do your congregation sing?

martinedwards

I'm a prod.

grew up Presbyterian, and have been Church of Ireland for 30 years, and due to a strange quirk of things in my church, also Methodist for 12 or so too.

I've been around a fair few churches in my time, MAINLY protestant denominations, but a few RC services too.

I lead the music in our church. we have a small band and our congregation are fairly well spread age wise with kiddies underfoot and a bunch of retirees, and all in between.

our people love music and they love to sing.

they love the old favourites but at the same time will come up to me after a service and compliment me on a new song that's been introduced.

I've been to other services where the congregation stand and shuffle through the hymn book and not utter a peep while the organist or musicians do their best to encourage them to sing.

If I'm in another congregation I'll sing out regardless of whether anyone round me is singing or not.

is the mute response common? is it more one denomination than others?

what about your church?

Nick Park

We're a congregation of happy clappy Pentecostals. Sometimes the difficulty is getting them to stop singing so we can do other stuff!

Jellybaby1

We sing old and new. But the new are barely 'tolerated' by some. Rigid stubborness!

Jellybaby1

Any suggestions as to what could be done in order for the traditionalists to happily accept and share a little time for contemporary music in church? When the guitars start up you can almost hear the gritting of teeth!

homer911

I sometimes play some modern Christian music over the speakers at the start and end of the service, no objections so far as long the volume matches the situation

Jellybaby1

homer911 wrote: »

I sometimes play some modern Christian music over the speakers at the start and end of the service, no objections so far as long the volume matches the situation

That must help to make the tunes more familiar to the congregation.

Nick Park

I actually much prefer older hymns - the Charles Wesley stuff that is packed full of doctrinal truths etc.

But the church I lead almost exclusively uses contemporary music. Why? Because we recognise that is more effective in reaching new people with the Gospel.

I think the whole 'worship wars' thing boils down to a simple question. What is more important? Is it keeping the existing members of a church happy? Or is it structuring church in the way that will most effectively reach more people with the Gospel?

martinedwards

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Any suggestions as to what could be done in order for the traditionalists to happily accept and share a little time for contemporary music in church? When the guitars start up you can almost hear the gritting of teeth!

try playing some old hymns as an start.....

be thou my vision
Amazing grace
Thine be the glory

My sometimes bass player......

he's 70.

saw the Stones and the Beatles in Belfast in the 60s......

and Meatloaf and Status Quo in the last 5 years.....

but then My church is very different in a load of ways!

Jellybaby1

martinedwards wrote: »

try playing some old hymns as an start.....

be thou my vision
Amazing grace
Thine be the glory

My sometimes bass player......

he's 70.

saw the Stones and the Beatles in Belfast in the 60s......

and Meatloaf and Status Quo in the last 5 years.....

but then My church is very different in a load of ways!

Those are the traditional hymns they enjoy already. Its a surprise/shock to the traditional members of the congregation when we play Be Though My Vision to the modern (bodhran) beat. Same tune, just a different beat, they still don't get it.

martinedwards

I remember the time.... must be 20 years ago..... we did Faithful on with a Status Quo shuffle......

interesting!

corks finest

Yes,in carrigaline definitely,as we have a vibrant youth folk group,and an equally fab adult one we're blessed,makes the service much more poignant

corks finest

Yes,in carrigaline definitely,as we have a vibrant youth folk group,and an equally fab adult one we're blessed,makes the service much more poignant