Some Practical Ways to Expand Singing in the Church, Home, and School
I work in music and choir roles for both a church and a school. A significant portion of my week involves training people to read music and sing music together. I enjoy helping people learn to sing and read music with greater understanding. Because of this, I occasionally get the opportunity to speak with the heads of schools in our association about their music programs.
The number one question I receive from school administrators who are already convinced of the benefits of singing and music literacy for all of their school is, “How do we build up a singing culture at our school? In the book Raise the Song: A Classical Christian Guide to Music Education there is a chapter titled, “Singing School” that talks about this very thing. We want schools that are singing and that are teaching students to sing. But a singing culture must be present in more than the school. It needs to be in the church and in the home as well. Here are some things that help strengthen and identify strong singing cultures in churches, homes, and schools. This list is not exhaustive. Hopefully, you are doing many of these things and maybe this list sparks you to think of how to keep moving further up and in the singing culture around you. Feel free to comment at the bottom of the post if there are other ways that singing is happening and strengthening you and your community.
In the Church
- Singing heartily from the pew for worship.
- Singing the doxology or hymn at bible study or life group gatherings.
- Singing to start the adult and children’s Sunday school hours.
- Singing at church feasts and churchwide fellowships.
- Singing in the church choir as you are able.
- Singing at special gatherings like Psalm or Hymn Sings.
- Singing at church conferences and retreats.
- Singing at informal church prayer meetings or gatherings.
In the Home
- Singing at social gatherings of friends.
- Singing a hymn or song before and/or after a meal.
- Singing fun folk songs in the living room with guitars, pianos, or other instruments playing along.
- Singing psalms, hymns, or carols together from hymnals, song booklets, or individual printouts.
- Singing in the car on the way to school or to church.
- Singing for neighbors on or around significant calendar days like Christmas, Easter, etc.
- Singing while cleaning up or doing other household chores.
- Singing a prayer instead of merely saying it.
In the School
- Singing songs or educational jingles and memory songs in the classroom.
- Singing in convocation or chapel services.
- Singing in line as a class to bookend the activities of the school day.
- Singing a hymn or blessing at lunchtime.
- Singing the school anthem or alma mater at gatherings of the school year.
- Singing in the school or community choir.
- Singing at parent nights or evening school gatherings.
- Singing before or after school sporting events.
- Singing hymns of the month as a school or section of the school.
- Singing portions of the psalms or other portions of the Bible set to music.
Other singing can be added to these lists, but this is a start. If you are convinced that you cannot sing then support, encourage, host, and be around those who can. You might find that their singing will rub off on you more than you think. Find those who can help teach and encourage folks to sing with greater skill and joy. Singing will foster fellowship and greater singing abilities at the same time. Normalize singing as a staple activity when you and your tribe gather for various activities. Maybe it is one song, hymn, or even the doxology. Start small and see how it can blossom into something rewarding and reforming.
This article originally appeared in Jarrod Richey’s Substack newsletter, Musically Speaking.
