So You Participate In The Sports Ministry A Guide For Youth Sports Ministries Youth New Zion Department Baptist Ogden, Church Utah Preface This little guide is useful to youth who participate in sports ministries in the African-American church. It is designed as a teaching guide for youth directors and others who work with young people who participate in sports as a ministry of the church. Paragraph styles do not follow the usual rules but are broken into separate complete thoughts to avoid overwhelming some youth who may be less than enthused about large blocks of text. The notes are intended for churches of the Baptist faith, but may be used by evangelical groups of varied denominations who promote a sports ministry among African-American youth. These notes can serve as a guide, but are not written in stone. As always, the Holy Spirit and local custom take precedence. Sports is My Interest, Is it Something That God Can Use? You watch them play every week. Your favorite basketball stars slam dunk and make three pointers from half court. Your favorite football stars catch dazzling passes, rack up touchdowns and make great successes of themselves on the gridiron. In your dreams at night you see yourself on the basketball court. You can hear the ball bouncing and the crowd calling your name! You can even see the reporters crowding around you to ask questions as anxious fans push their way through just to get your autograph or touch your garment. If that is your dream, you are not alone. There are millions of youth just like you are who are dreaming of the day they will be a success in some area of sports. For some Christian youth, the idea that ath- letic skill is a gift from God is foreign. Their idea of gifts from God involve spiritual sounding things such as "faith" or "tongues" or "healing." Sports just doesn't seem like anything God can use. What makes it more puzzling is the fact that God has given you the strange yearning for one sport or 4- another. If there is nothing that God can get from this gift, why would he give it to so many men and women who love Him and want to praise and serve him daily? The answer is simple. There is nothing wrong with the gift. Athletic gifts are a part of the equipment given to some by God himself, even before they were born. Prepared in Your Mother's Womb! Every person is born equipped with skills, talents and abilities. The creator, even before each person is born prepares each person for a special work or ser- vice. | The bible gives an account of a man named Jeremiah whose life work was to be a prophet for God. When Jeremiah complained that he didn't feel qualified for his assigned life work, God a with these words: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 In essence, God told this young man that he had 5 been given all of the essentials needed for his life's work before he took his first breath. In the same way, God has prepared you for a life work. He has given you everything you need to live a happy, fruitful life that | | will glorify him. If God has given us certain skills, abilities and talents, that means that each of us has a purpose for being alive. God intends for us to achieve something during our life time. He does not require us to achieve what he has assigned us to do, however, He does want us to achieve our purpose. What Is My Gift? Many Christian youth are puzzled. They have not been able to discover the special gift that God has given them or to get a clue about their purpose in life. Those who have a love for sports are puzzled even more. It seems that sports is not one of the gifts that God gives to believers, but that is a false conclusion. What each young Christian has been given are called "grace gifts." Grace gifts are given to each believer in different measures. Each of the gifts serves a specific purpose that when used properly will build the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corin- 6 thians 12:4 that there is one body which is controlled by one spirit. Each person exercises their grace gift in a special part of the Body of Christ for the glorifica- tion of God and the edification or pupae up the church. Since every believer has a grace gift the challenge for young Christians is to discover their special gift. The nature of your gift will give you a clue as to what God intended you to do with your life on His behalf. Three Categories of Gifts The gifts that each receive are listed in 1 Corin- thians 12:8-10. Here's how the bible describes the cat- egories of gifts: "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues:" | Corinthians 12:8-10 Generally if placed in categories, the nine gifts listed about could be cataloged this way: GIFTS THAT EXERCISE REVELATION: The first category refers to gifts that require some measure of revelation. Included among these are @ Wisdom. Persons with wisdom gifts are often required to make judgments, big decisions and to weigh facts. Judges, leaders, advisors, counselors, teachers, and ministers are just a few that use wisdom gifts. | @ Knowledge. Persons with knowledge gifts are able to quickly absorb information, store it, recall it and facilitate its use. Computer analysts, librarians, historians, teachers, accountants, marketing experts, financial advisors, scientists, mechanics, and mathema- ticians are just a few that use knowledge gifts. @ Discerning Spirits: Persons with this gift are able to understand human nature with depth and insight. Psychologists, Psychiatrists, counselors, ministers, teachers, advisors and millions of seniors have this strange ability to "read people like a book." Those who have gifts in this category will usually find that God has a special purpose for them that allows them to exercise unusual abilities as it relates 8 to understanding the mind of God and human nature. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: The second category of gifts refers to communication skills. These include: @ Prophecy. Persons with this gift are those who communicate with others to inspire them or to build them up or comfort them. This gift is used by Ministers, motivational speakers, law enforcement, teachers, artists, broadcasters, actors, lawyers, sing- ers, writers, dancers, musicians and many others. = Diverse languages and interpretative skills. Persons with this gift have the unusual ability to communicate in foreign languages with little or no study. Those with this gift have no difficulty speaking to people of different cultures and nationalities or interpreting the words of others for our understanding. Those who use this gift often include: language interpreters, ambassadors, missionaries, bible translators, and teachers. These gifts allow people to exercise unusual abilities to communicate the word of faith to others through, speech, art, music or the written word. It even includes the ability to speak to others fluently in for eign languages and to interpret foreign language. POWER GIFTS: This category includes gifts that demonstrate disciplined faith. They include the unusual gifts of @ Faith: People who have this gift are intensely confident, optimistic and well disciplined. Be- cause of their gift they are able to inspire others in a way that is extraordinary. Those who use this gift in- clude: Ministers, coaches, athletes, motivational