While handbells are a relatively easy instrument to learn, they still offer complexity and much variety in sound. Even those who have played in handbell choirs for a long time will enjoy learning new skills and honing current ones. Here are seven techniques from Successful Ringing Step by Step by John A. Behnke that will help ringers have fun and get a variety of sounds out of the bells.

Pentecost is a long and wonderful season when we focus on how God grows His Church through His Word. This is a time when our music selections can reflect biblical themes—such as peace, baptism, hope and comfort, or missions—rather than specific holidays. Here are some music selections your church can use during the season after Pentecost.

Carpenters often say measure twice, cut once. With paraments, it’s measure twice and order once! Correctly measuring your church’s altar for paraments is essential in making sure the paraments lay smoothly and look good. Here is a guide to the different types of paraments and how to take measurements for them.

As I reflect on the glorious triumph of the Easter season, I remember the final hymn my congregation sang on Easter Sunday: “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” (LSB 633). One of my all-time favorite hymns, it has a text that rightly captures both the joy of the day and the ultimate joy of the glorious Easter feast of heaven.

Easter is a time of rejoicing, and one of the best ways to rejoice is to throw a feast. In fact, for the past several Easter Sundays, I have had the opportunity to celebrate with food and fellowship. This feasting is a continuation of the joy of the Sunday-morning proclamation that “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” It is also a foretaste of the celebration of heaven, that great feast of victory.

Setting up the vessels for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is an intricate task that requires much attention to detail. One must understand the types of sacred vessels and their purposes as well as where they should be placed on the altar. Here is a guide to arranging the sacred vessels, adapted from What an Altar Guild Should Know by Paul H. D. Lang.

The preparation of Holy Communion is a blessed and extremely significant act. Several types of sacred vessels and linens may be used, and practices can differ by congregation. Here is a guide to the most common types of Communion vessels to help you prepare for the distribution of the Lord’s Supper. The information in this post is adapted from What an Altar Guild Should Know by Paul H. D. Lang.

One church musician cancels her piano lessons during Holy Week. Another decides not to travel to visit family during spring break because Holy Week is coming up too soon. The looks and brief conversations between church musicians during this time admit an exhaustion that accompanies this premier week of the Church Year.

Confirmation Sunday is an exciting day for the youth of your congregation. With all of the extra things and people to coordinate, though, it can be a challenge for church staff and volunteers. As you prepare for the day, here are some suggestions to help the event run smoothly.

Holy Week is almost upon us! May God use that week to help you reflect on His great love for you, shown in the sacrifice of His Son to earn your salvation. Listen to the pieces below as part of your daily devotions during Holy Week, and encourage your members to use them in the same way. You can also use these pieces if you are still making last-minute additions to your worship music.

As church musicians, we understand the necessity of training young people not only in music generally but in church music specifically. With all the talk of a lack of young church musicians, how do we begin to recruit the children in our own churches?