Dual-Format Worship Services

Generally the difference in the two is the music, although there are other factors. Having seperate services divides the church into "us" and "them" groups, usually older folks and younger ones. How can we learn respect for each other if we are split in two? It also deprives each group from being edified by the other's music. Music in church should be a mix of the best from all time periods.

Having two services is the easy (coward's?) way out. Blended worship takes work and committment.

 

First let me say I was the one who mentioned that. I am the Pastor of a small rural church and we have no need for two services, but the last pastor tried it anyway. It is devicive. How can we be one body and in unity if we will stay away from one another because of music preferences? It also shows the mind set of the church today. " I am here for what I want. " "I am here for what you can do for me." Now I have a music background and love music from clear across the spectrum. I know that is not the majority view, but it is mine. I think the scripture being extreamly quiet about music tells us something. It is a non issue! It is one of the most frequently used tools to divide and conqure the body that our enemy employs today.


Any thoughts?

 

I agree whole hearted

 

The dual-service format has worked to our church's benefit, albeit, in a round about way. By some churches forcing their 'older' group into an 8:15 or 8:30 AM 'traditional' service, they have left and came to our church. They have told me that they felt the church forsaked them in order to go after a more 'younger' group. The benefit for us was that this 'older' group happened to be tithers, and when starting a new church, it helped us to get established very quickly. Sadly, this is not a preferred method of growing a church; however, they seem to be doing very well in our church. Their wisdom and maturity has really helped with the education and training of new converts. Many are like spiritual grandparents, and contribute a lot more than their money.

 

Money is not the bottom line, but we do need to keep in mind who pays the bills. I don't want to give them special privliges, but they are being good stewards. I think the blended service meets the needs of most people. You can never please everyone.

 

Money is not the bottom line, but we do need to keep in mind who pays the bills. I don't want to give them special privliges, but they are being good stewards. I think the blended service meets the needs of most people. You can never please everyone. </font>[/QUOTE]Agree. We have to trust in God to provide for the support of the church. Thankfully, he did take care of that aspect for us. And, because these folks are faithful stewards, they are contributing a lot more than their money. Although they feel that their churches 'forsaked' them for a younger crowd, it is interesting in how much they have become involved with the young people in our church. We have had some in their 50's and 60's accompanying the youth group as chaperones on multi-day conferences, and some do not even have children or grandchildren in the church. As a result of the older ones coming to our church, some have had their families also visit, and they have ended up joining the church. I know that a church cannot please everyone, but maybe if the churches would have tried to be more inclusive with these folks, they would have stayed and probably would have worked real hard to help bring them in. Instead, they felt they were exiled. Of course, considering that many stayed, it was not a shared feeling of many.

 

We're using a blended format, and it is working pretty well. We've tried to stay away from the extremes of traditional and contemporary so that everyone seems to enjoy the arrangement. In other words - and to put in bluntly - we're not rockin' the house with new stuff, nor are we putting people to sleep with old stuff.

Please don't flame me for the last comment - just giving perspective from "both sides of the aisle." And the way we're doing it right now seems to be working very well. Amongst traditionalists, they have a favorable attitude toward the new songs because we're not getting to "way out there." And among the folks that like contemporary, they have a favorable attitude toward the hymns because we're doing mostly well-known and upbeat hymn standards.

It's working for us, anyway...

 

Larry it devides the fellowship of beievers. Denominations have already done that in some extent and this is the final straw that breaks the cames back. If the church is being lead in correct biblical teachings then there is no need for different types of services.

 

I fail to see how it divides the fellowship. To someone like me, I fail to see the relevance of MOST (not all, but most) old-fashioned hymns to true praise and worship. MOST new worship songs give us a much more intimate way of praising the Lord, crying out to him, etc., than do the old hymns, which are testaments of what our faith is. When I am in a traditional service, I (along with the vast majority of my generation) have a difficult time finding the worship aspect of hymns. The new songs enable me to more eloquently than I ever could on my own express my gratification, awe, honor, etc. of our risen Lord.

That being said, there are many old-timers who really enjoy the statements of faith the old hymns provide. And that's fine. Having split worship services does no more to divide the body than does having age-group or interest-based small groups. That's just my opinion.

 

This is an interesting thought. I don't see small groups doing this, but I do see this happening in our younger generations. Small groups usually function at a seperate time than everything else, but I've seen youth group used as a seperate church. They can also be devisive. As for the comment on Hymns and this generation; I DON'T BUY IT. Next thing we will be hereing ( and it's already the thought of alot of people) is that I can worship during the preaching of the Word. It's all in how the worshipper approaches it.

 

PJeff, what's there not to buy? From someone who was born and raised in a traditional SB church (FBC-Lawton) and now attends a church that rarely does hymns (oh, and I am of this new generation, I'm 28) I can say definitively that the comments I made about the nature of hymns is true.

 

And, my comment had nothing to do with WHEN worship is conducted, but how.

