how long has the worship conversation been going on?

I feel the next major conversation about worship will be dealing with how performance driven worship bands are. There are a few tipping points that will push this conversation into our churches. Many churches are still deeply entrenched in the conversation about cultural relevancy (contemporary vs. blended vs. traditional). The new trend discussion but will performance driven worship vs. (and I am reporting here) "a more worshipful experience".


Some of the underlying elements at play in the old conversation have been: the songs chosen for corporate worship (hymns vs. choruses), if songs contain enough scripture, if drums are used in the presentation and on the list can go. We are all rather familiar with this old discussion. Digging deeper we find intertwined is the personality and countenance of the main leader in the corporate setting. Specifically, was this person showy or not. Are they perceived as authentic in their desire to point people towards encountering Christ during the service. The success of a church changing their worship culture largely leans upon the perceived motives of this main one leader. The tradition in many of our churches of one main leader has many roots of it's own. Challenging that model is difficult. It takes more work to have multiple leaders exemplifying community on stage. Some serious further consideration concerning it's long term ramifications on the culture of a church should be done. There are plenty of healthy examples. One will find there are still strong leaders involved. They are just leaders with a broader stewardship view of art in the church than the Matchbox 20 looking band leading worship.

Our churches have purchased electric instruments (yes I'm smiling), acquired artists and technical directors as student ministries have followed suit. Yes the pervasive influence of main stream pop culture infiltrated our church when CCM decided to make a subculture with sub par art! I would challenge church leaders to attribute those things to God which he deserves. Some of our advancement in the arts has not come from main stream pop culture but in fact from the gifting of the Holy Spirit to individuals in the body. This has happened in concert with all of nature echoing we are truly being made in the image of our creator as creators.

It is difficult to make general statements about the church or the overall state of the Church in America. Let's try anyway. There seems to be a surge in worship feeling more concert like and presentation focused in the coming years. I can foresee a large group of people who are still ministered to by this and fully participating in the corporate service with even less inhibitions. I do not personally advocate this direction which will cause division in our body.

On the other hand I see a large push back from those who feel it is unauthentic and does not bring glory to God. My gut tells me that much of this worship war aligning will come from music preference more so than methodological opinions. This group of people will agree that our gifts should be used in the body to celebrate Christ. The point of tension will be centered around just how produced will we allow our services to become. The main question this group will pose is, "where will it lead?". Will services previously designed to encounter God become so entertaining that we lose our purpose of eklesia?

One major happening confusing this whole new conversation will be the state of Christian music today. I don't necessarily think this stems from something bad; but 5 of todays top 10 Christian songs are by worship band/leaders. (See Billboard top 10 here)
These bands rose in popularity because they were touching the pulse of Christian interests through the rise of worship experiences over the past 10 years. There is a large group of people pointing to the marketed and secularization of worship music.

These conversations are VERY OLD! Check out this link to see the riff Niceta, Bishop of Remesiana, settles on weather or not Psalms should be sung out loud in church or not. He then goes on to describe proper artistic nuances for appropriate corporate singing. It is almost like he's introducing us to this new wave of worship conversations we'll all soon find ourselves in.

a ray of hope . . . kind of . . .

I was excited to see the results of a recent study Dr. Gary Zustiac shared with me on what makes jr high students happy. Time with parents. That is the great part. The other side of that is just because this makes them happy, or so they related to this study, doesn't necessarily mean they are receiving quality time with parents.

There seems to be plenty of evidence out there right now about the demise of the nuclear family along with it's impact on students. It is refreshing to see a study show signs of influence from parents. The question still is just because many parents hold this influence are they exerting it. The more pertinent question for those of us ministering to Jr. High students is what is the best forum to encourage, inform and persuade parents to exercise this authority.

The link has some other interesting findings from the Jr High world view as well.

and still more on the worship discussion

After all the thoughts we have shared I saved some of mine for now. These comments all also resonate with much of the evaluations I read over last year from student leaders on the Believe tour.

Johnny says . . .

• I would also rather cut three slow songs to talk about one so students can connect with it in a more meaningful way. I think it is okay to plant seeds with songs in student’s minds to ‘marinate’ as Brandon said; but it needs to start from something concrete and also have an immediate win. For instance, I don’t think students understand the shortness of life and the depth of it’s “valley of the shadow of death” scripture reference in Matt Redman’s “You Never Let Go”. Nor do I think they can grasp the concept of death being sweet when we sing of an “end to these troubles” as I do at 31 years old . . .er young. I do however see that they know pain in their life and it is just as real to them as it is me. They do seek a father who will never let go of them. That is an immediate win they understand that is grounded in the scripture that will grow with them on their faith Journey.

• Marko’s comments are the same things he was challenging me with during last year’s tour at times. It was good. I think we become familiar with songs and our students so much that we fail to invite (not guilt!!!) them to participate in worship (physically and contemplatively). The phrase ‘suggest to students’ is key. Jr high students are at a place developmentally where they no longer are satisfied with going through the motions at church because the adults ask them to (churched and unchurched students). I think we should encourage this. Help them realize what they are struggling with without perhaps even knowing it. I’m finding students more engaged when they are told that this worship time is theirs to use to connect with God. Telling them that they DON’T HAVE to sing if they feel the need to just sit and listen for God. Or giving them the permission to go to the sides or back of the room to kneel are concrete ways that communicate we are only providing another way for them to worship God.

