The Faith We Sing: What It Can Do in Your Church
by Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources, The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship


WHAT? The Faith We Sing (2000) is a resource for congregational singing jointly developed by The United Methodist Publishing House and The General Board of Discipleship. It is designed specifically for use in The United Methodist Church, although it could just as well serve in almost any church. It provides 284 songs not in The United Methodist Hymnal(UMH)..

WHY? Why issue thiscollection now? The current hymnal is twelve years old, and its most recent copyright is now sixteen years old. There has been an explosion of new hymns, choruses, and songs in recent years; and many of these are available in The Faith We Sing. In addition, there are some older treasures omitted from The United Methodist Hymnal. As the millennium changes, United Methodism is blessed with a richness and diversity of worship styles, and The Faith We Sing provides music for that diversity: praise and worship music, new hymns, gospel songs, global and ethnic music, Taizé chants, Iona Community, and service music. Finally, the current hymnal, at age twelve or thirteen, has probably seen about one-half its life span. The Faith We Sing will help to keep The United Methodist Hymnal and United Methodism alive and vital in worship until the next primary hymnal is published.

WHY THE DIFFERENT EDITIONS? We have been accustomed to one hymnal with all the notes, plus a large accompaniment edition for the organist. Many publishers today are issuing new hymnals and songbooks in a number of different editions according to their use, and such is the case with The Faith We Sing. The editions include:

Pew Edition, with words and melody appropriate to congregational singing, some with two-, three-, or four-part harmony, but most in unison.
Singer's Edition for choirs, praise teams, and those who read music, containing all the words and vocal harmonies.
Accompaniment Edition, spiral-bound hard cover, containing all vocal parts plus keyboard accompaniments, introductions, key changes, optional endings, and chord symbols.
Guitar Edition, spiral-bound, in lead-sheet format with melody, words, chord symbols, introductions, modulations, and endings; Simplified Edition, includes the complete lyrics and arrangements of the Accompaniment Edition, but with moderately easy accompaniments and simplified guitar chords.
Worship Planner Edition, with informative articles, commentary on the history and how to use the songs, copyright information, modulation charts, medley suggestions, three-year lectionary, expanded indexes, and suggestions for instruments, handbells, children and youth, and drama. It contains no actual music.
Compact Disc Edition, CDs with MIDI accompaniment files.
MIDI Edition with orchestrations of the entire musical arrangement from the Accompaniment Edition; Worship Planner CD-ROM Edition, containing the complete contents of the Worship Planner Edition AND The United Methodist Hymnal. It will search the contents by Scripture, lectionary, meter, key, topic, and will play back one verse for the listener to hear.
Presentation Edition provides a presentation program in PowerPoint or comparable program, using a variety of background slides.

Most congregations will purchase the Pew Edition for the pews; Accompaniment Editions for organ, piano and director; Singer's Edition for choir or praise team; Guitar Edition for the praise band; and the Worship Planner Edition for the pastor and music director. This arrangement allows for great flexibility. Because it allows us to issue different editions rather than one all-inclusive edition for everyone, it allows us to keep down the cost of the Pew Editions and allows churches to control their purchase dollars based on individual need.

The Faith We Sing can bring a new spirit of joy, peace, and fellowship to your worship, Sunday School, youth group, and devotions.

HOW TO ORDER OR ASK QUESTIONS? To place an order, call any Cokesbury Store or the toll-free telephone number, 1-800-672-1789. To speak with someone at The United Methodist Publishing House, call (615)749-6181; or visit the Cokesbury web site at http://www.cokesbury.com. To reach the Music Resources Office at The General Board of Discipleship, call Dean McIntyre (toll-free) at 1-877-899-2780, ext. 7073 or 615-340-7073; or e-mail him at dmcintyre@gbod.org. Or visit the General Board of Discipleship Worship web site at http://www.umcworship.org.

Copyright © 2001 The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 340003, Nashville TN 37203-0003. (Permission to reprint this article in its entirety is given provided this copyright notice is included and the words, "Used by permission" added.)

Posted 3-28-01