Music is a beautiful gift from God and a biblically prescribed vehicle for His people to express praise and adoration to Him. Also, children are a gift from God. So how could the combination of the two be anything less than beautiful?!
Since 2016, the adult worship team of Providence Baptist Church has hosted a series of summertime meetups at which younger school-aged musicians (rising 5th-graders and older) gather to worship God together through their combined musical efforts. Many of these musicians have gone on to serve in musical ministries at Providence and elsewhere.
We’re excited to extend this opportunity to student musicians yet again for the Summer of 2026!
2026 Dates and Times
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- Sunday, June 7 – Registration deadline
- Sunday, June 21, 6:30-8:00 PM – JAM Session #1:
- Sunday, July 12, 6:30-8:00 PM – JAM Session #2:
- Sunday, August 2, 6:30-8:00 PM – JAM Session #3:
Songs
Song Title (Key) |
Resources |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
“Burn For You” (G) Transpose Value: +9 or -3 (Bb ⟶ G) |
This slower, piano-driven 6/8 song has become a mainstay around Providence for the past few years. It has a lot of room for, especially, percussion exploration. | |
|
“From the Inside Out” (G) Transpose Value: +7 or -5 (C ⟶ G) |
This classic Hillsong tune has been an on-and-off staple around Providence for 15 years. The melody makes heavy use of pickup notes/measures, so vocalists need to pay attention. | |
|
“Great I Am” (D) Transpose Value: +0 (D ⟶ D) |
This is a new song from half the team that gave us songs like “Great Are You Lord”. The slow, folk feel leaves room for improvisation. | |
|
“Hallelujah for the Cross” (G) Transpose Value: +5 or -7 (D ⟶ G) |
One of our church’s favorites, this song has a pretty broad dynamic range … and an equally broad vocal range. (Lead vocals will likely get passed around to cover the song parts.) | |
|
“House of the Lord” (C) Transpose Value: +10 or -2 (Bb ⟶ C) |
To be such a popular modern song from an artist with an incredible vocal talent, this one has a surprisingly accessible vocal range. Dynamically, it is similar to “Hallelujah for the Cross”. | |
|
“Reason to Praise” (C) Transpose Value: +10 or -2 (Bb ⟶ C) |
This up-tempo song is a throwback to earlier days at Providence, and was one of the songs used in the very first JAM Series (in 2016). Some syncopation in the verses provide a little challenge. | |
|
“Rescuer (Good News)” (G) Transpose Value: +0 (G ⟶ G) |
This will be a brand new song for most participants, except for the one who suggested it! Typical Rend Collective, this one features upbeat folk instrumentation and deceptively tricky timing in the choruses! | |
|
“What the Lord Has Done” (C) Transpose Value: +3 or -9 (Eb ⟶ C) |
This relatively new song around Providence was without question the most-requested addition to our JAM Series lineup this year. A straightforward 4/4 rock anthem, this one is just a lot of fun to play and sing. | |
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Listen to all our songs in the Young Musicians JAM Series 2026 playlist on Spotify! NOTE: We rarely perform songs in the same keys in which they were recorded. Use the recordings to learn the overall flow of the song, but use the sheet music to practice playing the song yourself. If you really want to play along with the recordings, here are some tips:
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JAM Series FAQ
Q: Who is eligible to participate in the JAM Series?
A: The JAM (Jesus and Music) Series is offered to older students (rising 5th-graders and older) with demonstrable musical competency on an instrument or vocally. We don’t demand musical proficiency, but students must be able to read and play/sing from sheet music (chord charts and, if available, lead sheets) with limited assistance.
Q: Are you offering music lessons for young musicians?
A: No. The role of our adult leadership team in this is to organize, direct, and encourage the student musicians. We may advise regarding song arrangements, key selection, and individual contributions. We will certainly assist with understanding musical notation when questions arise. But if the student cannot practice and sing/play through the selected songs alone at home, then realistically they are not quite ready to do so in a group context such as this one.
Q: My young musician plays the ________. Can he or she participate?
A: At Providence, “the sound of live worship music” comes in three basic flavors: a) traditional piano and organ, b) modern folk/rock band, and c) solo orchestral instruments (generally accompanied by the piano). Of those, we primarily use the middle flavor (modern folk/rock band) in support of congregational singing. That’s not the only way it can be done, of course, but in this season of the church’s history it’s who we are and what we do well. As such, the JAM Series is best suited to those instruments which are typically found in the modern folk/rock band lineup: strummed strings (e.g., acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukelele), bowed strings (e.g., violin, cello), hammered strings (piano/keyboards), and drums (e.g, kit, cajón, djembe).
Q: My young musician cannot attend all the planned sessions. Is that okay?
A: Absolutely! We understand that the JAM Series occurs during prime family vacation time and certainly do not wish to disrupt that. We ask only that, for the sake of helping us plan, you let the leadership know in advance about any expected absences.
Q: What is the expected time commitment for my young musician?
A: There is no hard time commitment expected outside of the group sessions, but there is an expectation of preparedness. Nobody expects perfection (or anything even close to it), but musicians should have invested enough time in learning how to play the songs that they can “keep up” with the other musicians. That amount of time will differ from musician to musician and from song to song. But if, while practicing alone, questions arise about how to approach a song, simply reach out to the event leadership for help. The leaders are all committed to your student having a successful and fun event!
Q: What will my young musician need to bring?
A: Unless told otherwise, students should assume that they will be using their own equipment and sheet music. For example, electric and bass guitar players should be prepared to bring their own guitars, amplifiers, and all necessary cabling; drummers should plan to bring their drum kits, cajóns, djembes, or other percussion instruments. After the roster is settled, we may inform your student that he or she no longer needs to bring their own instrument if comfortable using one offered by the church.
Q: Is the JAM Series an audition for Providence’s student worship band?
A: Absolutely not! While the adult leadership of the JAM Series will unavoidably notice which students demonstrate a readiness to participate in the student worship band, that’s not the point here. We want every young musician to be able to enjoy making music with their peers without the pressure of feeling like they have to “measure up”.
Questions?
Feel free to contact our Worship Leader, Mike Pilato (cmpilato@pbcharrisburg.org), with any questions you may have.