by phil bruce, contributing writer

Do you remember the first time you saw a High Definition TV? Do you remember the first time you heard an orchestra or big band in person—not on a recording or radio? The picture and the music may have been the same that you had seen or heard before, but the difference was noticeable and significant. Stonebriar's new sanctuary organ will be like that. The congregation will absolutely hear the difference.

Recently, Sr. Pastor Chuck Swindoll joyfully announced that funds had been provided for our pipe organ. The organ will be installed by summer 2011 and will be dedicated to the life and ministries of Dr. and Mrs. Howard Hendricks and Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Toussaint. Chuck assured everyone that the "hymns of the faith will never have been so glorious as they will be, played on our magnificent organ by our wonderful organist, John Dill."

Pastor of Worship and Music, Don McMinn, explains that congregational singing and the classic music worship of our church will be significantly enhanced by the grand sound of a pipe organ that will fill a large sanctuary and literally surround the congregation with music. "A great organ can provide a wide variety of subtleties and flexibility of tones, much like the human voice."

SCC's current electronic organ digitally renders 77 "voices" (or more specifically employs 77 ranks) through 18 speakers in the front of the Sanctuary. The new organ will have 248 voices (ranks) available through approximately 15,000 pipes or digitally simulated pipes, including pipes currently behind the cross in the Worship Center that are currently not producing sound. The new organ will employ a state-of-the-art synthesis of digital and physical pipes, taking advantage of the latest in digital and acoustical technologies. The significant savings over the original plan for the sanctuary organ has been achieved through the combination of technologies.

The congregation will immediately sense the difference during the worship service. People will feel the organ's sound encircling the whole room, not just coming from behind the platform, as pipes and speakers will be distributed throughout the Sanctuary. Indeed, the advantage of the new organ is not loudness, but the richness, purity, and warmth of its song.

Since early church history, the organ has always been associated with the worship by God's people, and it has proven to be the instrument best suited for accompanying congregational and choral singing. The new Stonebriar organ will continue to reflect God's glory through music and worship.