SKU: A0.1489075

This song was inspired by friend from my church who had become a Stephen Minister.  I was unfamiliar with what this ministry was, and after she explained the work that the Stephen Ministry does, I was able to try and express the goals of the ministry through song. I Will Be There is the result of that conversation.
Through the words and music of this song, I've tried to capture the concept of compassion and empathy of this wonderful Ministry.

SKU: A0.921765

Light a Candle was written as an Advent Wreath-Lighting Hymn, with five verses for congregational use throughout the Advent season. This hymn is suitable for family worship at home, also, and there is a free series of videos available on YouTube with the composer (Lisa Waites) singing and playing guitar; you are welcome to stream those videos for digital worship throughout the Covid pandemic. Please also purchase a copy of the score to support the work of Servant Song Music & Ministry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        In December of 2019, our congregation began singing this hymn on the first Sunday of the Advent season with just the first verse as a collective response to the first candle in the Advent wreath being lit; the lyrics of the first verse are all about HOPE. On the second Sunday of Advent, we sang the first and second verses of the hymn (hope and PEACE to correspond with the lighting of two Advent candles); on the third Sunday of Advent, we sang three verses (hope, peace, and JOY), and on the fourth Sunday, we sang four verses (hope, peace, joy, and LOVE). Finally, on Christmas Eve, the congregation sang all five verses of the hymn, corresponding with the lighting of all five candles in the Advent wreath. Since Advent hymns are typically in short supply, an alternative approach for this hymn would be to use the first four verses together during Advent as a congregational hymn, reserving the fifth verse for the Christmas Eve service. Not familiar with Advent Wreath-Lighting liturgies? This hymn is a terrific way to introduce this Ancient-Future Christian tradition to your people! 

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SKU: A0.1241260

We Believe gives you the opportunity to teach your congregation about the timeless truths of the Christian faith, making this contemporary creed a perfect choice for Trinity Sunday, Confirmation Sundays, Creation, Pentecost, the Baptism of Christ, Christ the King Sunday, or on any other pastoral occasion when you want to celebrate faith in Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and emphasize our Triune God.

The simple, catchy melody of We Believe is paired with enough rhythmic interest to captivate singers of any level, while remaining highly accessible for beginners. Set in the key of D Major, the score is offered in a Piano/Vocal/Guitar format that your church musicians will appreciate. This three-verse hymn is short enough to be used as a sung congregational response after the confession of the Nicene or Apostle's Creed, or it can function liturgically as a contemporary sung creed as an alternative to the traditional, spoken creeds. Alternatively, this piece can be used as a contemporary hymn for many different pastoral occasions and scriptural themes. It also works well as part of a multi-song worship package.  

Many Christians are not reading the Word regularly or attending church often enough to know the core content of the faith; this contemporary creed harnesses the power of music and rhythm to reinforce Trinitarian theology in a compelling and memorable way. Try it out with your congregants, and you'll be helping them to learn more about their faith while simultaneously lifting up their voices in praise to God!

SKU: A0.965763

I wrote this contemporary hymn as a musical prayer response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In liturgical churches, it functions beautifully as a congregational sung response following the Prayers of the People (or even replacing the Prayers of the People). In evangelical settings, it can be sung as a stand-alone worship hymn right after the sermon, or as part of a set of worship songs at the beginning or conclusion of the service. I am a prolific songwriter, and I've been writing music for 35+ years now. Through all of those years, there have only been a handful of occasions where I have felt more like a conduit of the Holy Spirit than the composer of the hymn; this was definitely one of those times. This is Our Prayer is written in the key of F Major, making it highly accessible for beginning church accompanists. It has a moderate tempo, set in a 3/4 time signature with a lilting rhythm. The vocal range is designed for robust congregational singing. The melody line is just one octave, ranging from Middle C to the C above it; the Alto line is just a six note range, from Middle C to the A above. This score includes the piano accompaniment in a strophic, hymn style format, two-part vocal harmony, and guitar chords (which can also assist pianists who play by chord + melody line, instead of by reading the score). The simplicity of this hymn does not detract from its' beauty, however. This is a highly singable, memorable tune with some interesting rhythmic patterns. The lyrics of this hymn are loosely based on Romans 12:12-21 (As far as it depends upon you, live at peace with all people). The words of the hymn are truly a prayer, asking God for peace, but they also remind us that as people of faith, we are invited to participate WITH God in the process of making peace on earth, by how we pray, live, give, and place our trust in God. One lyric reads that we dare to pray for peace; this is an intentional choice on my part, flagging the potential costliness of becoming people who prioritize peace. The week this hymn was released to Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music Unlimited, Reverbnation, and Deezer, it debuted at #30 on the Top 100 Contemporary Christian Music Charts on Spotify. The YouTube video version of the hymn (link attached below) was viewed over 7,000 times in the first ten days, by people in over 40 countries. You are welcome to stream it for worship services, on church websites, and on social media. The more people view it, the more ad revenue it will generate, and all profits from the sale of this hymn in any form (video ad revenue, digital MP3 sales on the sites listed above, and the sale of this musical score) will be donated to the Red Cross and the United Church of Canada's Mission & Service Fund; both of these registered charities have targeted programs running to assist Ukrainians who've been displaced by the war. Once the Ukrainian war ends, I will continue to send all profits from the hymn to those same charities to help refugees in other conflict zones. May this hymn comfort and discomfort you. My prayer is that it will prompt all of us to live more faithfully as people of peace - in our individual lives, but also in our families, in our communities, our nations, and our world. To God be the glory!

