Of course, Rory. It sounds so simple!
Wisdom usually is.
So his quip prompted some questions...
1) Does your church have a mission?
2) Do you know your church's mission?
3) Does the church know her mission?
4) How does music reflect mission?
5) What if my church prefers a body of music that differs from our mission?
Let me offer just a couple of thoughts about each that may serve our journey:
1) Does your church have a mission? Of course it does. The mission of your church is to get what your church is getting. You may have to re-read that one.
Many churches have a mission to engage the culture around them, connecting with those far from God. To read more about that, click here. Other churches have a mission to build up and strengthen their congregants, empowering them to live out their faith. Churches like this tend to be open to mission-critical change.
There are also churches with a mission related to preserving the past, avoiding persecution, or indulging in preferences. They would never admit that they are self-focused, but try changing the style of music or the order of service and see what happens. Now, I'm not saying a church like that has the wrong mission; that's for someone else to discern. But I am saying that if you are in a church like that, you will be most effective if you follow Rory's counsel and choose music that fits your church's mission.
2) Do you know your church's mission? This is tricky, because you probably know what you wish your church's mission would be. In fact, you may be leading/serving your ministry based on what you wish her mission was. But that is likely to lead to inner and outer conflict. And depending on how divergent the missions are, a lot of conflict. For those of you reading this who are in the early stages of a local ministry (the first 6-12 months, say), be a detective for a while. Ask questions. Watch those you lead. (aka "read the room".) It will be important to know your church's mission. Maybe you can be part of strengthening, encouraging, or even steering it. But first you have to know it.
3) Does the church know her mission? And to be honest--we have to know it in the Biblical sense, in the deep places. Intimately. At my church we have a mission to plant 20 churches by 2020. Virtually everyone in the church knows our mission. Our finances are structured toward that vision. Our building is. Our preaching, music, and other worship elements are. If we had a different mission, we'd do things differently. I'm very blessed to be part of a church who knows her mission.
4) How does music reflect mission? This may be a question that deserves a book rather than a paragraph. But still... is your congregation, like North Point Community Church in Atlanta, creating a church that unchurched people love to attend? Then you should probably use music that connects with people who are unchurched. Are you a church more like ours, which I think of as a church that de-churched people love to attend? Then you might need to use a little older content with newer sounds. It works well for us. (For more about this concept, read here.) Or are you in a church that focuses on being a really great church that great church people love to attend? Then you wouldn't want to pick the same music as the team at North Point. Regardless, I suggest this is a helpful question.
5) What if my church prefers a body of music that differs from our mission? Then your personal mission becomes to align your church's mission and your music/worship ministry. Start with your pastor, please. Then the rest of the staff, if there is one. Then the primary, secondary, even tertiary leadership groups. Have conversations with those who love to worship and lead in worship. Then have more conversations. Talk about the "why" of matching music to mission. Ask for ideas from your folks about how to make this happen. The older the demographic you're talking with, the more time they will need to process and internalize the concept. I don't mean any disrespect by that comment. It's just plain gerontology. The older we get, the longer we take to embrace different viewpoints.
One bonus question: what if I prefer music that differs from my church's mission? That's hard. Seek the Father. Ask if He wants you to be there. If so, die to yourself in this way. At least for a while. Then start having the questions about mission with your leadership team. If it is clear that nothing is likely to change, seek the Father again. Hear from God. Do what He says. Serve your people. Love them with your musical choices. Fuel their mission.
Better yet, do everything you can to fuel His mission.
What are your thoughts?
