56 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Imagine entering a church during the holiday season. You’d most likely expect wreaths adorning the walls, candles flickering in the windows and above all, a warm, inviting tune playing. Music is a cherished and expected part of a worship service at churches all over the Lowcountry. Some feature the traditional, beloved songs found in most congregations and others focus on the more contemporary side of musical worship. Many now include a mix of both types of music and host different kinds of worship services that offer something for everyone. Whether you attend a church in Mount Pleasant or not, ample options exist for nearly every kind of worshipper and there’s no better time to worship than the holidays. Regardless of where you choose to worship this holiday season, be sure to pay attention to a church’s music because according to our local pastors, that’s where the true spirit of the season can be seen and felt each and every day. SEACOAST CHURCH Seacoast Church provides multiple services for a variety of worshippers. Seacoast worship and music pastor Garrett Abel explained how music has served as a foundation for their church since its inception. “The music ministry at Seacoast Church is about creating an environment to help people connect with God.” Having attended Seacoast for 20 years and worked there for nearly 18, Abel is a firm believer in the power of music. When a person enters the doors at Seacoast Church, Abel said it is their goal to ensure that person feels hope and a desire to know God in a deeper sense. Although Seacoast has grown immensely since its founding in 1988, it has managed to hold tightly to its “grace-filled, easygoing” culture as welcoming stewards of the community. “I’ve learned from incredible leaders who came before me. We stick to our values of ‘this isn’t a performance.’ We are here to provide a worship environment and atmosphere to help people connect with God,” Abel said. Abel believes that one of the things that sets Seacoast apart from other churches is their strong focus on second chances, and there’s no better time for second chances and reconciliation than Christmas. Starting in November, Seacoast’s music takes on a noticeable holiday shift, with beloved holiday songs returning year after year. Unlike some churches that shift entirely to Christmas music every December, Seacoast maintains its usual lineup of worship songs while also seamlessly weaving holiday classics like “Silent Night” into the mix. Its Christmas Eve service is the one night that really “decks the halls,” featuring a candle lighting ceremony, Christmas songs and holiday worship. “It’s beautiful. We have a lot of contemporary aspects to our worship, but this is one of the things that’s very traditional. A standard Seacoast worship service tweaked for Christmas,” Abel said. Since people are often seeking a sense of nostalgia, The Power of Song BY COLBY DENTON Local ministries spread faith through music
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