hymn learning - a monthly exercise as a joint adult Sunday school program

2020/2/26 20:25 The idea started shortly before I went to Taiwan in January 2020. It was an exploration of ways to expand the repertoire of hymn-selection at the TPCSTL and advance the effect of hymn-singing in the Sunday worship services.

It is hoped that extended effects emerged continuously:

1. some church members are inspired to learn to be leaders of such hymn-learning activities which can be continued perpetually.
2. some members are inspired to participate in advanced individualized learning activities for personal growth leaving video recordings of singing and verbal testimony that preserve some of the church history of members.
3. some new lyrics be developed for this particular congregation
4. some families are willing to utilize hymn-based worship services at home as a new way of out-reaching, assimilation, and individualized spiritual growth.

Principal factors:

1. The design and the planning for such a hymn-learning class should be adjusted, approved, and presented to the session by the pastor.
2. The session could determine the qualification and appointment of the leaders of such sessions. 
3. hymn-selection and hymn-application for this special learning as well as for Sunday worship services and other church activities.
4. The theology in the hymns
5. The artistic expression and techniques in the hymns
6. The methods of learning and sharing
7. The methods of remembering the hymns
8. The methods of leading the hymn-singing
9. The methods of advanced singing and other usages of hymns
10. 2/28 16:30 The first season of such special learning sessions is for demonstrating the methods with a hope that others would stand up to utilize the methods to continue the development of the repertoire.
11. The hymn selected for learning would be introduced and tried briefly for acquaintance rather than for polishment. Those who develop the desire to sing each hymn well are encouraged to schedule free private lessons for in-depth artistic singing.
12. The maximum of 15 minutes is reserved for each hymn selected. This means at least four hymns will be introduced in each hourly session.
13. The leader would determine the sequence of hymns to be learned in each hourly session while the congregation is encouraged to suggest, through email or other social media such as LINE,  the hymns they desire to learn in the near future, with priority given to the pastor who might select for singing in the following Sundays.
14. The last hymn to be learned in each hourly session would be one that is worth memorizing for at least one verse or one sentence. The session would be closed with singing such verser or sentence by rote before the closing prayer.
15. The languages used in instructions vary depending on the people participating.

The steps of learning each hymn include the followings:

1. Open the session with a prayer.
2. demonstrate the reading of the lyric, especially the Taiwanese for the reason that most people could not enunciate from the written Taiwanese.
3. demonstrate the singing of the melody
4. point out the keywords and the climax of the song.
5. introduce the theology and the faith statements, including questions, involved
6. repeat the difficult or the mistreated passages
7. record the process of learning on video which is sharable, without infringing on privacy, on the web.
8. Invite a volunteer to close the learning with a prayer.

The selection of hymns cover the following categories:

1. The old hymns popular among the congregation worldwide.
2. The new hymns associated with varieties of cultures
3. The hymns that are suitable for various functions in a worship service.
4. The hymns of various technical challenges
5. The hymns that are suitable for singing across age groups.
6. The hymns for momorization