Name: Heather Cowan
Church: St Ebbes, Oxford
What is your role within Music Ministry? A little bit of everything! I do mostly background things- emails, website, conference planning etc, helping the rest of the team do their thing, and then occasionally involved in some training and playing. I’m also part of the team working to launch 3:16 Music – watch this space!
How have you been involved in church music ministry over the years? I grew up in a rural, pretty trad. church, and so was kinda forced into playing organ (oh so very badly!!) and piano and running the church choir quite young. Through uni I had the opportunity to be involved in more contemporary church music, and after deciding a career as a classical clarinetist really wasn’t for me, I was keen to find a way to serve the Lord in some way, potentially using music. So i applied to the Music Ministry Apprenticeship scheme to push that door a bit.
Since then I’ve been able to be involved in my local church music (at Christ Church Kensington for a long time, and now a little bit at Ebbes), as well as working part time for Music Ministry.
What are you particularly passionate about when it comes to church music? Music is just such an awesome tool for us as Christians. The songs we sing in church are every bit as much, if not more likely to stick in our heads as we leave the service as is the sermon. Which makes our job as musicians more significant, and with more responsibility than sometimes we realise. I just think it’s an incredible privilege to be able to support our pastors in the way we pick and play the songs each week, and also being able to try and serve our congregations by helping them to remember and emotionally connect with what they hear and know to be true. Pretty cool job really.. and one I’m so keen to support others in being trained in.
Here’s a post I wrote recently . Recently all I’ve been writing are the seasonal playlist breakdowns, so check them out if you’re in search of a jumping off point for new music! Or in this case, christmas listening joy.
