I think we may be approaching a tipping point in worship.

Along the lines of my article last week, as our production values increase so has our propensity to be more “professional.” And that usually means “be as much like a rock concert as possible.”

In other words: ear-splitting music where you literally can’t hear the noise coming out of your own mouth as you sit in the congregation and make an attempt to sing the intricate pop melodies only a high tenor can perform.

I’m getting a feeling that more and more people are becoming tired of the commercial shtick. In this article James K. A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College, shares his thoughts on the matter.

Carlos Whittaker, ever the genius at composing provocative worship post titles, blurts out some really good points:

1. Memorize the lyrics.
The confidence monitor has become the worship leaders worst enemy.
People want to see your eyes during a song.

2. Change up your schtick.
If I say “Do You BELIEVE?!!!” more than once in a set, I’m being lazy.
That’s my go to lazy worship leader line.

3. Stop asking if they are happy to be there this morning.
Most of them aren’t.

4. Trim the prayer fat.
I pray Father God, that Father God You show us Father God how amazing you are Father God in our Father God lives.

Continue reading.

Matthew Starner, Director of Worship & Arts at Journey of Faith in Grand Rapids, Michigan gives 5 unique tips for technology:

5. Get On Facebook

Unless you’ve been under a technological rock for the last 5 years, Facebook is pretty much the biggest thing since, well, the internet. Right now, Facebook boasts some 800 million active members. In the United States, more than half of adults are active on Facebook. In short, if your church doesn’t have a presence on Facebook, you’re missing out.

What makes Facebook popular and why it works so well for churches is that it’s all about interaction. Websites are more one-sided: come here and read about or watch what’s happening. Facebook is a place for people to not only read about your church but comment, ask questions, start discussions and engage in community. Yes there are ways to do those things off of Facebook, but if that’s where people are, why not go to them? Continue reading.

Tom McDonald from Enrichment Journal writes about ministering to multiple generations:

I was driving to the office recently and noticed an intriguing church sign: “We are traditional at 8 a.m. We are contemporary at 9 a.m. We are blended at 11 a.m.”

The sign reminded me of an ad I had seen in the newspaper: “We are charismatic in our worship, Baptist in our preaching, and Episcopal at the table.”

Comparing those two examples of life in today’s church shows how demanding it is on pastors and worship leaders to program services that appeal to multiple generations worshiping together under one roof. Interestingly, numerous churches program different kinds of music at different service times, yet have the same sermon throughout the Sunday schedule.

My question is: Is scheduling different worship styles at different times healthy for a local church? There are many voices calling pastors and worship leaders to adapt new trends when contemplating their style of worship in their churches. These novel methods for contemporizing worship seem compelling at first blush. Yet for the Pentecostal church of the 21st century, much is at stake. Continue reading.