speakers and governmental leaders. @ Healing. Persons with this gift fave the unusual personality traits and skills that promote healing of the mind, soul and body. They include: Doc- tors, nurses, medical technicians, aides, ordelies, health care providers, family and marriage counselors, therapists and many others. m= Miracles: Persons with this gift have the unusual ability to create, devise and invent instruments and means that resolve problems and better circumstances. They include: inventors, scientists, ministers and engineers. Those with these gifts exercise an unusual combination of faith in God without doubt and are thereby able to accomplish many miraculous deeds in the name 10 f' of God including healings, inventions and other great deeds. It is safe to say that every gift falls in one of the three main categories above. The nine subsections that they include can be expanded to include thousands of vocations, that once turned over to God become or life callings. How Can My Athietic Gift Be Used For God Atheletes have the greatest opportunity to represent clean Christian living and morality to the general public because they are heroes to the masses. Millions of youth idolize sports figures. They want to dress like them, talk like them and follow their examples as they pave their own road to success. The average youth knows the personal history, and performing record of each of his sports heroes. Whatever a sports hero does, whether it is good taste or bad, legal or illegal is often approved by adoring young fans. With such a base of loyalty, athletes have a tremendous opportunity to motivate the masses to live the clean Christian life that Christ calls upon every 11 Christian to live. A Christian athlete is a representative for Christ in every respect. He or she serve as icons of confidence, faith and discipline. Those who hang on every word or deed of an athlete are influence greatly by what is said and done. That's why companies pay athletes millions of dollars to endorse a range of products from breakfast cereals to tennis shoes. The public is influenced by what atheletes do and say. The ability to influence others is one of the greatest assets ofa Christian athlete. The arena of competition gives the athlete a pulpit from which his very life-style itself will preach a sermon that will never be forgotten. Christian athletes have opportunities with attentive audiences to promote clean, drug free, moral living. Through their life styles they witness to others about the power of God. Decide to Be A Christian Athlete Young believers should remember that every gift they have has been given to them for a purpose. This includes athletes. God has a purpose for your athletic gift, that's why he gave it to you. Use your gift in ways that will please God. 12 | Tips For Youth Considering Sports Careers m@ Choose a sport that best suits your skills: Ask God to help you decide the best use of your athletic skills. He will help you decide whether you should be a professional athlete or an amateur competitor. Don't choose a career based on what it pays! Since God has a purpose for your life it makes sense to go to him in prayer and ask him to guide you in this choice. Resist the temptation to make your decision based upon what a particular sport pays. If you play a sport outside your calling, you may have the money without satisfaction. Don't let your sport become more impor- tant than your loyalty to God. Athletic training requires huge amounts of time. Christian athletes must not allow their training time to replace their prayer and bible study time. The athletic gift must be cultivated just as all other gifts. = Don't let others make your decision for you: Often parents, friends and associates try to point 13 you in a direction that seems right to them. Only you know the gift that God has given you. Only you can feel it tugging at you on the inside. @ In your sport, remember the object of competition is to win not to injure opponents. Many youth compete in sports activities but lose focus on the object of competition, especially in contact sports. Resist the temptation to enter the sport to break legs, knock heads or otherwise injure opponents. @ You must maintain your grades. You havea responsibility as a young Christian to fully prepare yourself spiritually and secularly. The discipline that it takes to succeed in sports is also needed in the classroom. While the sports system will allow athletes to compete with less than average grades, no Christian athlete should be satisfied with doing anything but their best. @ Give God the Praise. Remember to give God the praise in your sport. You can't do this by saying canned phrases after a victory. You can praise him and witness for him by the life you live in addition to the words of praise after the victory. 14 Youth Usher A Guide For Youth Ushers Youth New Department Zion Baptist Church Ogden, Utah Preface This little guide is useful to anyone who is a member of an African-American church youth usher board. It is designed as a teaching guide for youth directors and usher leaders who are instructing young people about their roles as members of the church youth usher ministry Paragraph styles do not follow the usual rules but are broken into seperate complete thoughts to avoid overwhelming some youth who may be less than enthused about large blocks of text. The notes are intended for churches of the Bap- tist faith, but may be used by evangelical groups of varied denominations who promote an usher ministry among African-American youth. These notes can serve as a guide, but are not writ_ teninstone. As always, the Holy Spirit and local custom take precedence. You Are An Usher, So What? You watched them every Sunday. They dress pretty. They stand and walk uniformly. They are highly visible. If you are like many youth, your eyes were glued to the ushers in your church. You watch every single move they make. At some point you decided that you would like to participate in the church wor- ship in the same way. That’s why your church has a Junior Usher Board. This gives you a chance to learn the ministry of ushering as a youth as you prepare for adult service. Why Should There be Youth Ushers? Most churches need more people on the usher board! Most never have enough ushers to go around. Sometimes the same usher who holds the door, col- lects the offering and greets guests as well. Somehow, it's always on such days that Sister Cassie Bell decides to shout, and there’s no one to take her out. Brother Bubba says he wants a fan, but he never takes one from a man. It wouldn’t be so bad but Miss Jennie keeps asking for her change and Lucretia keeps looking at you strange. That’s the time that the single usher says: “We got to put chairs down the isle, we can’t let the visitors stand..oh Lord if you can hear tis, we could use a few more hands!” Being short handed is a frus- trating experience for church ushers. That’s when ev- ery adult usher wishes that members of the Junior Usher Board could grow up over night and give them assistance. One main function of the Junior Usher Board is to provide a source of new, younger servants in the church’s usher ministry. What The Bible Says What does the bible say about ushers? Is this just an organization