I know many, many churches have moved beyond the "worship wars" concerning stylses of music. Hallelujah!
But I also know there are tens of thousands of churches trying to walk the line of a blend that keeps everybody happy. I'm not criticizing that choice, and I am not endorsing that choice. I simply want to offer 5 tips for how to make the "line" less divisive.
1) Choose worship music from an attitude of service and submission. If you are hearing folks request either specific titles or general styles of songs that they want to be part of their worship gatherings, use them. It doesn't have to be the next Sunday, but find a way to include those songs/styles. If you are hearing about "good old hymns" then look for a repackaged version. I just found one (Nothing But the Blood - III) that really connected where I'm leading right now. Check it out here.
2) Point people to Jesus and the words instead of to sounds and styles. One of my mentors used to introduce new and old songs with the phrase "great set of words." I've adopted his approach often. If the song is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" you can say it is a "great set of words" about one of the most comforting truths that runs throughout the scriptures. Or if the song is "One Thing Remains" you can say it is a "great set of words" about one of the most comforting truths that runs throughout the scriptures. While different segments of your congregation might connect with the sounds and styles of those two songs, everyone can connect with the Biblical truth of God's faithfulness.
3) Use up-to-date sounds with old-time songs. In addition to the sample I gave you in #1 above, I have a whole list of repackaged hymns on my website. There are lots of styles of repackaging--from Passion to Vineyard to Hillsong to LIfeway to contemporary Christian artists. (and more) Find the styles/sounds that resonate with most of your folks.
4) Experiment with new music. Try using contemporary songs from different streams of contemporary music. Broaden the variety of new songs. If you've only introduced Chris Tomlin (which would be understandable!) add some others to the mix. Look to sources like KLove, PraiseCharts, and SongSelect for a sampling that crosses some of those style lines.
5) Focus on spiritual formation between Sundays. The more conversations you can have about the Biblical reasons for the choices you're making, the more people can buy into a vision based on God's word than into their (our) own preferences. If you don't have biblical reasons for the choices you're making, perhaps it's time to visit that before attempting anything else on this list. If you'd like some help thinking through those dynamics, it would be my honor to partner with you through Worship Coach consulting.
What about you? Do you have other suggestions to share?
Rod, fantastic words of advice. I think you summed it up in this statement, " If you don't have biblical reasons for the choices you're making, perhaps it's time to visit that before attempting anything else on this list."
ReplyDeleteMany times I think we as leaders follow the easy path to playing to our preferences. I often sculpt services that make it 'easy' for me to worship. That's why I plan them, because I worship as I plan and brainstorm. In assuming that most of us plan that way, I find that I don't ask the question, "what does my church desire" nearly enough. Certainly I know what I want to teach, but if I am not meeting the desire of their hearts, and I truly leading, or simply trying to change?
Thank you for this article. I appreciated your words.
For anyone struggling with worship change in your church, Rod makes a GREAT worship coach.
So glad these words have served you, my friend! And thank you for your kind comments!
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