"Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation."Psalm 111:1

The purpose of the Music Ministry is to exhort, uplift, and encourage the body of Christ through song and worship. The Music Ministry encompasses the Praise Team, adult choir, and youth choir. Members of the Music Ministry must be faithful members of the Abundant Life Christian Center. They must strive to live according to God’s will and purpose and be on one accord in mind and heart according to the word of God.

A key component of the Music Ministry is the praise and worship portion of the service on Sunday mornings or other functions when called upon by the pastor. The significance of praise and worship is of profound importance in the lives of the children of God. The word praise is derived from a Latin word meaning value or price. Thus to give praise to God is to proclaim his merit and worth in the life of the individual who praises him. Proverbs 27:21 says as a refining pot for silver and a furnace for gold, so let a man be in his trial of praise, for a man is judged by what he praises and of what he boasts. (Amplified Bible)

Praises to God are one of the major themes of scripture. The value, price and merit that we seem to place upon this important requirement has greatly diminished in our personal demonstration of worth to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. In most church settings, we have lost praise and worship to simplistic corporate ritual of little significance in the overall Sunday morning or weekday service. God has given us the responsibility and the privilege of proclaiming His righteousness with our mouth and hands and through music. This is to be a part of our lifestyle.

In the Old Testament, there are eight different Hebrew words, which indicate the various expressions of praise and the progression towards true worship:

1. Towdah. Praise begins as an act of our will. Towdah means the extension of the hand: a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

2. Yadah. Praise then develops into a desire. I want to praise the Lord. Yadah means "the extended or lifted arm with hands open and upward." This signifies our surrender to God's power. It is accompanied with the giving of thanks and confession of the Lord's greatness.

3. Shabach. As we come into a deeper awareness of God through an act of our will, which becomes the desire of our heart, our immediate response is to begin giving God glory. Shabach means "to address with a loud voice, to pacify with words, commend, give glory."