocence, openness, joy, playfulness, and enthusiasm, among others. When those qualities are missing in worship, the body is not whole. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/rethinking-the-role-of-the-childrens-choir-in-worship) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/rethinking-the-role-of-the-childrens-choir-in-worship#comments-listing) [← Previous](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/page/1) [All posts](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/all) [Next →](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/page/3) ### Subscribe to Email Updates - Recent - Popular - Categories ### Lists by Topic - [review-prelude (87)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/review-prelude) - [Choral Techniques and Repertoire (56)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/choral-techniques-and-repertoire) - [Music Ministry (55)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry) - [Planning (55)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/planning) - [Assembly Song (37)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/assembly-song) - [Potpourri (32)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/potpourri) - [Instruments and Ensembles (19)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/instruments-and-ensembles) - [Hymnody (14)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hymnody) - [music (13)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music) - [Uncategorized (10)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/uncategorized) - [COVID-19 (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/covid-19) - [Composing and arranging (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/composing-and-arranging) - [Coronavirus (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/coronavirus) - [News (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/news) - [Christmas (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/christmas) - [Easter (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/easter) - [Instruments (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/instruments) - [Social distancing (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/social-distancing) - [worship (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/worship) - [Advent (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/advent) - [All Creation Sings (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/all-creation-sings) - [Children Ministry (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/children-ministry) - [Lent (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/lent) - [Summer (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/summer) - [gratitude (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/gratitude) - [Creative Arts Camp (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/creative-arts-camp) - [Cultural (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/cultural) - [ELW (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/elw) - [Evangelical Lutheran Worship (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/evangelical-lutheran-worship) - [Holidays (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/holidays) - [Hope (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hope) - [Hospitality (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hospitality) - [Pentecost (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/pentecost) - [Psalms (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/psalms) - [Youth Ministry (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/youth-ministry) - [children (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/children) - [culture (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/culture) - [devotions (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/devotions) - [john the baptist (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/john-the-baptist) - [joy (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/joy) - [leadership (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/leadership) - [marriage (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/marriage) - [race (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/race) - [relationship (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/relationship) - [self-care (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/self-care) - [spiritual (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/spiritual) - [time (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/time) - [trust (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/trust) - [wedding (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/wedding) - [weddings (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/weddings) - [writing (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/writing) see all ### About Prelude Music Planner [Prelude Music Planner](http://www.preludemusicplanner.org) is the web-based tool that provides a wealth of music, thoughtful commentary, and time-saving tools for the church musician. - **Explore a wealth of music**. Search our database of congregational, choral, and instrumental church music by lectionary day, voicing, difficulty level, tune name, and more. - **Get the music you need, when you need it.** Preview the entire piece of music from beginning to end, and then download the parts you need. Subscribers will also receive a block of “points” to spend on our library of downloadable choral and instrumental pieces. - **Manage your church’s music library**. Organize your music library in one master location. Once your library information has been added, you can plan using both your physical library as well as the Prelude library with a single search. | [![Facebook](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/Social/AF_facebook.png)](https://www.facebook.com/augsburgfortress/) | [![Twitter](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/Social/AF_twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/augsburgfortres) | [![Youtube](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/Social/AF_youtube.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZR7BPcns-WJE_HNjkfmsw) | | --- | --- | --- | Copyright 2026 | Designed with by [Augsburg Fortress](http://www.augsburgfortress.org)