Praise Band Review - Christian Praise & Worship

The worship team at SJAG has no problem filling in the musical ranges.  There are approximately 35 members on the team.  While on stage, it's as if a praise band has fused themselves to a church choir.  It's a big sound that fills the sanctuary with spirit led music.  It appears that the worship team touches the congregation is such a way that every church member participates in the worship.  Even the pastor gets to sing a few lines (Not a bad voice, either).  Together, the SJAG's praise team bring a powerful and uplifting worship experience.

SJAG's praise and worship team has a CD entitled "Secret Place".  It is available for purchase at their website (www.sjag.org).

Interview

I had a chance to interview Music Director Denise Sloan (lead vocals) and Men of Action Worship Leader Matt Goode (acoustic guitar/vocals), at SJAG.  They gave me a little insight on what SJAG is trying to do with worship at their church.

PR: How long have you been doing praise and worship?

Denise: I came on staff here in June of 1995.

Matt: I got involved in my first praise and worship band when I was in Jr. High School.  I'm 23 years old so it's been 10 years.

PR: Matt, you got started in Jr. High.  Do you think it's necessary to get kids going at that age?

Matt: I think it's necessary to get them while they're babes.  Jesus said "out of babes and nursing infants praise has been perfected."  That's Jesus' words so, therefore you know, if He says praise has been perfected out their mouths then there's something we need to plant in there and watch children and learn from them also.

PR: Does this church cater to a particular age group?

Denise: We have ministries that deal with a particular age group, but as far as like Sunday morning worship it's everybody there and I think there's something in the worship that we do that everybody can do.

PR: I notice there's a heavy emphasis on worship.  You're up there a few times during the sermon.  Why is that?

Denise: It kinda flows from our senior pastor.  He gives us the freedom to do that.

PR: If there's a high school kid that's been playing the drums since he was three, is there a way he can get plugged in?

Denise: Right now, we allow 15 years old and above in the main band.  So we open it up and they just have to have a life that's pleasing to God.

PR: It appears like it's a choir fused with a praise band.  Was that something that was planned or did it just come about?

Denise: Actually when it first came, they had volunteer worship people and we had microphones but they weren't on.  It's also to help people align with our philosophy of worship.  Where they can have a place to begin and that's kind of what the choir is for too.  We think they're just as important as anybody else.  It also provides a training ground.

PR: What do you want the people to receive from worship?

Matt: We want them to come to the knowledge that Jesus did shed his blood for their sins...I want the people to know that, with Jesus as the perfect sacrifice, He's the one that's being looked at.  Therefore, we can enter into God's presence.  I really want them to accept that and come to the knowledge that the veil has been torn and they can freely come into God's presence and worship Him, in any manner that they want to.

Denise: I just think that music is so universal...We worship with music but we worship with our life.  The service can be without the music and the preaching can be the worship.  Even like non-believers can come in and they can relate.

Matt: One thing that I don't want to convey to the congregation is that worship is from 7:00 to 7:30 every Wednesday night and 10:00 to 10:30 every Sunday.  It really doesn't have anything to do with music.  It's a lifestyle.  I would really love to see the congregation grasp that and be able to live a life of worship in everything that they do...Just giving everything to God, and music is a small portion of that.

Denise: It (music) just happens to be what we really like.

PR: Are there any upcoming events that are involving you folks?

Denise: We're just working it out.  We're getting to the point where we'd like to do regular praise band things here.  It would be neat to get something going [with other praise bands].  We have a facility now and we have more seating.

PR: Denise and Matt, I would like to thank you for your time.  This has been an uplifting interview and I enjoyed getting your take on praise and worship and how San Jacinto Assembly of God feels about this topic.  Thank you again and may God Bless your ministry in abundance.