created by your church that has nothing to-do with the Bible? Is there.anything ‘in the bible that supports the idea of service in the ministry of ushetmg? Yest' uy. Oey? oho : There are many places where ushers or “door- keepers” are referred to in the bible. Once when the 5 people were held captive in a strange land, they were not allowed to serve in their places of duty. When they Teceived word that they could return to their homeland and areas of service they were enthusiastic. Led by the prophet Ezra, they returned with 1,760 chief priests, (1 Chronicles 9:13), 220 temple attendants, an unnamed number of singers and 212 doorkeepers and their families. : The assignment of duties in the house of the Lord was one of the last great works of King David before he died. He spent his entire life trying to secure the land and build a temple for God, but was unable to complete the job. Beginning at 1 Chronicles 23 there is a detailed account of David’s assignment of duties to the Levites. The descendants of Moses were the priests. Other groups were subdivided and assigned tasks for their families by the toss of a coin. Among the duties decided were: singers or canters, priests’ attendants and doorkeepers. The family of Levites selected as doorkeepers was a large one. There were 212 major families in- volved. The head of each family was designated a doorkeeper and his family was charged to assist him in carrying out his duties, thereby involving literally thousands of people. These 212 families were subdi6 _ vided into four smaller groups and assigned specific duties that included: 1) Oversight of the doorways and gates (v23) 2)Collecting the offerings(v26), 3) Opening up and closing up after each days worship _ (v27), 4) Storing and caring for the vessels and instruments of worship (v28-29). When a family head died, the next head of the family took his place and the remainder of the family served as usual. _ Those who returned to Jerusalem with Ezra were Korahites, descendants of Korah whose family drew the responsibility of being doorkeepers. Verse 22 refers to them as “porters” which is translated from the Hebrew word “Sho’er” which means doorkeeper. As Levites the doorkeepers were called out from among the general community to serve the house of God. They were exempted from taxes, military ser- vice, or common labor. They only had one job to do and that was to serve the House of God. Youth Ushers Serve Different Generations The job of doorkeepers has changed over the years, but generally it was expected that their service 7 be restricted only to serving the House of God. As each family took its turn in service, they meticulously took care of the details relating to serving the temple itself. In that tradition we too have seen the job of ushering change over the years, but like the old testament predecessor, it has remained restricted to serving the — house of God itself. What did ushers do many years ago? Will today’s youth ushers be trained to do the ; same type of service? Probably not! Long before any of us could remember our fore- fathers were ushers in the old country church. Their duties involved 1)Heating up the stove to have the building warm for meetings 2) Insuring an ample supply of catalogs for the outhouse 3) Keeping the horses and the wagons for the worshipers, 4)Marching the congregation for offerings, 5)Carrying out shouters and 6) Seating and helping visitors. Obviously the duties of the youth usher for the next generation have | changed. Tips for Junior Ushers As a Junior Usher there are some tips that you should consider as you prepare to serve your church in this ministry. These include: @ Live The Christian Life at School. As an usher you are highly visible. Sometimes your teachers and friends visit your congregation. The smiling, polite Christian youth they see on Sunday should be the same one they see at school. @ Attend Sunday School. You should not neglect the study of the bible. A good usher begins by being a serious bible studying Christian. @ Pay attention to the needs of the congrega- tion. Stay alert, watch for people who do not have programs or others that seem uncomfortable. -@ Know your signs. Know the signs your board uses to indicate when to move, provide assistance or respond to a need. Ushers don’t wear headsets or ear- ad phones, they communicate with signs and signals. You 9 i | should learn the signs and signals of your board. @ Avoid making noises or movements that distract. Sometimes an usher may talk or make movements that distract a worshiper. Ushers are visible. Everything an usher does is observed. Be careful not to cause a distraction. @ Be Polite. There are times when guests try to seat themselves at the wrong time or take other actions that tend to distract from the service. At such times the usher must always be polite. Never cop an attitude with a guest or member. = Come to Practice. As a youth usher, you are still learning what to do. Do not neglect the usher practice. Here you learn what you should do and when. Whenever there is a practice, plan to be present. @ Wear the appropriate uniform, Your church Jr. Usher Board has a prescribed uniform. You should make sure that you wear your uniform properly, avoiding unacceptable additions and substitutions. @ Observe Grooming Rules. Make sure your 10 - hair is combed, teeth are brushed and your deodorant is applied. Nothing is worse than an ill groomed usher. m@ Give Warm Greetings. Many people are in- stantly turned off by a single “cold” usher. Ushers should meet every member and guest with a warm smile. A warm greeting sets the tone for the service. It reassures guests and members that the membership is On One accord and raises expectations of an inspiring experience. If you are angry, upset or otherwise troubled by something, it would be best for you to avoid serving actively until you have reconciled the problem. Visitors should never see anything except your warm greetings. @ Arrive on time. You should attempt to be ready for service at least 30 minutes before your appointed time. @ Watch Your Station. You will be assigned a certain section of pews. Know the number of empty seats and the population of your station. As guests move toward your station, greet them and walk them to a down front, comfortable seat. Make sure the mem- bers in your station have a program, hymbook, fan, 11 guest pack or any others materials that would make the worship experience more fulfilling. m@ Never Receive Offerings, if you do not give. The usher is a Christian before he or she is an usher. While receiving offerings or directing the offering each usher must remember to give themselves. If you do not support your church with tithes and offerings, you should give serious consideration to allow others to participate in the ushering ministry. You Are an Usher, but a member too! As a youth usher, do not make the mistake that some adult ushers made before you. While many were dedicated servant, they did not envision themselves as doing anything that did not relate to serving the house - of God proper. Many saw no need to attend Sunday School because it wasn’t germane to what they perceived as their area of service. Neither was bible study essential because they were not planning to be teach- ers; neither was prayer meeting because they weren’t planning to be deacons; neither was evangelism be12 — cause they weren’t planning to be preachers! Many, did a great job on the board but they did not tithe, attend Sunday School, prayer meeting, bible study or otherwise commit themselves to any Christian service other than ushering. As you grow in the faith, hope- fully more will come to see the post of doorkeeper as springboard to service rather than a service within itself. A place to serve the Lord The first ushers perceived themselves as men and women who were chosen by God to serve the building and that’s all! ) Our service should go beyond just service in the building but should extend to the bounds of the great commission to “Go ye therefore” and “teach, preach, and reach” men and women for the Lord. If you’ve chosen to serve in the house of God: — don’t let your service get limited to mortar and bricks or be determined by the color and style of the uniform! 