RE: [Worship] On my own

["Cooper, Stewart" <Stewart.Cooper@jacobs.com>]

Tom in Katy wrote:
Are there any other frozen chosen out there?

Tom,
    I would like to first say that you are not on your own, either in this
world or in your church.  I truly believe this.  I may not have any answers
to your specific situation, but I hope I can offer encouragement
none-the-less.
       Depending on who is leading, the people in the pews (or folding
chairs, or whatever) will migrate to what they are comfortable with.  Some
will actually find that they are comfortable with just about anything, while
others are looking for something specific.  Those that are looking for
something specific will eventually leave to go to a new church if the
situation that brought them to the first church changes and stays that way
for a long time.  I suspect there are those in your church who would really
enjoy the new guitar and keyboard driven contemporary praise music that has
become very popular lately, but there may not be a good forum for its
presentation.
    Here's a look from another viewpoint.  I have been a member of the same
Presbyterian Church in Houston for the last 25 years and our church has
cycled in and out of active participatory worship, for lack of a better
description, throughout that time.  15 years ago our church hired a new
music minister who is classically trained and excellent with choirs, organs
and the like.  He was put in charge of our contemporary worship service as
well as our traditional service.  Over the period of fifteen years the
contemporary service gradually turned in to an informal traditional service,
and I didn't even realize it for half that time.  Six years ago, I finally
realized that I no longer was excited about corporate worship anymore, and
most of my joy of going to church on Sunday mornings was seeing my friends.
My first inclination was to go find something else at another church, but
after being a member at the same church for so long, becoming a visitor was
very lonely.  My whole family was miserable, and we felt so disconnected.
    My best friend and I decided one night at Fuddruckers (a hamburger
joint) that we would ask the elders at our church if we could start a
Saturday Night Praise and Prayer service.  Long story short...We had a new
youth pastor who was looking for an outlet to gain more experience
preaching.  We had others from the congregation who remembered back from the
late 70's/early 80's to our contemporary services.  We had a benefactor
willing to purchase the equipment necessary to upgrade our sound
capabilities.  We asked 100 people from our congregation to commit to one
year of making this service their main worship experience (at least two
Saturday nights a month).  We were corporately determined to not get
discouraged over attendance issues.  We were determined to praise God from
the pulpit without reserve whether we had 25 or 225 people present.  
    Result:  Success with struggles.  It was not easy.  We got discouraged.
We disagreed.  Hurt feelings, unreliable help, short of help.  Some of us
were transferred to California for a year.  We mixed, we matched, etc., etc.
Three years later we average 150 a service and are steadily growing.  Our
church is steadily growing.  There is still pain, and I struggle with the
responsibility and passion for this service daily.  
    It has helped that everyone who comes to this service wants what we have
to offer.  I remember how I felt when we started toning down our original
contemporary worship 15 years ago.  Since it was gradual, I didn't even
notice for 10 years, and, I must say, that there are 300-400 people who like
the old contemporary service just the way it is now, because they are the
people who chose this church for just that style of worship over the last 15
or so years.  All us old timers, who remember the 'good ol' days', have had
to move to Saturday nights.  I couldn't be happier.  My family loves going
to church on Saturday nights.
    I'm sorry, but all this was to say that you cannot possibly know where
God is going to take you with this call.  He truly is wonderful in his love
for us.  Keep your heart in prayer, listening for God's word to you.
Persevere in the work he has called you to.  Listen to your elders, your
friends and those in authority at your church.  Keep them informed of what
you are doing, and work together with them to fulfill this dream.

God Bless,
Stew Cooper



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