As you probably know, I love to write. I enjoy poetry and have since I was a little girl.
Many years ago, I wrote some stories as Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews. They were written in rhyme and included their names. It was such a fun project!
Over the years, I have considered making these stories available to others, but I am not an artist, and they needed illustrations.
Thankfully, my mom is an artist, and she has illustrated the first of these stories for me. That makes it extra special to me! 
I am so excited to announce the release of this story, “The Princess and the Tea”. It is a story about friendship – not just the importance of having friends, but the importance of being a good friend. It is fun and sweet, but also teaches an important lesson.
Because it rhymes, it is easy to read and remember. This is the type of book children will enjoy hearing over and over.
At the back, there are also optional discussion questions, as well as links to some exciting (and free) bonus resources. These include a planning guide for a friendship tea party, printable invitations, a printable crown to make as a craft, and coloring pages.
This book is available on my website. It is also on Amazon in printed and Kindle versions.
If you order through Christian Compositions, there are quantity discounts available. Also, if you plan to order ten or more, please contact me for bookstore rates.
I hope you and the children in your life will enjoy this book!
The School of Biblical Womanhood – Fall Semester
This August 21, we will begin our seventh semester and fourth year of The School of Biblical Womanhood. I began these classes in 2022 with a desire to be a help to some young women in our church. I was asked to make the classes available online, and with a lot of trial and error, began that as well. These classes have been a blessing and challenge to me, and I hope to those who have joined us.
My desire is to share biblical principles for women as well as practical life lessons. In a world that is filled with confusion about what being a woman even is, it is vital that we learn and teach God’s design and desires for women with clarity.
These classes are designed for women who are high school age or older. We have had many young ladies take the classes, as well as a good number of pastor’s wives, missionaries’ wives, and other ladies. Classes can be taken in-person (they are held at my church in Butler, PA), or online. The online classes can be watched live (recommended), or the playback can be viewed later. The playback option works well for those who are in different time zones, or are unable to join us on class nights.
Each semester, we do a Bible study class, and practical classes. This semester’s classes are The Foundation of Biblical Womanhood Bible Study (1 hour), and Keepers of the Kitchen Practical Classes (2 hours). You can find a syllabus with the full listing of class topics here.
If these classes would be of interest to you, or someone you know, you can go to The School of Biblical Womanhood website for more information.
Registration is now open, and there are several discounts available. New or returning students can use coupon code: EarlyBird25 for a 10% discount if registering by July 31.
Those in full-time ministry (pastor’s family, missionary, etc.) can also receive a 25% discount. Email me at info@christiancompositions.com or info@schoolofbiblicalwomanhood.com to receive the coupon code.
Also, groups of five or more can register together and receive a 20% discount. This is ideal for ladies’ Bible study groups, home school groups, or family and friends who wish to do the class. If registering for the Bible study only, use coupon code: GroupBible . If registering for the full semester (Bible study and practical), use code: Group20
Finally, there are installment options available if you are doing the full semester. Coupon codes do not apply, but you can pay in four payments of $25 throughout the semester.
Please pray with me that the Lord will use these classes to encourage many women to embrace God’s plan for their lives, and to find the joy and fulfillment that comes with following His will.
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The Scorner Booklet Is Now Available
Several years ago, I did a Bible study on the scorner. The Lord used this in my own life, and I shared it as a blog post. I have had so much feedback on this particular post that I decided to publish it in booklet form. This booklet is now available for pre-order, and will be ready to ship by the end of this week (7/18/25).
It is my hope and prayer that this simple and short booklet will be a helpful resource for many people. If it is a help to you, please share it with someone else. If you would like to carry it in a church bookstore or other venue, or would just like multiple copies to share, quantity discounts are available.
Reserve your copies today. Order here.
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Spring Semester Begins in One Week!
The Spring 2025 Semester of The School of Biblical Womanhood begins on Thursday, January 16. We will be offering two classes.
Our Bible study class this semester will be on “The Heart of a Handmaid: The Biblical Model for Women’s Ministry”. This will be helpful for any woman but may be especially beneficial for those who are preparing to be, or are currently serving as, pastor’s wives, missionaries – single or married – or other similar roles.
Our practical class will be on “The Blessing of Biblical Motherhood, Part 2″. We will be dealing with biblical principles and practical wisdom for parenting children from infancy to adulthood.
The Bible study class may be taken as a unit by itself, or in conjunction with the practical class.
Both classes can be taken in-person (Butler, PA) or online. Online students can watch and participate live or can watch the replays.
For more information and to register, go to www.schoolofbiblicalwomanhood.com.