• Also, one practice I have recently adopted is to take the text of every song in a given evening of programming and put it in one word document without any of the chord chart information. I then read through that message. Many times we pick songs on the ebb and flow or ‘feel’ we are going for. When it comes time for a transition into a slower set we then really think about the words. This practice opened my eyes in a different way to our overarching message on any given night.

• This is a small thing that we do but I see big results. I put medium hand clapping songs up front in sets saving the songs that my students are likely to celebrate in active ways on in the three and four spot. People in general like to warm up to an experience. An invitation to jump around doesn’t seem as intrusive after I have warmed up my vocal cords, moved my hands, looked around the room, watched the band for a song, gave someone a high five during a meet and greet time and acclimated somewhat into this cooperate identity. If you blow your best participation songs up front because you just want to come out swinging you will have no steam when the students are up to your speed fasty! They haven’t been at Church all day waiting around. Along the same lines I see a direct correlation between high levels of activity/participation during songs of celebration and involvement in small group questions (or other program elements). The rational here being: if this is a safe place to jump around and let my cool guard down a little bit then it might also be a safe place to share feelings, and so on.

• To me the ‘hook’ in songs are the tipping point on weather or not we’ll do it after the filter of: “does it say what we need to say tonight in an age appropriate way”. I want to have kids walk out humming the unforgettable parts of songs or see an upbeat song become a rally point for a small group. There are so many people writing incredible songs that have scripture in them that I just won’t settle for a song I can’t remember the melody too. We should be melody snobs for our kids! For instance, “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman is a song that seems to strike a deep (and many times painful) cord with many students the very first time when it is set up well. It has an incredible tag that my two year old loves, scripture, hope in light of past hurt but I think this is all delivered effectively because the ‘melodic hook’ is so strong. We are all talking about this because the Spirit works through music, I think that the Spirit, being an artist, is a melody snob too 

Some more songs:

• Steve Fee’s “We Shine” (you can lead the students in scream/chanting the chorus really cool on this one with your fist in the air . . . that never gets old)
• “Your Love Endures Forever” by Tree 63 . . . hmm might be By the tree. I always get those two tree bands mixed up. Easy Chords/playability for youth bands
• And yes, anything by United HillSongs, like “Take it All”

Jr High Believe’s 2007 – 2008 Connect Tour Set List:

Believe Connect Se...

Hosted by eSnips

continued discussion on leading jr high worship

In light of yesterday’s comments I asked Yancy Richmond, new to the Believe tour as a worship leader and artists to weigh in on our conversation. Yancy has been doing pre-teen and jr high worship leading for about 7 years. Until recently she has been on staff in Tulsa, OK at Church on the Move working in Oneighty with programming and bands. We are excited to share this new chapter with Yancy has she joins the CIY Believe Tour and the CIY Superstart Pre-teen Tour.

Yancy says,

Jr. high students change. One week you do a song it they love it. They're into it, everybody's having fun, clapping, singing.........next time you do the song, it's flat, they are bored. You scratch your head and think well 3 weeks ago you loved the song, what's the deal? There are songs that work for your group for a season. Let go. Don't keep forcing "Here I Am To Worship" week after week. It's a great song. It's even better just a couple times per year like pulling out home movies and having fun with the good ol' days. "How Great Is Our God" is headed there. Keep things fresh. Pay attention to your students and tweak your set-lists based upon them. I will tell you a couple songs that worked great with our students from day 1: Yes, You Have by Leeland, You Never Let Go by Mat Redman, You Are Good by Jeff Deyo, We Shine by Steve Fee.

Lead them. It's as simple as that. I've found that most local church worship leaders are singing songs but they aren't necessarily leading through their stage presence, action and example leading the group. So #1 it takes a strong personality, focus and drive. If you are leading worship you need to lead in countenance which speaks louder than words and sets tone/culture (part of the job title, in my opinion). How do you do that? It starts with a plan. Have a plan of where you are going to go, things you want to say etc.(In just the same way a speaker practices their points worship leaders should write and practice their transition. You NEVER here of this! The audience trusts you to take them on a worship journey. If you don't have a map-they're not going to get there.

From my experience of leading worship at Oneighty-Our services were very content driven and focused regarding the theme of the night and the best ways we could teach, convey, live and breathe that theme. What does that mean? Two things. The first, just like Johnny mentioned (not yet posted), know the lyrics of the song. Plan songs that tie in to what the message is. I know not all subjects have a corresponding worship tune we can sing but there are a lot of lines that can be drawn......will the students always get that we were pointing to the subject even during our worship time? Not necessarily but music captures times in our lives. What if the next time that student hears that song or it pops in their mind they are reminded of what they were taught in that message? That is seeds taking root in their lives. Number two, don't get in a church rut. We didn't just plan our services the same way each week. 3 songs, offering, announcements, message, game, over. We planned our services around each individual theme. What is best. What moments do we want to create for our students to best illustrate that talk. Sometimes that means less worship time....sometimes that means more worship time. Occasionally that may mean a whole night of worship. Plan your set around what you need ie. Energy, participation, emotional, sincere worship.

I was once told by a young adult youth leader that thinking back on his teenage years he didn't want to just be told to worship but he was much more compelled to worship when he was told a really good reason as to why he should worship. This conversation stopped me in my tracks and really made me decide "if I don't have anything good to say I'm not going to say anything." I'm not going to just be hot spiritual air that doesn't inspire my group of students to sing any louder or worship any harder. What are you teaching your students about worship? This isn't something that's going to happen in one message about worship.....your students aren't going to perfectly figure it out in one night but week by week, nugget by nugget you can build a foundation in them that loves and desires to worship.