Guidelines for Music

1. Is the piece theologically accurate? It should agree with biblical doctrines.

2. Is the text biblical? Scripture should be rendered accurately or when paraphrased properly convey the sense of the text.

3. Does the piece contain content and depth? It should have components or ingredients with substance that provides something to think about.

4. Does the piece instruct and/or convict? The lyrics should teach truth and convince of error.

5. Does the music stimulate spiritual thought? It is evidence that spiritual thinking has occurred when we become sensitive to and concerned for Christian values and the furtherance of the cause of Christ. A result is worship to God and encouragement to the hearts of one another.

6. Does the music fit the need and message? The teaching ministries of the Word of God are central and predominate in the Church. Music should enhance, but not overshadow the teaching ministry.

7. Is the music directed to God or self-oriented? Does the music, lyrics, or method of presentation draw attention to the performance or performer instead of the message?

8. Does the music produce a wholesome response? Music should not generate a worship atmosphere causing loss of perspective. If it does, worship motivation becomes a lust for emotional stimulation and an easy step to ecstatic methods of operation. Loss of perspective is facilitated by an emphasis on rhythm and percussion (back-beat), misuse of repetition, volume, suggestive body language, and improvisation, etc.

9. Is the music subordinated to the lyrics? No element, aspect, of component of music should dominate or obscure the message.

10. Is the music a \"new song\" or transposed, worldly, crossover music? Worldly styles of music adapted for use in the church may compromise the body of Christ with worldly culture since styles of music generally reflect or project a philosophy of life.