Sing A New Song
“Sing a new song” (Ps. 144:9) reminds me of the redemptive process of my spiritual journey. It also relates to our church music discussions. “Comeback Churches” by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson identified their worship mood of comeback churches as celebrative and orderly. Celebrative can mean different things. It doesn’t mean that every worship style will look alike. There is a sense that when we gather together for worship, there is a sense of celebration, energy, passion, joy and gladness. There is something worth celebrating that we have to focus on and talk about. There were churches in the research that discovered their passion for God often by examining their worship.
Worship matters. It is about God and not about what we like or don’t like. We sit around and talk about our style and forget about loving and adoring God. Worship cannot end the refocusing process but it has often been the beginning. Many churches in the research began their transformation by focusing on their worship first.
Most comeback churches experienced changes in worship. How can you lead the church to consider some new ways to express themselves in worship?
- Make sure there is a biblical foundation for everything you do.
- Teach what the bible says about worship
- List churches in your area that offer worship that is connecting people with God in a celebrative way.
- Visit these churches
- Consider trying some different worship in your own church
- Bring it home and discuss the following: What are these churches doing? Why are they doing it? What impact is it having? What are we doing different from them? And Why is what we are doing not working? What can we learn? What can we try? What could we incorporate or implement into our church?
In REV magazine, I found an article by Stephanie Caro about worship planning. She said her church was not a megachurch or even a large church. We’re just a plain old struggling mainline denominational church with about 150 in worship on Sundays. Here are her 10 worship planning commandments:
- There must be coffee.
- We don’t use a printed order of worship.
- Every week is different.
- Each Sunday has a clear theme and spiritual life lesson.
- Communicate the message in at least five ways.
- The entire service is the message.
- We target our services to be about an hour.
- When we do have a sermon, which is most Sundays, the length is 12 to 14 minutes.
- We don’t use official greeters.
- Cultural graphics are important.
In the last 12 months, Stephanie said that her worship service has experienced a 37% growth in attendance. In a recent survey of regular churchgoers, over 90% said they leave church without having “felt a touch from God” We want more for our people. I know you don’t agree with every commandment but some encourages us to think about what we are doing.
What is the appropriate worship for our context? People in Peru worship differently from people in Malaysia because they are in a different context. When Rick Warren planted his church in Orange Co. California, he surveyed what radio station was listened to most and built his worship music around that style. I know churches who are secure and stayed in their traditional worship style. I know others who are in the process of moving from traditional to blended in the next months. I know churches who are satisfied with their blended worship. I know others who are ready to start offering a contemporary service to reach younger adults. What form of music and worship would God use in this context to bring Himself the most glory and honor? How can we have worship here that transforms us and transforms our community and makes Jesus more widely known?
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his Glory and Grace” – Helen Lemmel
I’m coming back to the heart of worship – And it’s all about You. It’s all about You, Jesus – I’m sorry, Lord for the thing I’ve made it – When it’s all about You – It’s all about You, Jesus -Matt Redman
That I’ll wake up to find Your glory defined – And I will finally bow at Your feet – I will lift up Your name in honor and praise – When I cross over Jordan, I know that I’ll be running home to You – Building 429