I am of the opinion that the first push of intentional effort for any church in a revitalization situation must be toward the weekend worship experience.
Sunday morning (or Saturday night or Sunday night) is the time where the most guests, visitors, and/or church shoppers will show up on our campus - so we must be prepared and ready for their arrival.
No exceptions.
Not even holidays.
Not even rainy days.
If any local church wants to revitalize its ministry, the first place to start is taking a hard look at what happens when the body of Christ gathers together in one place. This is essential to finding the right path to take for the future of the church.
Unfortunately, this is where many "sacred cows" lay in waiting for some new preacher (or worship leader or lay leader with good intentions) so that they can thwart any attempts to do something new [read: different]. The weekend service is often steeped in "traditions" (whether an organ plays each weekend or not) to the point that any efforts to bring in new styles of worship or genres of music are snuffed out rather quickly.
It happens. I've seen it.
It's ugly.
Every time.
Really ugly.
Really.
University currently has a "blended service" on Sunday morning that utilizes the organ, piano, and a choir pretty much every week. We also sing praise choruses occasionally during the service, but generally the music falls under the [inadequate] description of "traditional."
I have had a number of conversations about utilizing new styles of music and/or instrumentations for our worship service. Each time those conversations were positive and I believe we will begin to integrate some new [read: not "what we've always done"] music styles/genres into our morning worship service.
So, do we need to begin a new worship service that is totally "contemporary" (again, an inadequate descriptor)?
Maybe.
Do we need to change what we offer now into a "contemporary" service?
Maybe.
Do we need to take a penetrating look at what we currently offer in order to maximize our effectiveness?
Definitely!
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?
2 comments:
Now that I have lost both of my parents, I gain a certain comfort from the hymns that I grew up singing in my parent's (& my) church!
Do I dislike "contemporary" hymns?
NO!
Would I object if "contemporary" music was integrated into the current service?
NO!
Would I object to a "contemporary" service being added to "offerings"?
NO!
Would I leave if our only service was made totally "contemporary"?
While I may not be happy about it, I would hope that my faith runs deeper than "the style of music"!!!
Dear "Faithful",
Thanks for your thoughts. I believe you hold an opinion that is very popular among the members of UUMC.
I truly believe that we can do more for the kingdom of God by adding options instead of taking them away - especially when it comes to worship styles.
I am also pleased to know that your faith runs deeper than any one particular style of music!
Thanks for stopping by!
Post a Comment