Part of what set the tone for the worship set on Easter at the Oaks Fellowship was the choir. They don?t have a choir year-round, but instead tie it to the school calendar seasons. Around February through May is the first choir session, and then August through November is the second.
They do this because they want to make it easy for people to be part of the choir. Most people schedule their lives according to the school calendar already?vacationing through the winter holidays and summer months. But during the typical school semesters, people set more normal routines. Thus they wanted to create a choir that people wouldn?t have to feel guilty about missing out on.
Also it creates and easy on-ramp for newcomers to the choir. It?s a short-term commitment with an easy out?at the end of the session if they choose. The choir then is a perfect testing ground for those who want to be worship leaders but might lack the confidence or vocal prowess to be front-and-center on a Sunday morning.
Song Selection
Yet another factor contributing to the worship set on Easter was the song selection. The Oaks Fellowship has actually released a couple of albums filled with original songs written by team members from the church. While some churches might choose to highlight their original songs during Easter, the worship team decided not to.
It wasn?t necessarily an intentional decision. But they approached the worship set through prayer. Because each song at their disposal is a tool to achieve a certain goal during the service, they felt some tools might better fit what they were trying to accomplish during the Easter service. Their original songs are merely that: tools and not requirements. So they opted not to use them for Easter.
There?s also an awareness that unbelievers are coming in, so they try to plan as much as possible. They find there?s wisdom in the preplanning and that God gives them His input in moments of preparation. However, at the same time, they aren?t afraid to let God interrupt things?even on Easter Sunday. The church has gone through a major season of letting God take the service where He wants. Normally, they go by their schedule, but they also aren?t afraid to deviate in the moment. They trust that the Lord will take care of the congregation?even unbelievers that might be visiting on a giving Sunday.
This is the atmosphere of the worship team at the Oaks and the backdrop for everything they did during their Easter services.
