When I studied jazz improvisation in college, one thing I learned is that creativity thrives in boundaries. "Do anything you want" is a creativity killer. BUT "You get one note to play over a 12-bar blues form" forces you to get creative. You still have things like dynamics, length, articulation, rhythms and space to play with. AND it actually frees you up to experiment within those boundaries. So for this month I wanted to give us a couple boundaries. I'll explain below. One thing I like to do on occasion is look to see what songs are being most widely used by churches on CCLI's SongSelect. Now, of course that's not a measurement of a song's worth or value or usefulness, but it does show what songs worship leaders are choosing to use the most (at least among those that do reporting.) I think there's a lot to be learned as we notice patterns or similarities of the songs. What are the song forms, melodic structures, themes, even tempo and time signature. Ultimately all those things are there to serve a purpose for the content of the song to be a vehicle for God's people to worship and sing to Him. So for this month I took a look and here are the title, time signature and tempo of the top 5 songs today: 1) Goodness of God - 4/4 | BPM - 63 2) Holy Forever - 4/4 | BPM - 72 3) Gratitude - 6/8 | BPM 104 4) Trust in God - 6/8 | BPM 148 5) Great Are You Lord - 6/8 | BPM 144 Your May Challenge - write a song in either 4/4 with bpm between 63 and 72 OR write a song in 6/8 bpm between 104 and 148 (eighth note) You have freedom to experiment within those boundaries. Can't wait to hear what we all come up with!

Posted this in another thread on accident. Here’s a mid/uptempo idea I’ve had if anyone wants to add lyrics. I’m thinking a call to worship.

Let's get to know each other. You can use this format: Hey, I'm from _____________ . For fun I like to _____________ . Here's a pic of where I write.

What if we tried a lunch meet up at 12pm CT someday? How would that work for you?

I wrote this text a little while back, but have never been totally happy with any of the tunes I’ve tried. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear someone else’s take on it! I Am His 1). My heart cannot contain the whole Of all the joy that fills my soul; For Christ has looked upon my sin, And still He bids me come to Him. He sees my every fault and shame, And yet He calls to me by name; And so I leave all else behind; For I am His and He is mine. 2). For He is mine, and I am His In me He dies; in Him I live In Him I move, in Him I breathe In Him my joy is made complete. In Him my sins are washed away, In Him I’m cleansed of guilt and shame. In Him I know the riches of The Father’s mercy and His love. 3). How can it be that Christ should die For such a lowly wretch as I? Why should he bleed for my offense? Why should I gain His righteousness? What boundless love, what endless grace That Christ would suffer in my place For He has died that I might live; He bore my sin to make me His. 4). My heart cannot contain the whole Of all the joy that fills my soul For Christ has conquered all my sin And rose to walk in life again. Now as He lives, so too shall I, For in His triumph death has died; And so I leave all else behind For I am His and He is mine.