ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role of singing, in the particular context of a community choir, in mission. Set against the background of my upbringing and resultant convictions concerning the holistic nature of salvation, and drawing upon my doctoral research, I demonstrate the interaction between singing and the church’s participation in the missio Dei with reference to five missional Ways of Being, which are: the facilitation and nurture of community; empowerment for and engagement in ministry; the integration of internal structures with external action; the authentic communication of the truth; and the embodiment and enactment of Christian hope. Throughout, the chapter features contributions from community choir members who participated in my doctoral research project and whose experiences and insights inform and illustrate the ways in which the physical, social, and psychological benefits of singing might be understood as contributing to the church’s role in the mission of God.