13 —— Don’t be selected about which places you will serve! 3 — Don’t worry about whether you can hold an office | — Don’t restrict your service to things made by man! | A popular Dr. Watts hymn declares, “To serve this present age my calling to fulfill, oh may all my powers engage to do my master’s will!” Good things happen when you serve the Lord. Serve the Lord, who can take darkness and turn it into light! | Serve the Lord, who can take defeat and turn it into victory! | | Serve the Lord, who can take sadness and turn _ it into gladness! Serve him as an usher, but also serve him as _ you learn in the Sunday School! Serve him as an usher but also serve him as you minister to the needy! _ Serve him as ani usher but also do the work of an evangelist and tell a dying world about Jesus! Jesus, who died on Calvary! Jesus, who rose on Sunday morning! Tell them he’s alive today and forever more! Sree 14 So You Want To Be A A Guide for Junior Deacons Youth New Department Zion Baptist Church Ogden, Utah | oi ce, I‘m a Junior Deacon, So What? So you want to be a Junior Deacon! Serving as a Junior Deacon in your church ts an honor that has been given to you by the pastor of your church. As a young man you are learning to assume leadership in the church by assisting senior deacons as they carry out some of their deacons. Much of your time as a Junior Deacon will be spent watching and observing the senior deacons, knowing that one day you may be called upon to join them or be a replacement. A Servant To Your Generation As a young male leader of your church, you are a servant to your generation. The word “deacon” means a “servant” or one who “ministers.” Among the youth of your church you will play arole similiar to that ofan adult deacon, except that your duties and privileges are assigned to you by your senior deacons supervisor, who acts under the leadership of the pastor. 3 As you move among the youth of your church, remember that in their eyes you are a “special” person because you are a church Junior Deacon. For this reason you sit ina special seat ofhonor at your church and you are referred differently than other youth at yourchurch. Your speech, dress, and actions should always reflect the fact that you are are leader in your generation. When members are sick, absent,or having trouble, you should make ita point to “minister” to themby giving them a call, visiting, or even having prayer withthem. More than any other members, you are aware of special problems that exist among the youth. A part of your job is to help church leaders understand the spiritual needs of its young people. Assist Your Pastor As a Junior Deacon, one of your chief responsibilities will be to assist your pastor in ministering to youth in your church. When there are special areas of concern that are important to youth, you should see to it that the pastor is informed. If there are problems, you should work with the pastor to solve them. If there are difficulties, you should help the pastor work them out. Your pastor wants to minister to the needs of young people, but often he is not aware of specific areas of concern. A sharp Junior Deacon stays abreast of the concerns of youth and helps the pastor find ways to respond that would improve troubling situations. Assisting In Devotions Moreover, as a Junior Deacon you will often be asked to assist the deacons in carrying out the devotions, especially if there is a special youth Sunday. You will be taught to sing the hymns and songs associated with your congregation’s worship style. You will be taught the rituals of your church and their meaning. In addition you will be given instruction as to what it really means to be a Junior Deacon so you can better appreciate your area of service. Get Ready To Serve This guide is designed to give you some helpful hints about being a church Junior Deacon. Use it as you learn more information about this exciting and fulfilling area of service in the African- American church. it Comes From A Word Greek The word “Deacon” comes for the Greek word, Diakonos, which means the work of the servant. Junior Deacons are workers in the church under the supervision of Senior Deacons. As Junior Deacons, you will learn that you must put your own personal desires on hold and with all of your soul and mind, assist your pastor in moving the church forward. Four “Musts” Junior Deacons must be well grounded in the word of the Lord. He Must: # bible studies. Attend Sunday School and youth related ® Junior ¥ Have a Prayer Life. Even as a youth, a Lead other youth to the Lord. Deacons must exemplify Christ at all times. 6 Junior Deacon must pray privately, before meals, and at other times that are appropriate. & Give inthe offerings ofthechurch. Even as a youth, the Junior Deacon leads his generation by showing that he trusts God to pay his tithe and give an offering according to his blessings. | His Manner of Dress On the Sunday that the Junior Deacons are in charge ofthe worship, they should wear whatever attire or uniform that is required in their congregation. Many congregations require Junior Deacons to wear black suits, white shirts, black ties and black shoes. However, each church may have different requirements. Junior Deacons should follow the instruction of their pastor and senior deacon supervisor. Come Read To All Junior Deacons should Serve bring a Bible to Church for Worship, Sunday School, and Bible Study. Since Junior Deaconsare leaders of the worship on some Sundays and leaders of their generation every Sunday, a bible should be a part of their attire. What Do Junior Deacons Do Churches vary asto the duties assigned to Junior Deacons. Fach church, following the leadership ofits pastor, assigns specific duties to Junior Deacons. Some ofthese duties include: @ Visit the sick and shut in witha senior deacon. Mlcad the worship on assigned Sundays, including prayer, leading of metered hymns and scripture reading. MAssisting in the clean up after baptismal services. In some churches Jr. Deacons are responsible for receiving wet baptismal clothing fromthe pastor and male baptismal candidates and general cleanup after the Services. @ Regular vistation of youth members and the youth sick and shut in. @ Observe the tabulation of offerings. In some churches at least one Jr. Deacon is allowed to observe the counting and processing of church offerings. Each step of the process is explained by a senior deacon. MAssist in any manner of service that will contribute to the spiritual growth of the church as assigned by the pastor. What They Should Know Nearly all churches have requirements for Junior Deacons. These requirements may include attendence at Sunday School and youth activities, willingness to participate in the church worship service, and personal conduct. In addition some churches require Junior Deacons to master a certain body of knowledge about _being adeacon before actually becoming a Junior Deacon. A Sample Study Guide Junior Deacons For The following is a sample catechism that can be used to prepare young men for service on the Board of Junior 9 Deacons. 