What the churches are saying

Here are comments from the leaders of a few of the many churches that are using Praise! If you would like your church to be listed here, please do e-mail us. We would be delighted to hear from you.

 

Ballymoney Baptist Church, Northern Ireland (Reformed Baptist)
Steven Curry, 'A refreshingly Reformed hymnbook that emphasises the old truths in today's language. Initially cautious, I have been completely won over by use.'

Belvoir Presbyterian Church, Belfast (PCI)
Rodger Crooks, 'We are delighted with Praise! as it is thoroughly God-centred, Jesus-exalting, Bible-based, mind-engaging, and heart-warming. The inclusion of a psalter is a big plus for Presbyterians like us with a tradition of psalm singing.'

Beresford Road Evangelical Church, Lowestoft (FIEC)
Josh Hooker, 'I applaud the Praise Trust for producing a hymnbook that allows 21st century Christians to sing the treasures of yesterday in the language of today. The updated hymns in Praise! occasionally lose something of their original impact, but generally I am very happy to be singing their rich theological statements in more contemporary language. Also Praise! has a reasonable selection of modern songs and hymns, although some churches will wish to supplement it with the best of newer material. On the whole I feel that Praise! is a welcome addition to modern hymnody.'

Binscombe Church, Godalming, Surrey (FIEC)
Gray Robinson, 'Praise! has a balanced selection of old and new. What we particularly appreciate is a hymn for every Psalm.'

Bishop Andrews Church, Carshalton, Surrey (C of E)
Richard Espion-Bradley, 'A very comprehensive selection of material which enables me to use music in way which supports and complements the weekly Bible teaching.'

Bradley Stoke Evangelical Church (FIEC)
Nick Watkins, 'Praise! hymnbook has added to our repertoire of inspirational worship music.'

Cannon Park Congregational Church, Middlesbrough (EFCC)
Mike Plant, 'In looking for a hymn book we were looking for something that was theologically and biblically robust and reliable, but was also reasonably contemporary. Praise! has proved generally satisfactory in these respects. I am especially appreciative of the inclusion of a complete Psalm book which is a feature none of the alternatives offer.'

Carey Baptist Church, Reading, Berkshire (FIEC)
Jonathan Stephen and Basil Howlett, 'It is not only our young people who have remarked on the fact that they now understand the meaning of some hymns they had been singing for years! It is so much more convenient to have all we want to sing in one volume, and members have quickly adjusted to the new words.'

Christ Church, Blackburn (C of E)
Andrew Raynes, 'Praise! has brought fresh depth and variety to our worship.'

Coldharbour Evangelical Church, Eltham, London (FIEC)
David Fortune, 'With every hymn book published there will be, inevitably, a percentage that we consciously decide never to sing; no other hymn/song book offers such a high percentage to choose from – considering there are almost one thousand items here, this is a commendation worthy of Praise!'

Coley Park Baptist Church (Independent)
Steve Scrivener, 'We think that Praise! is the best book on the market; a real benefit for us has been singing the breadth and depth of the Psalms.'

Constantia Park Baptist Church, Pretoria, South Africa (Reformed Baptist)
Martin Holdt, 'Our people are loving the new hymnbook. It has given them a new love for singing and worship and not one of our Elders regrets us ordering Praise! for the church.'

Cornhill Training Course (Proclamation Trust)
David Jackman - Director of the Proclamation Trust, 'The best of the old and the new – always biblical, always singable – a great aid for contemporary congregational worship.'

Covent Garden Evangelical Church (Independent)
Derek Sewell, 'Over the past six months since using Praise! we have found it very helpful in worship because of the great mix of old and new, and the simple fact that it is easier to understand, yet still keeping the great truths.'

Crockenhill Baptist Church, Kent (FIEC)
Malcolm Jones, 'Praise! has been a great boon to us as a church. The best of the past has been rescued for a new generation through sensitive updating of archaic language. In addition, a wide selection of the best of current compositions has been included. If Grace Hymns can utilise the words of a Jesuit priest, I'm sure there can be no problem about incorporating the most helpful of Graham Kendrick's! And some of the new tunes are sublime; particularly 299, 433 and 503.'

