Top Songs

In a typical hymnbook, you find around 500 to 600 hymns. Hymnbooks of different denominations reflect some distinct hymns, but the majority of songs across hymnbooks remain the same. The same 90% of songs sung by the hymnbook generation of churches are printed and reprinted in a testimonial to the communal church experience.

Now, however, with the age of print falling behind the rapidly accelerating digital world, there is a new way to document the shared experience that is Christian musical worship.

Christian Copyright Licensing International was created to protect churches and copyright owners around the world, and acts as a distributor for most professional Christian worship musicians. 160 000 churches pay each year for the right to universal access to CCLI's vast bank of worship resources. Being a member allows Glengate to display lyrics to the congregation during worship services, use fully transposable digital sheet music, and print and copy these resources as we please.The licensing fee charged is calculated proportional to our church size, and a percentage is paid as royalties to the composers, lyricists and publishers of the worship music we enjoy so profusely.

CCLI is also able to track member churches' activity through their SongSelect service, and data collected directly from churches. They post a continuous, comprehensive ranking of the 100 most popular songs being sung in churches today. For most of this year, "10 000" Reasons has held the #1 spot. This licensing agency provides information, once manifested in hundreds of similar hymnbooks, now readily available to anyone at the click of a button.

There is a reason some songs are so popular. God is using these songs to speak to the hearts of worship leaders and church congregations throughout North America. He is influencing trends and leading people to sing for a reason. There is something about these songs that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, and CCLI organizes them for anyone to access. We know first-hand that 10 000 Reasons is a beautiful song that allows people to worship every time we sing it, and the CCLI Top 100 list only corroborates this connection we feel to it. This list is a legitimate resource that the Glengate worship team should continue to use and reflect upon, as it can give us insight into how God is moving in churches across the world, and allow us as worship leaders to better serve Him in our own services.

~ Clara and Heather

No Other Name

~ by Heather Birch

Here is an interview with Pastor Jake which took place during his week of holidays, where he was camping at Rondeau Shores Park.

Why is worship important?

Worship is part of who we are. We were created to worship before we were even created to relate to one another. Adam was first with God in the garden and it was very good; it was only later that human relationships came along. We were created primarily to worship, to relate to God and to reflect back to him how much he is worth to us.

It's also important because we're commanded to worship. Jesus said that the most important commandments were to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself. The love referred to here is not primarily about an emotion, but it's primarily about loyalty and action and priority, and about putting God first in our thoughts, deeds, and attitudes. That is at the root of what worship is, showing something worth.

What's one thing you appreciate about the Glengate worship team?

I appreciate the team's diversity - diversity of ages and styles; how together everyone works together in selecting songs, and in performing and leading songs. I also appreciate the team's artistry - we have some amazingly talented musicians.

What is one thing you've learned about worship and worship teams over your years of being a pastor?

I have learned that developing new worship team members is very important. Worship teams can fall into the pattern of the same people playing the same songs all the time, and one of the best ways to keep worship fresh and innovative and connecting with the people, is to keep the team members developing as individuals, becoming better singers and players, but also growing and developing the team as a whole. This helps the congregation as they see new people up there worshipping, playing and singing in different ways, it encourages them to worship in their own way. 

What is your favourite worship song right now?

Right now, one of my favourites is No Other Name because it reminds me of how we are saved only by Jesus and his blood and his work for each of us, that there is no other way, and no other name. It stresses that Jesus is the one who died for me personally and that matters a lot to me. This is a song that the kids learned in 2:52, and then taught it to the congregation. This is exciting for me because it gives our kids the opportunity to contribute to the service, to feel a part of our family of believers.

No Other Name (Todd Fields)

No other name on earth is worthy

No other name in heaven above

No other name is sung in glory

But Jesus, God's redeeming Son

No other name would die for me

No other name could cleanse my sin

No other name could set me free

Jesus, your fame will have no end

Jesus, your praise will have no end

Jesus, your name will have no end.

Blessed

~ by Carol Wright

We are blessed to have a real sense of community in our worship team. We spend time together Thursday nights and early Sunday morning in order to prepare musically and spiritually to lead the larger community of believers in worship. Through tears, laughter and sharing our hearts with each other, we are grateful that God has helped us to become more bonded together with one common goal, to see God glorified in all we do and say in Sunday morning worship. We are thankful that the Holy Spirit is working in us and through us to lead our church in worship.