Note: If you are currently in full-time ministry (pastor’s wife, assistant pastor’s wife, missionary, etc.), use coupon code: MINISTRY2025 for a 20% discount.
If you wish to sign up with family members or friends, use coupon code GROUP15BIBLE if you wish to do only the Bible study, or GROUP15 if you are signing up for both classes, and receive a 15% discount. You must be registering for two or more people for these codes to work. Also, you will need to message me by email or on social media with the names and email addresses of everyone in your group so that I can get them added to our class platform (Canvas).
Installment options are available, three payments of $25 for the full semester. There is a $5 charge for this option, and coupon codes will not apply.
If you plan to sign up, please do so as soon as possible (by 1/13 if you can) so I can get everyone enrolled to the class and ready to participate before January 16.
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New Book! I Will Hope
I am very excited to have this project completed and available for purchase! This book contains two solos, one duet, and seven trio arrangements. All of these arrangements have a full piano accompaniment with them. The book is spiral-bound, which makes it easier to use for pianists and vocalists.
The books are on their way to my house from the printer, and will be here on Monday, 8/26. Pre-ordering is open now, and if you use the coupon code: EARLY (case-sensitive) you can get a $3 discount. Books will be shipped after they arrive. ORDER HERE!
This book is also available as a PDF download. The coupon code will not apply to this option because the PDF option is already discounted. There are quantity discounts available as well.
The song titles in this book are:
- I Will Hope
- A Corn of Wheat
- Serve God
- The Rock of Ages
- Refreshing Grace
- Jesus, My King
- Transformed
- Cast Your Cares on Jesus
- Let Me See You
- That I May Know Him
I will be doing some feature posts in the coming days giving a little insight into each of these songs. Overall, this project is one that points to Christ as our answer. He is our hope, our purpose, our comfort in suffering and trials, our Rock, our King, our salvation, our focus, and our life. Knowing Him, trusting Him, glorifying Him, and pleasing Him should be the greatest desire and honor of our lives.
It is my hope that these songs will be an encouragement and a blessing to you and those you have an opportunity to share them with.
Follow me on Facebook (@ChristianComposition) or on Instagram (@lottsofmusic) for updates, devotional thoughts, and an opportunity to win a free copy of my new book!
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10 Questions You Should Be Asking About Women Bible Teachers
Ladies, are you careful about those you allow to teach and influence you, especially if they are saying they teach the Bible? We should be. The Bible cautions us to beware of “false teachers” and deception. If we want to wisely discern, here are 10 questions we should ask before reading, or following, a woman who claims to teach the Bible:
- What is her salvation testimony?
- Does she faithfully attend a local church?
- If so, what type of church is it, and what doctrines does she believe?
- Does she meet the qualifications given in Titus 2:1-3?
- Does she believe that biblical truths are relevant today?
- Does she acknowledge and support biblical limitations and prohibitions (example: woman are not to be pastors or teachers of men in the church)?
- Does she model and mentor biblical commands and instructions for women, or mock them (in areas like submission, modesty, discretion, and chastity as seen in Eph. 5, I Tim. 2, Tit. 2, and I Peter 3)?
- What is her attitude toward authority, especially the authority of the Bible, her husband, and the local church?
- Does she teach the topics that God has instructed her to teach (see Tit. 2)? While the Bible does not prohibit ladies from teaching on other biblical topics, we are commanded to teach on these topics in Titus 2. If we avoid them or refuse to address them because they are uncomfortable, or because we don’t believe them, we are not being obedient to the Lord.
- Is her teaching based primarily on popular opinion and personal emotions and experiences, or on the principles and precepts of the Word of God?
No matter how educated, popular, or relatable a person may be, if their teachings are not based on faith in the Word of God, then we should avoid them.
(Pro. 19:27; Rom. 16:17-18; II Peter 2:1-3; I Tim. 4:7; II Tim. 3:13-17; Rev. 2:20-22)
Download a free printable copy of this list here.
© Copyright 2023 Niki Lott
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School of Biblical Womanhood – Fall Semester
Last year, I started The School of Biblical Womanhood as an avenue for teaching and training the ladies, especially the younger women, in our church and local area. After many requests and much prayer, I decided to make it available online as well. These classes met once a week and included Bible teaching as well as practical instruction. In the first two semesters, we studied “Foundations of Biblical Womanhood” and “The Pattern of Biblical Womanhood” in our Bible study. This included topics like wisdom, virtue, the authority of the Word of God, discretion, and much more. In our practical classes, we learned cooking and baking, meal planning, hospitality, kitchen organization and decor, and sewing.