1. How many books are in the Holy Bible? 66 Books 2. How many books are in the Old Testament? 39 Books 3. How many books are in the New Testament? 27 Books 4. What is the middle verse of the Bible? Psalms 118:8 5. What is the Longest verse of the Bible? Ester 8:9 6. What is the shortest verse in the Bible? John 11: 35 7. Is the Bible True in every aspect? Yes, It is true 8. In what way was man made in the image of God? (Put into your own words) 10 | 9. How are we saved? By Grace, Ephesians 2:8 10. What is Grace? Mercy, Clemency, Pardon, Forgiveness, the favor and love of God, Influence of God operating in man to improve and strengthen.....Romans 3:24, Ephesians 2:8, 4:7, I Thessalonians 1:1, I T. imothy 1:14. Grace is “unmerited favor” from God. 11. Define a Baptist Church? “A Baptist Church” is a company of regenerated persons, immersed on profession of faith 1 in Christ: United in Covenant for worship, instruction, the observance of Christian ordinances, and for such service as the Gospel requires: Recognizing and accepting Christ as their supreme Lord and Lawgiver, and taking His word as their only and sufficient rule of faith and practice in all matters of conscience religion. Since they are saved by faith in Christ and baptized in His law, observing His ordinances and walking in fellowship with Him. ICor. I:1, Acts 2:41-43. 12. How can members be received into the Church? 11 | : A. By Baptism B. By Letter C. By Christian Experience 13. Namethe ways in which a members my have his relations which this church severed? A. By Letter B. By Exclusion C. By Death 14. Name the officers of the Church according to the outline given in the scriptures. A. Pastors B. Deacons 15. What is the main difference between preacher and a deacon? A. Preacher is called by God B. Deacons are appointed by man 16. What is the Pastor of the Baptist Church? He is the Shepherd, the Guide, the Overseer of the entire Church. 17. Who is the chief officer? The Pastor 12 a 18. What are the principal duties of the deacons? To administer the temporal affairs of the Church. | 19. What are the “Temporal Affairs” of the Church? A. Relief of the poor B. The Support of public worship C. The care of the church property D. The proper provision for the administration of the ordinances. due 20. How many ordinances are there in the Baptist Church? Two 21. Name the Ordinances A. Baptism B. Lord’s Supper 22. Who can be partakers of the Lord’s Supper? Baptized Believers 25. What are the Doctrines of the Baptist Church most commonly called? The Articles of Faith 13 26. How many Articles of Faith in Baptist Church? 21-24 (Depending on how they are subdivided) 27. What are the three main characteristics of a deacon? A. Of Honest Report B. Full of the Holy Ghost C. Full of Wisdom 28. What are the deacons to the Pastor? A. Mutual helpers B. Pastor’s assistants 29. Who was the first deacon in the Bible? Stephen, Acts 6:8 30. How many Deacons did the Church first appoint? Seven , Acts 6 31. When a deacon passes from one church to another by a letter of dismission, is he still a deacon? No 32. Do we owe the Lord a portion of our earnings, or is it kindness on our part to give God a few dimes? 14 Long Meter Hymns (Called Dre. Watts) I love the Lord, He heard my cry; And pity every groan Long as I live while troubles rise Pll hasten to his throne. I Love the Lord He bowed His ear and Chaste my grief away. I heard the voice of Jesus say Come unto me and rest Lay down thou weary one, Lay down my head upon my breast, I came to Jesus as I was, weary, worn, and sad I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad What you gonna do when Jesus Come And you have failed to pray. Your soul stand trembling at the bar To hear what Jesus has to say afk Ke fe oi fe oe oie oie fe of of oie ok fe oe oe fe oie 2h oe ok 2K oe ok oe OK oh oe OK 3 oe ok Ok Ke Of oe fe ok 16 OK Of A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify Who gave His Son for my soul to save, And fit it for the sky To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill O may it all my powers engage To do my master will. KKK KIKI KKK RRR ERREKRRERKKEKKEEKEKRREKKEEKE Father, I stretch my hands to Thee, No other help I know; If thou withdraw Thyself from me, Ah! whither shall I go? What did Thine only Son endure, Before I drew my breath; What pain, what labor to secure My soul from endless death! That awful day will surely come The appointed hour makes haste When I must stand before my judge and pass the Solemn test. 17 Short Meter Hymns (From Our Slave Heritage) You better join God’s army, while the war is going on! Sprit come in the building, if you don’t stay long! I Tried the man and the man is all right! It’s getting late in the evening, Sun is almost down! Let Jesus fix it, it will be all right! There’s a man over the river, giving sight to the blind! Done died one time, ain’t gon’ die no more! If you talking about Jesus, He’ s a friend of mine! Well it feels like fire, shut up in my bones! Lord, ?'m down here waiting, please don’t pass me by! 18 So You Want To Be A Youth Drummer re. A Tw 4 : ee Guide For Youth Drummers YOUTH DEPARTMENT New Zion Baptist Church | Ogden, Utah Preface This little guide is useful to anyone who is a percussionist of an African-American youth choir. It is designed as a teaching guide for youth directors, and choir leaders who are instructing young people about their roles as percussionists in the church choir ministry. Paragraph styles do not follow the usual rules but are broken into separate complete thoughts to avoid overwhelming some youth who may be less than enthused about large blocks of text. The notes are intended for churches of the Baptist faith, but may be used by evangelical groups of varied denominations who promote a choir ministry among African- American youth. These notes can serve as a guide, but are not writ- ten in stone. As always, the Holy Spirit and local custom take precedence. You Want To Play The Drums, Why? You watched him every Sunday. You watched how he held his sticks. You watched his feet moving the base drum pedal. Your eyes widened as you saw him hit the cymbols! Ifyou are like many youth, your eyes were glued to the church drummer. In fact, you watched every single move he made. At some point you decided that you would like to participate in the church worship in the same way. That’s when you decided to become a church drummer. Now you have a chance to learn the ministry of music as a youth, as you prepare for adult service. Why do you want to play the drums? Some will