I remember that after graduating from secondary school, I went to Canada to study at a boarding school affiliated with a Bible college. Once a week, during morning assembly, students from different grades or seminary students would lead us in singing short choruses, with a full group of musicians accompanying each time. For me, having grown up in the Youth Ministry of NPAC, that was my first encounter with a completely different style of singing hymns. I did not really know how to sing the English worship songs at that time, but that style of worship was fresh and eye-opening to me. As I came to know them better, I learned that they spent a great deal of time preparing before every worship session. That serious and dedicated attitude remains deeply impressed on my mind to this day. Later, I moved to another city to continue my studies and joined a local Chinese Alliance church, which opened the way for my years of service in a worship team.

        Throughout history, churches in different regions, ethnic groups, and cultures have continually developed their own worship styles. Yet amid such a wide range of cultural expressions, the most important core has always remained the same: God-centred worship.

        Apart from the English Worship Service and the Youth Worship Service, which have for many years been led primarily by praise teams, the use of praise teams as a regular leading group in the NPAC family actually began only more than ten years ago with the SATpoint Worship Service, followed later by the TC5 Worship Service and the SUN+ Worship Service. Although the styles of worship and music differ from those of the worship services conducted in the main church, each service has continued to uphold NPAC’s long-standing worship philosophy—God-centred worship. Over the years, I have come to know more brothers and sisters who are familiar with different musical styles, and I have seen how they are all willing to commit themselves and serve together in mutual partnership.

       Over more than twenty years of worship and music ministry, I have deeply come to understand that worship style is a channel that leads us before God. Whether we are serving in a particular role or participating in worship, we pray that God will guard our hearts and minds from going astray, so that glory may be given to God and not to people.

       Paul exhorts us: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16). The purpose of worship is to fix the worshiper’s focus on Jesus Christ. Whether one is the praise team leader, a musician, an organist, or a choir member, the role of those who lead music in worship is to use the gifts given by God in the worship service to draw people closer to Him.

       For the congregation who participate in the worship service each week, although the order of worship may seem similar, we still ask God to grant us a heart of reverence and adoration in accordance with the content of the songs and the sermon. Each week, the worship music ministry teams do their best to prepare and to offer beautiful music to reflect the beauty and glory of God. This also encourages our hearts, making us more willing to connect with Him and allow Him to lead our lives.