Crockenhill Baptist Church (FIEC)
Malcolm Jones adds to his previous comments, ‘Praise! is a great teaching tool as hymns are meant to be… Why not invite Christopher Idle along to introduce the book to your church? His compositions are first rate.’

East London Tabernacle Baptist Church, London (FIEC)
Kenneth Brownell, 'We have enjoyed singing familiar older hymns in updated language and learning new hymns and songs, especially from the psalms. All in all it has been a great asset in our public worship.'

Emmanuel Church, Wimbledon (C of E)
Jonathan Fletcher, 'We have replaced the three former books that we were using and now exclusively use Praise! on a Sunday. We especially value the Psalms – and many very good new words to old singable tunes.'

Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire (G B)
Bill James, 'We appreciate that the older hymns are now all usable – freed from archaisms, and we love to be able to sing a psalm either before or after reading it together. It was wonderful to have a new range of hymns and songs on the Christmas theme which were full of content. Having examined the relevant sections of Praise! I find that many of the critical comments are wholly unjustified. For our part, our worship services have been transformed by the use of Praise! To introduce fresh content is not only helpful for public worship, it aids private devotion too. Many thanks to the committee for the years of hard work that this book represents.'

Every Nation Gospel Fellowship, Southall, Middlesex (FIEC)
Arthur Imbrey, 'At last! A unique book which provides both old and new songs and hymns in language and length that are a valuable aid to meaningful worship for those who have English as a second language.'

Grace Baptist Church, Hitchin (FIEC)
Steven Green, 'We are enjoying giving a refreshing expression to the same biblical truths we sang about in Christian Hymns. The older hymns have a freshness about them. Particularly there is a superb section of hymns and songs for the Lord’s Supper.'

Guildford Park Church, Guildford, Surrey (G B and FIEC)
Graham Jones, 'We are enjoying using Praise! hymnbook very much. Having a hymn for every Psalm is a great asset. We like the mix of old and new hymns under one cover and appreciate the updating of some of the phraseology.'

Hampstead Road, Dorking, Surrey (FIEC)
Paul Mackrell, 'A welcome blend – introducing new Bible-based songs and breathing fresh vigour into up-dated traditional hymns.'

High Church, Hilton, Aberdeen (C of S)
Peter Dickson, 'Whilst maintaining dignity and reverence in our worship, Praise! has brought a freshness to what we sing. It makes us sing thoughtfully!'

Homerton Baptist Church, London (G B)
Steven Richards, 'We have been using Praise! since June 2000 and find it very beneficial for our worship. We particularly like the good combination of Psalms, traditional and modern hymns.'

Hook Evangelical Church, Surbiton, Surrey (FIEC)
Paul Pease, 'At last some of the great old hymns are made accessible to a younger generation.'

Independent Chapel, St Albans (FIEC and EFCC)
Peter Seccombe, ‘We appreciate the blend of modernised traditional hymns and some of the best contemporary hymns and songs.’

International Presbyterian Church, West Ealing, London (IPC)
Nick Perrin, ‘We like the modern change to the words and the size; as a church we still need to make the most of the psalm section!’

Kayser's Beach Chapel, South Africa (non-denominational)
Brian Stone, 'We at the Kayser's Beach Chapel are joyfully and reverently and with real meaning and understanding offering our worship to God in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs in what we believe the Scriptures confirm and teach.'

Kensington Baptist Church, Bristol (FIEC)
Andy Paterson, ‘Without a doubt the Praise! Hymnbook has been an ideal resource for us ministering in the inner-city where clarity of expression is vital, wedded as it is to rich theological truth. In addition the provision of songs for every Psalm has greatly enriched our corporate worship – and made the job of choosing songs a challenge and a delight with constant surprises on every page turn.

Kesgrave Baptist Church, Ipswich, Suffolk (G B)
Jim Sayers, 'We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly people took to a new book. The big discovery was the rich vein of new hymns to enjoy, that led us into areas of the Christian life we had not sung about before. Praise! presents us with a great deal to explore, experience and enjoy in our worship of God in the years to come.'

