RE: [Worship] The right questions...

[Bruce.Kunkle@us.pilkington.com]

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Dixie,

Perhaps you could have a time of worship before the regular service.  You'd
have to call it "worship in singing" or some such thing (because to call it
just "worship" would imply that what was to follow was not worship).  Or you
might start a Saturday night service (once a month or so, to begin).

I think you need to clarify, in a very non-threatening way, what the older
folk are afraid of or repulsed by that prevents them from allowing this.
This would include things like:
*	Charisphobia
*	Too much contemporary music
*	Reduced sermon length
*	Change (we'll be something different and those who like it the way
it is will leave)
*	Emotionalism
*	Pointless repetition
*	Don't like the worship team
*	Etc.

All of these are issues that can be addressed honestly and in a forthright
manner that could go a long way toward allaying the fears or concerns of the
older set.  Some of it involves teaching, some involves compromise and some
is simple politics: just go slow and phase things in with a period of
evaluation after a while.  If your senior pastor and other important leaders
are not in one accord on any such changes, give up.  They won't happen.  But
if everyone is together, you can turn the big boat around; it just takes a
while.

Bruce Kunkle
www.contemporaryworship.net 

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Northdixie@aol.com [mailto:Northdixie@aol.com]

		We didn't want to make wholesale changes and ignore the
needs of the older people in our congregation (who are the majority).  But
there is a group of people that would like to see us do 1/2 hour of
continuous music in preparation for hearing the Word.