answer, "To be seen!" Others will answer, "So I can show everybody how good I am!" Another person might answer "Because it is fun!" While all of those are real reasons that some offer, the only reason you should want to play the drums in the church music ministry is to praise the Lord. As a member of the music ministry, you have become a part of an exciting area of service in the church. In the Old Testament of the Bible there were special people who provided the music for the worship. These 4 singers and musicians took their tasks seriously and devoted their lives to this area of service. As a youth drummer, you are a part of your church’s youth music ministry. Just as the believers of the bible dedicated their lives to their area of service, you should do the same. PART OF AN IMPORTANT MINISTRY! As a church drummer you are part of an im- portant ministry of your church. As a drummer, you help the choir preach the pastor’s sermon in song. Your rhythms, blending in with others or standing alone, helps to etch the ““Good News” into the memories of worshippers, long after the service is over. You should remember that you are part of a ministry team. Your task is to use your talent in any way that is needed to help get the gospel message across to those in worship. As part of a team, you must do your part to cooperate, blend, offer ideas,and actively participate in the ministry of music in your church. Playing The drums is a way to praise God! As a youth drummer, you must always remem- ber the reason why you play. Youth drummers play to offer praise to God and to help the choir minister to others in song. As a youth drummer you are following a pattern that began in the Bible. Early Christians met on the first day of the week to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The music they sang celebrated the good news that Christ arose. The Bible Encourages Use of Drums in Worship The bible is filled with accounts of great singing, but its purpose was always to praise God. The bible points to the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-10; The Psalm of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79) and Ephesians 5:14 is an example of a baptismal hymn. Colossians 3:16 encourages every believer to speak to one another in “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” Early believers sang for the purpose of lifting Christ. The bible also encourages the use of any instru& ment available to assist in the praise of God. Look at what the bible says about the kinds of instruments that can be used to praise the Lord: Psalm 150 (Living Bible) Psa 150:1 Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! Praise him in his Temple and in the heavens he made with mighty power. Psa 150:2 Praise him for his mighty works. Praise his unequaled greatness. Psa 150:3 Praise him with the trumpet and with lute and harp. Psa 150:4 Praise him with the drums and dancing. Praise him with stringed instruments and horns. Psa 150:5 Praise him with the cymbals, yes, loud clanging cymbals. It is clear that every instruments, including percussion instruments, can be used to praise God. Of course, the way in which the instrument is used should always reflect a feeling of reverence to God and should be conducive to a worship experience. i Want To Play The Fast Songs! Youth drummers, young and full of energy, are attracted to music that reflects the contemporary music trends of our times! The attraction is not wrong, but youth drummers who only know how to play that "funky stuff" are like pianists that play only one song, football teams that have only one play, and cafeterias that serve the same food every day! Asa youth drummer you should strive to develop a well rounded music appreciation. Your knowledge of the different kinds of music needed for any worship in the African-American church helps you to the full scope of the choir's music ministry. Here are some the music types that you should become familiar with: THE DRUMMER & NEGRO SPIRITUALS: These are songs from our slave past. They speak about God’s goodness to our fore parents and their hope that he would deliver them. They often address subjects of hardship, struggle, and death because that was a reality to our people during slavery.Since these songs are from a different time, often they do no lend themselves to the syncopated rhythms 8 Se al of contemporary music. The drummer must help set the mood by providing the exact blend of cymbals, tom-toms and base that will be felt but barely heard. THE DRUMMER & HYMNS AND ANTHEMS: Hymns and Anthems are songs that sing to God about his wonderful nature. Many hymns are hundreds of years old and have brought Christians to a fuller understanding of their faith. There are some hymns which have been written by great Black Hymn writers too. Hymns usually have a message that is told in its verses. The complete message is lost unless all verses are sung. Drummers add majesty and power to hymns and anthems. The use of cymbals, smooth rolls and perfectly timed cadence can add much to powerful anthems that express the majesty of God. Drummers that have access to tympany sets find that they are excellent for anthems and hymns. Modern drummers have been able to simulate the Tympany sound on computerized drums or synthesizers. The style used for hymns and anthems should assist a worshiper to understand the greatness of God as he or she is awed by the power of the percussion instruments incorporated in the hymns and anthems. THE DRUMMER & TRADITIONAL GOSPEL: Traditional gospel music is a product of the music style of the 40's and 50's. The simple words and harmonies reflect the hopes and dreams of your great grand parents. Songs such as “Precious Lord Take My Hand!” “In the Upper Road” “On Jordan’s Stor my Banks I Stand”, “Something Within Me” and others fit this category. The drummer adds rhythm to many of these selections. While rhythm is both expected and need ed for these selections, the drummer must exer cise dis- cretion not to play in sucha way that his music sounds worldly instead of holy. CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL: This is the | Style of the present generation. It is fast, syncopate d and lively. Many youth prefer contemporary musi c because it appeals to the life-style of this generati on. The icons of this music is represented by Kirk Franklin , John P. Kee, and others. Youth drummers usually find greater room to syncopate their rhythms and to demonstrate thei r set drum skills. Even in this area however, the drummer must remember that God, not the drummer is the show! 10 Tips For Church REHEARSAL: You Drummers should attend choir re- hearsal and all rehearsals for the church musical staff Resist the temptation to simply show up for worship and blend in with the choir. INSTRUMENTS: Take care of your instruments. Loosen the heads on your drums after every performance. This protects them from damage. Clean dust, dirt, and debris that may be on or around the area of your instruments. Keep a drum key handy. DRESS: Wear clothing that is appropriate for worship at your church. Do not wear jewelry or other omaments that cause a worshipper to focus on you rather than the message of your song. Especially avoid _ Wearing earrings if you are a male. LIFE-STYLE: You are a drummer for your church but you are also a Christian. Don't go places, do things,or participate in activities that will be inconsistent with the Christian life that you praise on Sunday. As a drummer you are highly visible on Sunday and must maintain that life-style 24/7. 