MINISTRY – MUSIC

At Shepherd of The Sea, we seek to Glorify God through our lives as well as praise him through song.  Worshiping together means that we get to sing as one voice to express our love for God and to thank him for all the goodness that He has done.  Worship may come from our lips, but it starts in the heart. 

The ELCA states: “Meaningful worship unites us in celebration, engages us in thoughtful dialogue and helps us grow in faith. It grounds us in our Christian and Lutheran roots, while demonstrating practical relevance for today’s world. 

Each and every week, a great team of musicians, and vocalists join together in an effort to help lead our church in worshiping our awesome God.  If you would like more information about our worship ministry, and/or how you can possibly be a part of this ministry, please email, shepcluth@gmail.com or call the office at (843) 651-7377.

The Traditional Choir

The choir has always been a strong part of the music ministry at SOSLC. Each week we gather to glorify God through singing. We lead the hymns, sing anthems, and provide music for our traditional worship services. The choir also leads the music for special services during the Church year, such as Easter, Memorial Day, 4^th of July and of course Christmas. Each year the Choir prepares a special concert, the Christmas Cantata.

We meet each week on Wednesday night for one hour in the administration building at 7 pm. If you like to sing, make a joyful noise, and have a good time, choir is the place for you.

Handbell Choir

The Handbell Choir is an ensemble made up of a small group of people with varying levels of musical experience (some have never played and instrument before!). We gather each week to prepare special music for our traditional worship services. We rehearse on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary for an hour. Handbell choir typically leads special music in traditional services at least once a month. If you enjoy playing an instrument, or just want to learn more, Handbell Choir would be a perfect place for you.

The Contemporary Band – WhoSoEver

 The brief history of WhoSoEver: In 2018, a small committee put plans in place for a band to play at a proposed contemporary service. At first we looked at hiring a band but financially that seemed unreasonable. So for several months there was a sign-up sheet in the narthex and we recruited singers and musicians. We talked to a few people about actually leading the band and Gary McCormick came in from another church whose band had dissolved. He joined Tim Ruzbacki, Corey Lail and Tom Rowe as the musicians with Pastor Brad, Gracie Bellah, Julie and Reagan Roy joining as additional vocalists. The bands first name was Holy Smoke, and in February of 2018 the first service took place. Within a few months Rich Rinaldi joined on keyboards and Grace Leonard joined playing Viola and adding more vocal harmonies. Sydney Gifford sang when she could and we had a solid beginning in that first year. In that first summer Tim gave the message at the 9:30 service filling in for Pastor Brad and spoke about identifying who we are as Christians. The final message was that we are “Whosoever”, because… Jesus said Whosoever follows Him enters the kingdom of heaven. Corey thought that would be a better name based on how that message related to our eternal identities. So in a quick vote the name was changed to WhoSoEver. Since then we have had members come and go adding Connie Koprowicz, Deb Moynihan, Andrea Evans and Kaiya Hickey. Sean O’Malley joined SOS as the music director in 2020, providing new leadership along with Gary. WhoSoEver will continue to provide a praise and worship service at SOS.

We are always looking to improve, add members, and allow for some backups in all areas. So, full time or part time let us know your talents and interests. We currently rehearse on Thursday nights at 7 pm in the Sanctuary.

If you are interested in joining our Music Ministry please complete the Choir Registration/Questionnaire below.  

 

Meet our Music Director

Sean O’Malley came to Shepherd of the Sea in March of 2020. Sean is originally from Lagrangeville, New York, and is currently living in the Grand Strand. In addition to being the new Music Director at Shepherd of the Sea, he also works full time as a Musical Theatre teacher at Carolina Forest High School in Myrtle Beach. Throughout his career as a musician, he had many experiences that span from sacred to secular, acapella to opera, on stage and in the orchestra pit. In the midst of all those experiences, one thing that he always was a part of was a church music ministry; whether it be a section leader, worship leader, or playing an instrument.  

Music  Ministry Registration/Questionnaire