Music Styles Debate

Over on a Certain Youthpastor.com listserv a youth minister got complaining about the "Traditional" music his church uses and why he couldn't be hip enough like the Mcdonalds church down the street.

Here are some thoughts I've had:

1. We equate hymns and old as being irrelevant and uncontemporary
and discount the heritage and traditions that make up the church.

2. We think we need to reach young people to be the leaders of the church of tomorrow meanwhile discounting the old in that or discounting the young that they are the church in the present and now.

3. We equate Music Styles as that of Church Growth. (When was the last time a contemporary service brought more to Christ?) Interesting enough a study on some of our megachurches .... alot are more traditional and those that added newer style never won people (some needs to look at sally M.'s article from REV ...Worship as Evangelism) Article Found here


4. "The church is too caught up in the Burger King slogan 'We're going to have it our own way."

-never could say it better. Kudos. Almost seems like youth ministry at times ...we're going to have it our own way ...we're going to go contemporary and not even consider the context nor culture nor personal issues struggles of the church and just insult everyone and not be very Christ like because you know it is all about music styles and our choices to help young people right away, right? We need to be patient, loving, and patient, and praying. Sometimes the best youth ministries aren't built upon music styles but on Jesus. Perhaps a Jesus centered youth ministry with some mentoring by older adults who love the hymns might be beneficial and an unique ministry opportunity to both young and old.

- Of course this issue is somewhat amusing because we have people that had been visiting our church and saying we're too contemporary ... and they love the hymns.
-Why is it so much about THEIR music choice and not so much about serving Jesus?

Worship is an expression, attitude, and should be ongoing and every consuming and not be a style. Worship doesn't set the mood for the sermon. Worship is the sermon. Worship is serving in the kitchen. Worship is a reflection of what we love and who we are. If we truly worship God then when we drive, sleep, wake, walk, talk, act, be ....should all be a reflection of our worship.
People equate singing along as worship ...it isn't. Worship is much more than just singing.
People think singing hymns - isn't worship ... But it can be a reflection from people's hearts.
So often the focus is on the mode or style rather than the heart.
When people say I don't like the worship service - it isn't because of the Worship as much as it is to their own individual "preference" or style.
How selfish! Traditional, contemporary .... who in hell cares? (Yup hell doesn't care because we are divided over petty music styles and meanwhile people are going to hell)
Worship while you read, watch TV, show people who you love. You show me your homes and I can tell you what you worship!

A Christian Nation

Seems there is debate
over whether or not America started out as a Christian nation. My thoughts is it was established by Judea-Christian principles but some of the Founding Fathers were far from Christian. (George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson - who had his own mistress on the side and rewrote the Bible).

Did each time period have its struggles and issues to deal with? You bet!

I think if we elevate America as a Christian nation, we do a dis-service to that of the Kingdom of God is bigger than any one nation and that our citizenship ultimately is not here on this earth. I'm all for patriotism but I'm cautious of blending that of political agenda and Christianity.

I think God works and gives the authorities He does for a time and that we are to respect them. Thoughts? Do you think America is a Christian nation or was? Some point to the founding fathers - others to the 50s (When the good ole hymns were sung right?) And sometimes I wonder why the church gets caught up in all this. Interesting enough is our non-instrumental brethen don't seem to struggle as much in their churches with this patroitism issue. (Some don't have the American or Christian flag in their assemblies)

Ministry in a Post-tradition School.

So I've begun ministry with several elementary and middle schoolers starting year round schools. Sure, I have some traditional schools, Christian schoolers and so forth. The whole Year round also affected my family.



So here are some things I have to consider in this post-traditional school world. (It affects my High schoolers too due to their siblings being in year round as well).

1. Retreats and outings will be harder to pull off.
2. A week of Vacation Bible School VBS might be a thing of the past. Most parents will be vacationing or trying to do camps etc in June before school starts in July.
VBS curriculum might be more incorporated into the regular programming such as Children's Church.
3. Camp ministry will definitely look different and be rare.
4. Thinking outside the box on service opportunities etc.
5. Be supportive of parents. There will be breaks overlapping but know time is valuable.
6. Alot of programming will run year round but break in June instead of whole summers. Several of the children's and student ministries will probably be mainly focused on Sundays.
7. Fall kick-offs, promotion Sundays, will be either non-existing or done differently as the season changes.
8. Be aware of the cultural change of this to not only your ministry but families, schools and how people react.
9. Fall break, Spring break, easter break, summer break will no longer be in your vocabulary list. It will be so when does your track have break? What Track # are you?
10. There is a cost. Some in savings, some in looking for items. Back to school sales will be too late in the Fall. When most stores are marketing that - you had been in school for months.
11. Things like SYATP seem almost trendy and as jumping the shark and old school and missing the point. When it first started (See you at the Pole) it was seen as a prayer movement to pray for the schools and students, teachers and so forth at the start of the school year.. It seems now almost to be a past WWJD trend.
12. There will not be alot of youth workers that can identify with you and the issues you have with this new type of ministry in a "year round" system. Empathy will be rare.
13. One has to be creative to visit the schools. Even if you have students from several schools or year round or not. The issue isn't just visiting campus .. but when? 10:30 lunches, 11am lunch, when, where etc. Use the times when special events happen to visit the campus. Our local one is Cary Band day where thousands of people come to Cary High school to hear a variety of different High school marching bands.
14. The post-tradion school debate won't go away. With continual growth and more people come to the area ... opportunities arise to either make the best of it or to sit and moan. I'm past the grumbling now. I'm onto trying to ministry in this unique environment. I don't even think that the Wake County school board has even thought out how this affects different churches, camps and so forth ... (Though I wonder if they have a contract or agreement with the YMCA chapter here because there seems to be alot of presence on the school campuses of the YMCA and when the kids are on their tracking out and the YMCA filling this area while both parents work)

Interesting Report on Yr Round


Year round info

My Rant Against TV preachers

I think that TV preachers are a crock!

(Some might point out we're not to judge but we are to judge those inside the faith and expose those in posing as sheep who are really wolves)

Here is why: (You will notce these are generalizations but apply but not all Christain TV preachers are bad though they are rare)

1. They seem to sell themselves rather than God.
2. They elevate themselves rather than God.
3. They promote a false gospel of health and wealth.
4. They tend to ask for money more than anything else.
5. They make a joke and mockery of Jesus.
6. The tend to be bluehaired and cheesy in their methods.
7. Cultural irrelevant!
8. When was the last time someone became a Christian from a TV show?
9. Do we really need any more Christian informercials?
10. Their promotion of Jesus junk almost seems to have Jesus want to go into their TV studio and turn over alot more than tables.