Hymnal Project: Description
Central Principles
The hymnal project is grounded in the central principles of the Community of Christ. These principles not only guide the church’s witness and ministry, but also inform us as to the kinds of musical selections to be included in the song collections. To refresh your familiarity with the church and its ministries, please review the contents of the church’s web site, www.CofChrist.org.
Product Description
Updated March 2011
The project description for the 2013 Community of Christ congregational Hymnal has changed. The original concept of a two-piece set (a packaged English-only hardbound book of approximately 500 songs with a soft cover supplement of cross-cultural selections in multiple languages) will now be integrated as a single collection of approximately 650 hymns and songs in a hardbound book. An inclusive collection representing our global family and expression of faith is consistent with the identity, message, mission, and beliefs of Community of Christ. This single hardbound hymnal will have a life expectancy of about 25 years.
While the hymnal’s primary audience is the English-speaking church, there are many songs in other languages which we will teach each other cross-culturally and sing when we gather together as a global family. In addition, there are musical expressions from many cultures within the church to incorporate in our collective expression of faith. Where hymnals are not commonly used in congregational settings, these multilingual, cross-cultural hymns and songs will be packaged on CD-ROM to print regionally on-demand as soft-sided booklets. This approach eliminates the challenge and cost of packaging and international distribution.
Please see the Hymnal Project Timeline for a detailed look at the milestones the Hymnal Project has cleared and a look at what lies ahead. You will also find interesting updates about the life of the project. The 2013 hymnal will be only slightly thicker than the Hymns of the Saints (1981) and has been tested to ensure it fits in pew racks. New types of paper will give us a thinner, whiter sheet that is still opaque (no show-through) which accommodates more content in a hymnal of similar thickness.
Auxiliary materials, such as a musician’s edition, recorded accompaniment tracks, cross-cultural CD collections, etc. will also be produced.
Processes
Four methods will be used to gather information for the project. In addition to existing songs new to the Community of Christ, processes will be established to review pieces included in Hymns of the Saints, Sing for Peace, Sing a New Song, and By Request. The 749 selections in Worship and Rejoice (Hope Publishing 2001) will also be reviewed for possible inclusion. Other submissions (new original texts, new original tunes, songs from past Community of Christ hymnals, etc.) will be received in accordance with processes to be well-publicized throughout the church. Refer to the Herald and the church’s web page for the most up-to-date information on this project.