SKU: A0.1432695

We Are Your Creation is a new piece of liturgical service music that functions beautifully as a musical Prayer of Confession or Renewal of Faith for any Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is also appropriate for use as a hymn within your Sunday worship service if you'd like to feature Creation Time or Creation Care, Epiphany, Graduation/Confirmation, Life Stages/Changes, Deepening Discipleship and Spirituality, or a Repentance and Reconciliation theme. The lyrics reference Psalm 139:1-12. The lyrics also draw from a stanza of Stuart Kestenbaum's poem Holding the Light (used with the author's permission). The lyrics are gently trinitarian (God, Jesus, Spirit), offering worshippers the opportunity to confess with honesty and integrity, while simultaneously singing with the hopeful confidence of our faith, trusting in God's restorative goodness and grace.

The melody line of this piece has a lovely, lilting (Celtic) feel, and the key is set in F Major. It is simple, yet highly singable, and suitable for average congregational vocal ranges. The piano and guitar scores are highly accessible for beginner accompanists and early intermediate instrumentalists alike. This melody may become an earworm and your congregation or choir will enjoy singing it, again and again! 

I hope to provide an audio recording and a lyric video for YouTube later this year, but for now, check out the digital download of the PVG (Piano/Vocal/Guitar) score.

SKU: A0.1044708

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SKU: A0.1079927

This hymn was written in honor of Ms. Margaret Frisbee, and her husband the late Rev. Bill Frisbee. Ms. Frisbee was the director of a youth choir in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, named “His People.� The ministry of His People blessed many young singers that joined the choir, including the author. As we grow older, life is catching up to us, but we have eternal joy to look forward to as a result of Mr. and Ms. Frisbee’s gospel ministry to us – our leaders loved us. Taken in a more general context, all that is true of the His People youth choir, is also true of all of God’s people in the church. Let us thank Him for His People. The hymn is in SATB piano score (hymn) format for congregational singing, choral singing, ensemble, or solo; whether acapella, or with piano accompaniment. For more information… Website: https://TRUSTHYMN.wordpress.com Email: TRUSTHYMN@yahoo.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrustHymn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trust_hymn/.