 

I believe that separate, contemporary services are needed only in churches that are failing the needs of the young members of the congregation. Our youth today need a lot more from a church than loud, noisy, “music” with lyrics written by teenagers who have never read the Bible. I further believe that it is the responsibility of the church’s minister of music to be not only highly skilled in writing, arranging, and conducting much of the music used in the worship services and musical specials, but also to be highly skilled in inspiring young people to learn how play a wide variety of musical instruments in a wide variety of formats, and to worship God in a spiritual manner that will not inspire cries of "blasphemy!" from the older members.

I believe that much of the rebellion in young people today is caused by the lack of appreciation of them on the part of the older folks. And I believe that much of their “music” is an expression of this rebellion. This rebellion is also an expression of their need to be an integral and vital part of the Church, including the worship in the church. It is also an expression of a severe lack of spirituality and a severe lack of knowledge of New Testament doctrines. When essential New Testament concepts such as mercy and grace are confused with one another, as is often the case in music written by young people, there is something radically wrong that needs to be fixed.

We need to have programs in our churches where our young people are shown that they are an integral and vital part of the Church and that they are very much appreciated. We also need to have programs in our churches where our young people learn the doctrines of the Bible, not just by wrote, but through inductive Bible studies until they themselves can lead such Bible studies for the less mature young people.

The young people in our churches are all called by God to serve Him, and our churches need to recognize this, and discover these callings among our young people, and encourage and help our young people to learn how to serve God in their calling. Youth services provide an excellent opportunity for our young people to identify their gifts and callings and put them into operation. Youth services also provide an excellent opportunity for our young people to explore music and worship, and provide an excellent opportunity for them to express themselves to God in worship that comes from their hearts and minds rather than ours. But these youth services must NOT take the place of the congregational services.

 

I too am from this generation. I am going to be 30 in Jan. I have a wide range of "likes" when it comes to the music, but it doesn't matter in the end. To say they are irrelevant to todays youth is almost a claim that the doctrine they speak of is irrelevant. I disagree with the idea that hymns are outdated. It is the same argument with the KJV.( Please don't take this referance and run with it people ). I feel the hymns are very relevant and even frresh when new Christians are maturing in their faith. These hymns speak to the things the church should be teaching.

 

I like both kinds of music. However, I do feel more "at church" with the hymns. Some times it seems that the praise music becomes more of a show/production than I am comfortable with. When three guitars, a keyboard, a piano, a set of drums, flute, and a tambourine get to going, sometimes it seems like some are trying to compete with each other...especially among the singers.

The basic thing is to not worry about the music, but make sure the message stays the same.

 

As far as music goes, any appropriate song (whether traditional or new) offered to the Lord with power & conviction in sincere worship would be acceptable to Him. And it's okay that people enjoy different styles - we don't all have to be the same. But an old hymn sung with renewed conviction and strength is very powerful, even in the most modern of congregations.

Where some worship teams make their mistake is in this: that they seek a form of music that will connect with the congregation, rather than realizing that worship in music should be believers connecting with their God.

When we use worship in music as a praise to God, referring all of our attention to Him, the genuine nature of worship toward God is what becomes attractive to people - whether traditional or contemporary.

 

AMEN!!!

 

You're not going to get an argument from when, Jeff, when you say, "These hymns speak to the things the church should be teaching." That's exactly what most hymns are, they're songs which portray and speak to the foundations of our faith and what we believe.

What many, many young people like myself are asking, and what has lead to this new "revolution" (if you will) in praise music is this question: Is a song that simply speaks to what we believe really a song that praises God? Many of us don't, in our heart of hearts, believe that to be so. Therefore, "we" (Dennis Jernigan, Hillsong, Third Day, etc.) have written and published songs that God obviously put on their hearts to revive a generation that found themselves bored at church for the simple reason that in so many aspects worship, scripture reading, etc., seemed to be a formality and not something to be personal. Like I said before, the modern praise music is specifically written so that the words the singer sings are indicative of their hearts cry TO God, instead of their beliefs ABOUT God. There is a fundamental difference there, and for some of you to say we are "rebelling" or that we have a "severe lack of knowledge of NT doctrines" YOU are the ones who are ignorant.

And Craig, don't mean to pick on you, but please name one modern praise song that confuses grace and mercy? I am absolutely confident you will not find one. But if you can, please advise.

Sadly, I think many of you have your negative opinions about the new music from heresay or someone else's opinion, not from personal experience.

 

Jason, I hear what you're saying, but I don't think your assertion about hymns is completely true. If you look hard enough, you will find that many hymns speak of the wonders of God. In doing so, I believe this kind of honest praise reaches God's ears.

In that way, it is the congregation and the individual that makes the difference - not the lyrics. If a person worships (in song) in spirit and in truth, that is what matters, not whether God is being addressed in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person.

I hope I'm being objective here, because I find great value in both styles - traditional and contemporary. So I guess you wouldn't be surprised to know that my church enjoys a blended worship style.