11 MANNERS: Don't chew gum or eat candy! No matter how quietly you open the paper the microphones will pick up the sound. If gum is in your mouth you will chew it and someone in the audience will see you chew it! In addition you should not make faces, point, or attract attention to yourself while the choir is singing or the preacher is preaching. STAY IN THE SERVICE! Many youth drummers stay in the worship service as long they are required to play, then slip out until it is time for the next song. Stay in the worship service. Get your water and use the rest room before the service begins. Listen attentively to the sermon. Participate in the worship services. Bring your bible with you, along with your drumsticks. Remember, you are not only a youth drummer, but you are a Christian worshipper as well. GIVE IN THE OFFERING: Come to worship prepared to give in the offering. Just because you may be playing during the offering does not mean that you should not give. 12 DON'T PLAY TOO LOUD: The worse way for a drummer to ruin the experience for many worshippers is to demonstrate his inability to blend with the total musical scheme. Youth drummers are often excited about playing. They tend to play very loud, which irritates many worshippers. Instead of assisting in the worship the drummer draws attention to himself and the purpose of worship is lost. Learn to blend, rather than stand out! BE ON TIME: Be on time for the processional. Follow the rules of your choir for tardiness on days - you are scheduled to play. SHOW ENTHUSIASM: Be enthused about what you are playing. Your musical message will not be reached by others if you appear bored and unhappy with your own song. WATCH THE DIRECTOR: Watch the director on all commands that he/she may give you. A good drummer watches the director for the pace and for special on the spot changes. 13 PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE: are distracting. Bad odors TUNE YOUR DRUMS BEFORE YOU GET TO CHURCH: Don't wait until the service begins to tune your instruments in the presence of worshippers because it is distracting and it gives the audience a feeling that-.you have not previously prepared. LEARN TO READ MUSIC: Many musical selections, especially anthems, may come with written percussion parts. You should learn to read music rather than simply playing by ear. USE OTHER PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS :The set drums are not the only percussion instruments. There are Tambourines, Castanets, bells, chimes, tympanies, wood blocks and a variety of other percussion instruments that can be used to add flavor to musical presentations. Learn to use them. 14 So You Sing In The , het ne a 4 ie a . aa 4 ae » vt . ; b 7) , ss : . rs * . re A Guide For Youth Choir Members Youth H Department . New Zion Baptist Church Ogden, Utah > Preface This little guide is useful to anyone who is a member of an African-American church youth choir. It is designed as a teaching guide for youth directors, and choir leaders who are instructing young people about their roles as singers in the church choir ministry. Paragraph styles do not follow the usual rules but are broken into seperate complete thoughts to avoid overwhelming some youth who may beless than enthused about large blocks of text. The notes are intended for churches of the Baptist faith, but maybe used by evangelical groups of varied denominations who promote a choir ministry among African-Ametican youth. These notes can serve as a guide, but are not writ- ten in stone. As always, the Holy Spirit and local custom take precedence. WELCOME TO THE YOUTH CHOIR: As a member of the youth choir you have become a part of a ministry of the church. In the Old Testament of the Bible there were special people who provided the music for the worship. These singers took their tasks seriously and devoted their lives to this area of service. As a youth choir member, you are a part of your church’s youth singing ministry. Just as the believers of the bible dedicated their lives to their area of service, you should do the same. PART OF AN IMPORTANT MINISTRY! As a choir member you are part of an important ministry of your church. As a singer, you preach the pastor’s sermon in song. Your voice, blending in with others or standing alone, helps to etch the “Good News” into the memories of worshippers, long after the | service is Over. You should remember that you are part of a ministry team. Your task is to use your talent in any way that is needed to help get the gospel message across to those 4 in worship. As part of ateam, you must do your part to cooperate, blend, offer ideas and actively participate in the ministry of music in your church. SINGING IN THE CHURCH CHOIR IS NOT STAR SEARCH! As a youth choir member, you must always remember the reason why you sing. Youth choir members sing to offer praise to God and to minister to others in song. As a youth choir member you are following a pattern that began in the Bible. Early Christians met on the first day of the week to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The music they sang celebrated the good news that Christ arose. The bible is filled with accounts of great singing, but its purpose was always to praise God. The bible points to the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10: The Psalm of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79) and Ephesians 5:14 is an example of a baptismal hymn. Colossians 3:16 encourages every believer to speak to one another in “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” Early believers sang for the purpose of lifting Christ. That is the purpose of every youth choir member as well. If your purpose is to lift Christ and to praise the § greatness of God then it does not matter what role you are asked to play. Singing in the youth choir is not Star Search! You are not trying to win a prize or get discovered! You are trying to praise God in any way that your talents can be used. Ifyou are needed to blend with a section or to sing a solo, you will readily do what is needed. Jesus is the star and we want him to shine rather than ourselves! WE DON'T LIKE THAT OLD STUFF! _ Youth choir members, young and full of energy, are attracted to music that reflects the contemporary mu- sic trends of our times! The attraction is not wrong, but youth choir members who only know how to sing the “new stuff’ are like pianists that play only one song, football teams that have only one play, and cafeterias that serve the same food every day! | As a youth choir member you should strive to de- velop a well rounded music appreciation. Your knowledge of the different kinds of music needed for any worship in the African-American church helps you to fully 6 4 appreciate both the “old stuff’ and the “new stuff.” Here are some the music types that you should become familiar with: NEGRO SPIRITUALS: These are songs from our slave past. They speak about God’s goodness to our fore parents and their hope that he would deliver them to freedom. They often address