Louth Evangelical Church, Lincolnshire (FIEC)
George Hill, 'Praise! is making a helpful contribution to our worship.'

Mains of Fintry Church, Dundee (C of S)
Peter Humphris, 'We have been using the Praise! hymnbook since publication and it has made a significant contribution to our weekly worship.'

Millbridge Evangelical Free Church, Minehead, Somerset (FIEC)
Tim Gill, 'It has been a great blessing to be able to conduct our worship together entirely in contemporary English, while still being able to use many wonderful hymns written in past centuries.'

Moordown Baptist Church, Bournemouth, Hampshire (FIEC)
Gary Benfold, 'An excellent blend of psalms, new songs, and traditional hymns that have been gently updated without damaging their theology. Already some of our members are expressing delight at being able to understand everything they sing.'

Penknap Providence Church, Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wiltshire (FIEC and G B)
Tom Jeffries, 'Once a month on a Saturday evening Penknap Providence Church joins together with two other churches locally (Ebenezer Baptist, West Lavington and Atworth Evangelical, near Melksham) for a Sing Praise! evening. These are greatly appreciated by all who attend. Not only is it an opportunity to learn the new hymns and tunes but it is an excellent opportunity for fellowship, and a very fitting way to prepare for the Lord's Day. Members from other churches have also joined in.'

Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church, Glasgow (C of S)
Peter White, 'Sandyford is really appreciating the healthy combination of contemporary language, all 150 Psalms, good old hymns, and the best and most reliable of the newer hymns and choruses. And the minister is thoroughly enjoying the excitement of exploring this new hymnbook for praise purposes week by week.'

South Birmingham Evangelical Church, West Midlands (FIEC)
Colin Tamplin, 'Praise! has been a great asset to our church, opening up a wealth of new expression of worship as well as keeping us rooted in the best of the past. I heartily recommend it!'

St. Francis-in-the-East, Bridgeton, Glasgow (C of S)
Howard Hudson, 'Although only beginning to skim the surface of Praise! we are finding it a nice blend of old and new in modern English.'

St George’s-Tron Parish Church, Glasgow (C of S)
Dr Sinclair B Ferguson: ‘We have been using Praise! in St George’s-Tron since its publication. Praise! has enabled us to sing consecutively through the Psalms, to our great spiritual profit. Here – at last – is a hymnbook that deliberately tries to give back to the 21st century church – in understandable, singable words – the hymns our Lord Jesus Christ used.’

St. John's, Galashiels, Midlothian (C of S)
Steve Clipson, 'The congregation has appreciated the mix of old and new hymns and some of the new tunes have added sparkle to the praise.'

St. Margaret's Tollcross Park, Glasgow (C of S)
George Murray, 'Praise! with its fresh and relevant approach is being powerfully used to the glory of God.'

Swindon Evangelical Church (FIEC)
Paul Williams ‘We have found it helpful to reverently sing many well-loved hymns in modern English. It has also been refreshing to learn many new, Christ-exalting hymns.’

West Hill Baptist Church, Wandsworth, London (G B)
Ronald Hollands, 'We are thankful for this publication that preserves for us a sensitively updated and therefore more accessible selection from our rich inheritance of hymns as well as a fine resource of modern scriptural compositions.'

West Street Baptist Church and Christian Centre, Dunstable, Bedfordshire (FIEC)
Mark Lawrence, 'Praise! has proved to be an invaluable resource for us to use in our corporate worship, breathing fresh life into many good older hymns and bringing together some of the best modern songs of today. We warmly commend it to other churches.'

West Worthing Evangelical Church, Sussex (FIEC)
John Billett, 'It is good to be able to sing all the Psalms and to be made to think about the words we sing in some of the older well-known hymns'

Whitefield Institute
David Smith: ‘It is to the credit of the compilers of Praise! that they have included psalms of lament.’

 

Legend:

Abbreviation	Full title
C of E	Church of England
C of S	Church of Scotland
EFCC	Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches
FIEC	Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches
G B	Grace Baptist Churches
PCI	Presbyterian Church in Ireland