This week, we will begin our fall semester. The theme is “Keepers of Biblical Womanhood”. Our Bible study is going to cover topics like: keeping the faith, keeping our hearts, keeping our homes, keeping our temples, and more. In the practical classes, we are going to be learning topics including: keeping our homes – caring for, decorating, and managing our homes well, managing our time, managing money, and health and nutrition.
These classes are open to ladies who are in high school or older. For those in high school, the practical classes can be counted for school credit if completed successfully. The cost for the entire course (three hours weekly of classes) is $100. This can be paid in full at the beginning, or you can register for $25, and pay the balance in monthly installments.
The Bible study can be done with or without participating in the practical classes. Online classes can be watched live on Thursday evenings or can be accessed later for playback. The study will include 15 weeks of lessons and will have printable handouts each week. Additional study assignments will also be available if you want to study further. The cost for the Bible study only is $25.
If you are interested, but not sure about committing, I am offering a free trial if you sign up by Thursday.
There is no commitment and no cancellation required. Simply sign up on the “Free Trial” page with your email address, and you will be sent instructions to join this week’s class. After that, if you decide to continue, you will just need to pay the registration fee by August 24.
If you have questions, check out the FAQ page, or feel free to contact me for more information.
Note: If you are interested in a family, group, or missionary discount, please contact me. I would love to help!
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Hymnplaying Seminar
I invite you to join me for a Hymnplaying Seminar!
Congregational hymnplaying is a wonderful asset in a church and is becoming a bit of a lost art. While you can often find piano lessons for classical training, finding a teacher who can instruct you in improvising and congregational hymnplaying techniques can be difficult, if not impossible!
Growing up, I was blessed with wonderful teachers who helped me learn to play for church, and I have a great desire to help and encourage those who want to play the piano in church and use their talents to serve the Lord. I am limited in how many private lessons I am able to teach, but a seminar like this can pack hours of instruction into just one day. While it will be a lot of information, a printed workbook, projects to take home, and videos to go back and review later will make this a valuable resource.
When? Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where? New Testament Baptist Church, 437 N. Duffy Rd., Butler, PA will be the location for the in-person seminar. It will also be available online (more details below).
How Much? The seminar is $100. This includes a workbook, five hours of instruction, and lunch (for those attending in-person). There is a 10% Early Bird Discount for those who register by June 15. There are also group discounts for those who may be coming as a family or with friends. Missionaries can contact me for special rates! Email me at info@christiancompositions.com, or send me a message on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
NOTE: Because we are providing lunch for those who attend the seminar, the deadline to register at the regular price is July 8. After that date, the price for the in-person registration will increase by $10.
Registration: Go to www.ChristianCompositions.com to register for the seminar. Please click the correct product (in-person or virtual) and add to cart. If you are registering for a group, the discount will be calculated based on the number of registrations you choose. The Early Bird Discount will be automatically added to your cart if you register by June 15.
How will I participate in the virtual seminar? The virtual seminar will be hosted in a private Facebook group. The sessions will be live that day, and will be available to watch in the group later. If you do not have a Facebook account, you will not be able to watch live, but the sessions will be uploaded to YouTube and you will be sent links to watch the following week.
The workbook will be available as a PDF download which you can print.
Those who attend the in-person sessions will also be added to the Facebook group (if they have a Facebook account), and will be sent the YouTube links following the seminar.
How much piano do I need to know to attend? You need to have some basic knowledge of piano playing for the seminar to be helpful to you. With that being said, there will be helps for those who read music and for those who play by ear.
What topics will be covered ? This is not a complete list, but sessions will include:
- Basic music fundamentals that are vital for hymnplaying
- How to make your practice time more effective
- How to “improvise” from the hymnal
- Left hand accompaniment techniques
- How to handle different time signatures
- Creating and playing beautiful preludes
- Accompanying choirs and special music
- Tips for effective offertories
- Responsibilities of a church pianist
- And much more!
Should I attend in-person or online? For those who live a great distance away, online is an option that will make this available for you; however, if you are able to attend in-person, I think it will be a better experience. It is easier to see, ask questions, and participate if you are at the event. In-person space is limited, so if you plan to come, please register as soon as possible.
What if I register for in-person or virtual and then change my mind? If you register for one and decide to participate in the other, there is no change fee, but I do ask that you let me know at least a week in advance if possible. Because my space is limited at the church, and I am planning to provide lunch, I need an accurate count of who will be attending in-person.
Is the registration refundable? Because the sessions will be available online, the registration is non-refundable. If you cannot attend in-person, you will be able to watch the sessions later.
