What are the primary goals of corporate worship? What should an order of service look like? What should the content be? How do I choose songs? How do these things change between service styles? What is the relationship between pastor(s) and worship leader(s) as it relates to worship planning & leading?

How do I approach writing a song to be used in corporate worship? How is songwriting for worship different than songwriting for other purposes? How can I make a quality recording with limited resources? How can I use songwriting and recording to serve the church at large?

What is the role of a choir in worship? How does that role change between services with different musical styles? How do I select music for choirs? What are the basics of preparing for worship, both musically and spiritually? How can I get more people engaged in choirs?

What communications pieces play an important role in corporate worship? What are the most used programs for video presentation? How should lighting and sound be used in worship? How do I enlist and train servants in these areas? How do I livestream services?

Team Lead - Traditional Worship

Sara Ledford has a lifetime of training in worship ministry. An Oklahoma native, Sara was raised in a church where she was heavily involved in the music ministry under the direction of her father and mentor. Sara went on to receive a BM in Music theory and Composition from Oklahoma Baptist University, followed by an MM in Choral Conducting and MA in Theory Pedagogy from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.
 
Sara’s call to music ministry came in 2010, and she has worked faithfully since then to bring the fullness of her training into the Church. Fluent in both traditional and modern worship music, Sara is passionate about radically God-centered worship and bringing creativity and intention into worship planning.

Director of Modern Worship

Erick is a 44 year old husband/dad who has been blessed beyond belief. His wife is Gena Alexander (violinist/teacher) and they have been married for 22 years. Erick has a daughter and a son who are very musical (violinists)! When they were younger, Erick had the privilege of baptizing them both when they decided to give their lives to Christ (probably the happiest moments of his life). Erick enjoys making music for the Lord, for movies, for TV and for Radio. 
 
In 1998, Erick was offered a full scholarship to leave OSU and become a member of the Oklahoma Christian Summer Singers. As a singer and guitar player, it was here that he first developed a love for live performance and a greater love of being able to meet people that were in need of God’s love (and message). Here, Erick toured all over the Midwest U.S. playing around 60 shows per summer at Christian camps.
 
Erick’s passion for music didn’t stop after college. Since then, he has had the pleasure of producing records for artists/agencies such as Jami Smith, Spaghetti Eddie, Parker & Alexander, Boiling Point Media, Visual Image, Jordan & Assoc., Insight Creative Group, Liquid Media and more. You’ve likely heard him singing on radio commercials and didn’t even know it…he’s sang/produced hundreds of radio/tv commercials since the early 2000s. Erick also scored The Vast of Night (one of the top 10 movies of 2020 on Amazon Prime).
 
When it comes to worship, Erick has been the Sunday Chapel service worship leader at All Souls Episcopal for 8 years. In this job, he’s responsible for singing and leading traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs with guitar and voice. Erick has also toured/sang/drummed with Jami Smith (Christian Artist) off and on since 2004. This summer will mark Erick’s first full year as the Modern Worship Director here at First Presbyterian of Edmond.
 
Education
Southeastern Oklahoma State University - 1996-97
Oklahoma State University - 1997-98
Oklahoma Christian University - 1998-2000 (Bachelor of Studies: Music, Sociology & Bible)
Skills
Vocals/Drums/Guitars/Bass/Sound Engineer/Producer/Recording Engineer/Mixing Engineer/Mastering Engineer/Scoring/Writing

Director of Communications

Tyler Boren grew up attending FPCE. In high school, he discovered a deep connection with God through worship. Through this discovery, Tyler began leading worship with our youth praise team and has carried a passion for worshipping God with him for the rest of his life. Through years of experience in leading worship, Tyler learned that he was also skilled in many of the things that happen behind the scenes of a worship service: planning, audio, visual, and the importance of excellent communication. Tyler has used these skills to help enhance our worship services and has shown that leading worship doesn't just happen from the chancel.