Are you a pastor trying to make needed changes in the church, but meeting a lot of resistance every time you introduce something new, like a worship song, curriculum or order of service? Here’s a universal truth that I discovered through decades of experience trying to bring needed change in a church: New music is […]
New Music Is Not Worth Fighting For – So What Is? Read More »
Are you a pastor trying to make needed changes in the church, but meeting a lot of resistance every time you introduce something new, like a worship song, curriculum or order of service? Here’s a universal truth that I discovered through decades of experience trying to bring needed change in a church: New music is
New Music Is Not Worth Fighting For – So What Is? Read More »
Our church uses a lot of different tools to reach unchurched people, from personal invitations to community service events and more. But our church’s song list is not an evangelism tool. It’s meant to glorify God and involve the saints in worship.
So, if you and your church like singing the great old hymns of the church, go for it! Prefer new songs? Sing them with all your heart. But there’s no reason to keep knocking those who sing a different set of songs than your church does.
No, Our Church Doesn’t Sing New Music to Appeal to Nonbelievers Read More »
Billy Graham called him, “The greatest hymn-writer of our age. The modern-day John Wesley.”
Andrae Crouch went to be with Jesus yesterday at the age of 72.
Even though I never met him in person, few people outside my own family had as deep and lasting an impact on my formative years as Andrae did.
The first record I ever bought was Just Andrae. I was 12. A friend had played Just Andrae for me on his car cassette player, and from that moment I did everything I could to raise the $3 needed to buy the album for myself. I can still remember my mother driving me home from the record store as I sat in the back seat and tore the plastic off the bright, blue cover featuring Andrae’s profile with that cool denim jacket and mutton-chop sideburns.
When we got home, I don’t know if the car was fully stopped when I jumped out and ran into the house. I placed the needle on fresh vinyl, turned up the volume as loud as my mother would allow and heard what still stands as some of the greatest music ever recorded.
When it finished playing on both sides, I listened to it again. And again. I drove my parents so crazy with listening to it that they bought me my first set of headphones for my birthday.
I dare you to sit still as you watch and listen to this YouTube clip of Andrae singing “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus.”
My Tribute to Andrae Crouch – He’s Gone to See the King Read More »
If your church has someone who is willing to lead your congregation in worship consistently, humbly and reliably, you need to take time to thank them on a regular basis.
Actually, don’t just thank them. Encourage them. Support them. And run interference for them.
This also applies to youth workers, children’s ministers, seniors leaders, and others. But I’m focusing on worship leaders today for one simple reason.
There is no ministry in our churches under more attack today than our worship departments and their leaders.
Yes, at times they are part of the problem. But, more often than not, they’re the unfairly-accused victim.
As pastors, we know what it’s like to work hard, only to have every decision second-guessed, to have every sermon dissected, and to get little to no acknowledgment for our hard work.
Well, we’re not alone. Our worship leaders face the same problems. Sometimes worse. And sometimes their pastors are adding to this pressure instead of helping to relieve it.
7 Important Reasons to Thank Your Worship Leader Today Read More »
Well that was fun!
Monday’s post, God Has Never Done a New Thing Using Old Songs, received more comments than any other post over any two day period in the history of this site. It also stirred things up on Twitter, Facebook and my email inbox.
Yet, in spite of all the passion, the commenters were civil, thoughtful, reasonable and very helpful. No name-calling, mean language or accusations of heresy in the whole bunch. Whadya know, maybe we can have disagreements on the internet and still respect each other. Way to go, everyone!
Since there were so many great questions and comments raised by Monday’s post, today’s post is a collection of questions and responses that added something new to the conversation. This way, you won’t have to scroll through everything just to see where the conversation went.
So, with genuine thanks to everyone who participated in the conversation, here’s how some of the Comments and Responses went.
Every Revival Has Its Own Soundtrack (New Music, Part 2) Read More »
Every old song used to be a new song.
I wonder who the first worship director was who said “hey, I like that new song John Newton wrote,” before introducing Amazing Grace to the church.
Whoever it was, he probably had to deal with complaints from church members who didn’t think it was as good as the hymns they were used to singing. “In six verses the name of Jesus isn’t mentioned once, but it says ‘me’, ‘my’ and ‘I’ thirteen times! Today’s songs are so self-centered and shallow!”
In a recent post entitled, Six Reasons Some Churches Are Moving Back to One Worship Style, Thom Rainer tells us that, according to some of his recent surveys, the contemporary vs traditional worship wars may be drawing to a close.
I hope new music won.
God Has Never Done a New Thing Using Old Songs Read More »