If you have further questions, please let me know!
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Piano Offertory Recommendations
I often get requests for recommendations for offertory or special instrumental books. I am going to share a few posts about this, since there are a lot of options out there.
This post will be specifically for moderate/intermediate/early advanced pianists. I may add a second post for this level at a later time.
Before I give you my recommendations, let me share a few things that are good guidelines for offertories. These aren’t hard and fast rules, but I believe they will be helpful to you and your church.
1. Choose an offertory that is familiar.
While not everyone is going to know every song, it is good to select songs that will be familiar to most. This allows them to “sing along” in their minds with you, and helps to keep the music directed to the Lord and not just become a time filler or musical performance. Along those same lines, it can be good to have variations of a song (a minor verse or change in timing for a verse or chorus), but if the arrangement is so different from the original song that it is not recognizable to most people, it is not usually something I choose.
2. Choose a song that you can play skillfully.
It is always better to play something simple well than to play something difficult poorly. Simple arrangements can be beautiful if they are played with skill and musicality. Don’t aim to impress; aim to bless.
3. Choose an arrangement that is not too long.
An appropriate length will vary depending on how large your church is, how they take up the offering (do they pass the plate down every row, or simply pause for those who wish to give), and other factors. While it is acceptable to go a little bit past the time the ushers take to finish, this is not the time to play a concert. If the offering time takes one minute, and you are playing for five minutes, that is probably too long. In my church, I try to keep most of my offertories to a maximum of three minutes. This means sometimes editing pieces to make them work for me.
With that being said, here are some of my favorite books for moderate to early advanced difficulty. This is not a blanket endorsement of every song, and I will try to mention any caveats I may have. I look for arrangements that are creative and beautiful, but that keep the melody line clear and are not “rocky” or heavily syncopated.
Joyful Melodies by Jennifer Hall
This series is good from beginner to moderate, but Book 4 is very nice for simple, but pretty, arrangements.
Playing Piano Praises, Vol. 3 by Glenn and Jan Christianson
I enjoy anything arranged by the Christiansons. They do an excellent job, and have helped me with many of my arrangements. (Side note: if you have written music and are looking for someone to transcribe it for you, you should contact them! They offer a lot of wonderful resources and services.)
Songs of Promise by Cindy Berry
I really enjoy this book! My copy is well-worn. There are a couple arrangements that I don’t play as often because they are not very familiar, but overall, this is a great book. I think there is one arrangement that is a little more “swing” than I am comfortable playing, but overall this is a solid book. The arrangements are not difficult, but are very pretty. It is a bit expensive (maybe because it is older), but is a solid choice.
This book by Stan Pethel is another gem. These arrangements are not too long, are all familiar songs by Fanny Crosby. I think there is only one in this book that I don’t play.
Face to Face by Roger House
This one is a bit harder to find, but would be worth buying used. My favorite things about this book are that the arrangements are only 2-3 pages, but have a lot of interesting chords. He does tend toward some jazzy chording, so I don’t use all of the songs, but enjoy most of them. Another similar book entitled, Heart to Heart, also has some good arrangements.
There are a lot of other good books out there, but these are a few of my favorites. I will update and add to this list if I come across more.
Who are some of your favorite arrangers? I’d love to hear from you!
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Chorus Download Package
Choruses can be a powerful and effective tool for a church music ministry. While there has been a rise in recent years of choruses that are shallow or contemporary in nature, that should not cause us to ignore the benefits that sound, doctrinal choruses can have.
Because they are not lengthy songs, choruses are easy to teach and easy to learn. They are a wonderful way to rehearse simple truths in a way that is enjoyable and memorable.
We have used choruses for many years in our church. Here are some of the ways we have used them:
- Choir Openers
- Special Meetings – revivals, missions conferences, etc.
- Children’s/Youth Ministry
- Church Theme Emphasis
- Congregational Singing
I have written many choruses for our church or other ministries over the years. Many of these are available individually on the website. I have decided to also offer them bundled together as a download package. This package includes two brand new choruses! This will be a more affordable option for those who would like to have all of the choruses.
Titles included in this package are:
- Fishers of Men
- For Such a Time As This
- He Sent His Word
- House to House
- Intervene
- Live for What’s Certain
- My Strength and My Song
- Someone Is Counting On You
- Sowing Bountifully
- Transformed
- Turn Back to the Bible
- Unto Him Be Glory In the Church
If you are interested in multiple copies of an individual chorus, or of the package itself, for use with a choir or congregation, please contact me directly for licensing and quantity discount information at info@christiancompositions.com.
Order your Chorus Download Package today!