subjects ofhardship, struggle, and death because that was a reality to our people during slavery. | As ayouth choir member, your appreciation of Negro spirituals connects you with your past and helps to deepen your faith in God. HYMNS AND ANTHEMS: Are songs that sing to God about his wonderful nature. Many hymns are hun- dreds of years old and have brought Christians to a fuller understanding of their faith. There are some hymns which have been written by great Black Hymn writers too. Hymns usually have a message that is told in its verses. The complete message is lost unless all verses are sung. Many youth choir members will try to:avoid singing hymns. However, once you know the full meaning of the words in hymns they will become more important to you. TRADITIONAL GOSPEL: Traditional gospel music is a product of the music style of the 30’s and 40’s. The simple words and harmonies reflect the hopes and dreams of your great grand parents. Songs such as “Precious Lord Take My Hand!” “In the Up- per Road” “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand”, “Something Within Me” and others fit this category. There are many members of your church who know and appreciate songs in this style. As a youth choir you too must develop a working knowledge and ap- preciation for traditional Gospel Music. CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL: Thisis the style of the present generation. It is fast, syncopated and lively. Many youth prefer contemporary music because it ap- peals to the lifestyle of this generation. The icons of this music is represented by Kirk Franklin, John P. Kee, and others. While it is the style of preference for most youth choir members it should not be the only choice. A LITTLE SOMETHING IN EVERYONE'S Cup! On Sunday’s when the youth choir sings, many 8 older adults stay home! Why? Usually, youth sing for themselves on that Sunday and older members know they will go home with their musical cup empty. That’s why it is important for youth choir members to learn all of the various styles: Spirituals, Anthems, Hymns, Traditional Gospel, and Contemporary Gospel. This way everyone goes home with something in their cup! Youth who sing only for themselves will find that they will often be singing to themselves as well! WORSHIP AND CHRISTIAN PRAISE: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? As a youth choir member, you must learn the difference between singing in a worship service and singing in a Christian Praise Service. A worship service is a formal gathering of saints, usually of varying ages and experiences, who come to hear the gospel declared and God praised! Every religious song is not automatically appro- priate for a worship experience. Some would do better in the context of'a Christian Praise Service. In a praise service it is expected and totally acceptable for choir mem- bers to be more animated in their expression and free in their choice of music. Youth choir members gould not rebel against their pastor or choir leader when told that certain songs are not appropriate for worship. DO*S AND DON'TS FOR YOUTH CHOIR MEMBERS: DRESS: —DON’T: Wear jewelry or other ornaments that cause a worshipper to focus on you rather than the message of your song. —DO: Wear the appropriate colors and uniform that your choir requires. If you cannot acquire what is needed, privately talk to your choir director. LIFESTYLE: --DON'T: Go places, do things or participate in activities that will be inconsistent with the Chris- tian life that you sing about on Sunday. --DO: Conduct yourself as a Christians at school, home and in secular activities. 10 MANNERS: — DON’T: Chew gum or eat candy! No matter how quietly you open the paper the microphones will pick up the sound. If gum is in your mouth you will chew it and someone in the audience will see you chew it! Don’t eat or chew when singing with the choir! — DON’T: Make faces, point, or attract attention to yourself while the choir is singing or the preacher is preaching. — DON’T: Goto sleep in the choir stand. — DON’T: Talk, whisper, or write notes in the choir stand. — DO: Listen attentively to the sermon. Par- ticipate in the worship services. Bring your bible to the choir stand with you. Remember, you are not only a youth choir member, but you are a Christian worshipper as well. ---DO: Give in the offering. — DO: Be on time tbr the processional. Follow the rules of your choir for tardiness on days the choir is scheduled to sing. — DO: Be enthused about what you are singing. Your message will not be reached by others if you are not happy with your own song. (This goes for any song service that your choir renders at your church or any other church) CHOIR REHEARSAL — DON’T: Chew gum during rehearsal. can't sing and chew gum at the same time. You — DON’T: Walk into choir rehearsal 40 minutes after choir rehearsal has begun, unless given special permission. You have already missed the majority of the songs. — DON’T: Be quick to cop "attitudes" with those who are in authority. They are there for a purpose. — DON’T: Make faces or laugh at those who are not able to learn parts as quickly as you are or those who are singing solos. This is discouraging to 12 them and other members. — DON’T: Try to out sing everyone. not “the choir’ by yourself. — DON’T: You are Play, talk, or argue during rehearsal. If you have a question or concern, please raise your hand and wait to be addressed. This is distracting to the director and those who are trying to learn the muSic. — DON’T: Walk into the choir stand Sunday morning if you did not attend choir rehearsal. This will save you a lot of embarrassment. — DO: Beontime for the devotional period before choir rehearsal begins. — DO: Pay attention to learn your parts. This will save alot of time. — DO: Watch the director on all commands that he/she may give you. This includes choreogra- phy. 13 — DO: Practice Good Hygeine. are distracting. Bad odors — DO: Background study on the songs that you are singing. If you don’t know the scriptures ask the director. You can’t minister if you don’t know what you are ministering about. | ROLE OF OFFICERS - DIRECTOR/MUSICIAN He/She is responsible for teaching music and ensuring that all parts are learned. DIRECTOR (only directs) Responsible for directing the choir through already learned songs. MUSICIAN He/She is responsible for knowing all songs that are being taught before choir rehearsal begins. He/ She is also responsible for his/her instrument. PRESIDENT Preside over all meetings outside of choir re- 14 hearsal by following a prepared agenda of things that need to be discussed such as robes, events, fundraisers, etc. VICE-PRESIDENT Preside over all meetings in the absence of the president. Make sure that all committees, such as the fundraiser committee, carry out their duties. SECRETARY Inform the choir of all correspondence (mail) received from other churches. Keep up with an active role of members of the choir and their absences. Responsible for taking the minutes of every meeting. SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Keep order in meetings and choir rehearsals. PARLIAMENTARIAN Inform all members of their rights and rules of being a choir member. CHAPLAIN Open and end choir rehearsals and meetings with prayer or devotional pegiod. ee