Music
Retta Baptist Church and Worship
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17
Music is not an end, it is a means to an end - worshiping God. That's why any page about music ministry must begin with God the Father, His Son and our Savior Jesus, and His Holy Spirit whom He has poured out into our hearts. God has rescued us from darkness into light and given us access to His throne of mercy and grace. In gratitude, we live our lives for Him - children of God, ambassadors for Christ, tamples of the Holy Spirit. That's not something we do just on Sunday mornings, but every moment of life.
God has called us to worship Him not only as individual Christians but also as a church. It's something we do together. That's where music comes in; it's something we can all share together as a church. Through music, we can join together in praising God for His good and perfect gifts, in going before Him in prayer, and in teaching one another His word. At Retta, the focus is not on the music, but always on God and the message we bring to Him and each other through our music.
Retta Baptist Church and Music
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods. Psalm 95:1-3
God has given us music to be a very powerful tool. In unites (and divides), it inspires, and it teaches. We love music at Retta Baptist Church - we teach it to our children, we base fellowships around it, we even create music videos to spread the message of hope and salvation in God. But our focus is always on God, not our talented musicians or the music itself.
Music has always been a big part of our church, and this page will introduce you to the various ministries that utilize music and how you can be involved. If you have any questions, please contact the music minister, Matt Ward.
Retta Baptist Church and Musical Styles
There are two questions I often hear about churches:
· "What did you think of the music?"
· "What did you think of the preaching?"
I understand why people ask those questions, but I would like to hear a third question asked:
· "What did you think about the God they worshiped and what He has done for us in Jesus Christ?"
Because worship is about God and not us, our personal preferences take a back seat to what brings glory to God. Music that unites, communicates truth, and encourages participation does so more than music that doesn't. (You're welcome to read an article I wrote explaining this in a little more detail - just click the link down there.) That's why we use as wide a range of musical styles, instruments, and songs as is appropriate for our church.
At Retta, we sing the great hymns of the Christian faith, folk music inspired by the great revivals of the past, and the best and newest music written for the church by today's most trusted songwriters. You'll hear piano and organ, a full rhythm section with drums and guitars, an orchestra with brass and woodwinds, and a steady stream of choirs. You'll hear music in the most traditional of styles, the most contemporary of styles, and even occasional bluegrass and country. We want to help our members appreciate all of the musical "tastes" represented so that the focus will not be on the music, but on God.
Retta Baptist Church and the Music Guy
My name is Matt Ward and I help coordinate the music ministries here at Retta. I'm in my tenth year of full time music ministry. I grew up in Houston, earned a mechanical engineering degree at Texas A&M University, met my wife Shelly while working in Wichita KS, and was called to the ministry. We have two kids, Micah and Sarah, and I am currently working on a PhD in Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Our music ministry belongs to the members of our church. My job as a minister is to give our members the tools and guidance they need to accomplish everything God has set before us. But I also have the joy as a member of our church to use my own gifts as a part of our ministries - that's why you'll see me involved in many of our activities involving music!
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