SKU: A0.1044425

I wrote this reconciliation hymn back in 2016, when elders from the Blood Tribe, Metis, Piikani, and Siksika nations of Southern Alberta led the Reconciliation Week events at Medicine Hat College, in Medicine Hat, Alberta. They invited me to write and teach this hymn as part of the sessions at MHC, where I was (then) the ecumenical Chaplain. It has been an honour to participate in this annual tradition of indigenous leaders sharing their distinctive cultural practices, traditions, and values with the public in Medicine Hat (and the surrounding communities) for a decade, now. During the session I was asked to assist with, the Elders were sharing the Seven Grandfathers' Teachings, and so I included these core values into the lyrics of the hymn. The work in Medicine Hat started with expressions of lament and support from a group of local churches and the Medicine Hat College Chaplaincy program while the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was crossing the country. We quickly realized that many non-indigenous Canadians genuinely wanted to learn more about their First Nations, Metis, and Inuit neighbours. Seeing an urgent need for greater awareness about the intergenerational damage that was done by the Indian Residential School system here in Canada, and also identifying these Reconciliation events as a way to decrease racist stereotypes and assumptions about indigenous peoples, we decided to continue offering an annual reconciliation session, which grew, year by year. A decade later, I'm delighted to have seen deeper, healthier relationships being built between indigenous and non-indigenous people. Musically, this hymn loosely imitates the style of the French Canadian Voyageurs, the folk melodies of the 18th and 19th centuries. The lyrics incorporate the Seven Grandfathers' Teachings. This core ethical framework has many different versions, but many First Nations communities have adopted these teachings in some form. (I've heard Elders say that Respect must come first, because it is the foundation that we build on, but for this particular group at Medicine Hat College, Humility was first on the list). I have Metis ancestry myself, and as an adult, I have researched the long-hidden genealogical and cultural treasures of my family tree. Whether you are an indigenous person looking to support other indigenous Christian composers, or whether you are a non-indigenous person who is trying to broaden the repertoire of your congregation, We Must Learn to Walk Together is an upbeat, hope-filled hymn that sings about reconciliation as if it is not only possible in the distant future - but also achievable today, using the concrete steps suggested by the lyrics. The indigenous wisdom of the Seven Grandfathers' Teachings lines up beautifully with the teachings of Christ. Musically, this hymn is highly accessible for congregational singing; the range is moderate and the rhythms provide musical interest without becoming overly complex; to hear the guitar version and melody line of the hymn being played and sung by the composer, please go to the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/3DpkFCLxgEs. The musical format of the hymn alternates between the chorus and three verses. The piece takes roughly 3:30 to perform. This hymn has been transcribed in the key of C Major, so it is as easy as possible for church accompanists to play and for congregations to sing; guitarists are invited to play in the key of A Major and simply capo 3. Guitar chords are included. I hope and pray that this hymn for reconciliation will help you, your congregation, and the wider community to think about, pray for, and enact the calls to action of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission in new and deeper ways this year.

SKU: A0.921767

I wrote As We Leave because I wanted my congregation to be able to sing an upbeat, justice-focused benedictory Amen with contemporary-sounding music and active lyrics that speak of God being with us out in the world, fuelling us for the work of loving people and restoring our beautiful, broken communities that God so loves. 

I don't know about your denomination or local church practices, but the section for Choral Amens in the hymnal I use is very limited. So, I composed five different versions of the lyrics, so that you can use this Amen throughout the whole year. The alternative lyrics begin with Advent, then provide words to sing together on Christmas Eve. Next, you can use the Epiphany lyrics throughout that season, and then return to the main lyric for Lent, switching to alternative lyrics for Holy Week, and then finally returning to the main lyric for Ordinary Time. If you are worshipping in a non-liturgical church, that's okay, too - use the standard lyrics all year, or switch things up by using one of the alternative lyrics whenever your Pastor is preaching on the themes mentioned in those verses! 

For $4.59 US, you are getting five different versions of the piece, and you'll be able to use As We Leave all year long, if you so choose. This is a great value for an Amen you can sing together Sunday after Sunday. 

The music is set in F Major and the accompaniment is simple enough for beginners and early intermediate accompanists. I've added guitar chords to the score as well as the piano accompaniment, for those who play by chord symbol. A YouTube video with embedded lyrics will also be added soon - so that congregations who are meeting digitally during the pandemic will have something to listen to and to watch as they sing along from home. 

     

SKU: A0.1112760

This simple, singable piece of service music was written with congregational and small choral ensembles in mind. It is designed for use as the final musical Amen that the congregation or choir sings after the minister/pastor/priest gives the words of commissioning and benediction at the close of the service, allowing the people of God to sing words of affirmation, faith, and their collective anticipation of the Saviour's birth. This choral amen is appropriate for the four Sundays before Christmas Eve. The lyrics also include hope, peace, joy, and love - the four major themes of Advent. The music includes both soprano and alto parts in the vocal line. This piece is set in 4/4 time, at a moderate, expectant tempo. The rhythmic patterns are simple, and the piano or guitar accompaniment is suitable for beginner or early intermediate instrumentalists. This seasonal Advent Amen takes roughly 45-50 seconds to perform, including the instrumental outro. It has an upbeat, lilting feel that moves us forward throughout the piece, just like we are drawn forward in our Advent journey, anticipating the birth of the infant Christ at Christmastide.