Music

[Thousand Hills]

Preach the Gospel and the youth God calls will come. If you want to attract youth by luring them in with music, then what are you going to do if musical styles change?

We should never try to attract people with gimmicks.

And what's with the obsession with youth, anyway? Everywhere I look, it seems like all anybody cares about is youth. Why doesn't anybody ever ask what they can do to attract more old people? Why has the church adopted the world's obsession with youth? Why isn't our focus on preaching the Gospel and then, once somebody gets saved, shepherding them in the grace and knowledge of the Lord?

Do you really want to know why young people don't want to go to church? Because too many churches have put such an emphasis on entertaining them that they've never had an opportunity to hear the Gospel or to be discipled. Church is for the Body of Christ. If these young people aren't in the Body of Christ, then church has no meaning for them and, to be honest, if a church believes they should lure young people in by playing rock music, then it's probably going to be a pretty shallow church to begin with.

You may now procede with the name calling and personal attacks that will inevitably follow.

No attacks here, I agree :thumbs:

 

[HAMel]

Did someone suggest that young people should be lured into the church by offering up rock music?

 

[Old Union Brother]

maybe I need to get my 18 year old daughter to tell you what drew her to the church....I can tell you this, it wasn't rock and roll music...

 

[revmwc]

Is this what you had in mind?

Or this one?

Thankds salty but not what i was looking for. Just upload on this site

 

[Salty]

Thankds salty but not what i was looking for. Just upload on this site

As we would say in the Army - "its close enough for government work"

 

[revmwc]

As we would say in the Army - "its close enough for government work"

I just didn't want it going all over, it is a song I wrote and my brother in law enhanced my tune. It is copyrighted but I want a few critques before it hit utube or anything

 

[Salty]

I just didn't want it going all over, it is a song I wrote and my brother in law enhanced my tune. It is copyrighted but I want a few critques before it hit utube or anything

Then send it via PM to a select few - like PS

 

[convicted1]

maybe I need to get my 18 year old daughter to tell you what drew her to the church....I can tell you this, it wasn't rock and roll music...

(((((AMEN!!!!!))))) There is NOTHING like those old lined out songs of Zion, Brother Jeff!! When they are sung in the Spirit, there is no other sound that I'd rather hear!!!

"Salvation, O, the Name I love"
"Grace, 'Tis a Charming Sound"
"Amazing Grace"
"Jesus Grant us a Blessing"
"A Poor Wayfaring Stranger"
"The Day is Past and Gone"
"Tarry with Me, O, My Saviour"
"On Jordan's Stormy Banks"
"Jesus Left His Home in Glory"
"Sweet Glories Rush Upon My Sight"

These are just a FEW of the good'uns we sing in the ORBs people. Praise His sweet name for saving a WRETCH like me!! Hallelujah!!!

i am I AM's!!

Willis

 

[JohnDeereFan]

JohnDeere of the youth who have grown up under your the ministry of your church how many are still actively seeking the Lord in a local church?

It's hard to say.

First of all, we're only about four years old. Second, we don't have a lot of youth. Third, we've never segregated people by age. Fourth, "grown up under the ministry of a church" isn't any more a barometer of salvation than "grown up under the presidency of Richard Nixon".

Of those who have made a profession of Christ, as far as I know, all are still in our church or one of our sister churches and are growing in the Lord.

By the way, you have a very very tight view of gimmick. According to your definition if I'm using something to attract people then it's a gimmick.

Yes, according to the commonly accepted definition of "gimmick", that's a gimmick.

So, your sign in the front of your church is a gimmick. Inviting someone to attend your church is gimmick.

While those things can be gimmicks, they are not necessarily gimmicks. Now, is this really what you want to waste both our time arguing about? Wouldn't you really rather just get on with calling me a Pharisee?

Preaching evangelisticly to lost people with the purpose of seeing them come to know Christ makes preaching and the Bible a gimmick.

It can be, yes.

 

[Jim1999]

Water down the gospel and gain a watered down believer. With some music one just gets a headache instead of a heartbreak. Break the heart and win the soul.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Aaron]

Music is universal. Every culture, every nation, every person has their music.

Having grown up in the 1950's and early 60's I'm prone to rock and roll music. My parents loved the big band era. Later, came the disco beat, then came the rock music which rolled over to the hard rock scene. Some like the
country western beat. Others, classical music. Some people like Southern Gospel Music. One form of music I really detest is Rap. This absolutely drives me nuts.

However.

Now, let me say that I do hold dear the old Christian Music and fully support any Church that maintains this practice. This doesn't work for many of our youth, does it? I visited a church once where the speakers were bigger than refrigerators. For 45 minutes those folks rocked and rolled all over the place but it was in good taste and each song delivered a Gospel Message about Christ. I only visited this church once but did I object to their style merely because it was different that what I was used to?

Elvis, Johnny Cash, just to name a couple of singers put Christian lyrics to many of their songs. Was this wrong? Were they sending a Christian message to those in our society that actually like that kind of rhythm? Is that wrong?

What if Christian youth of today begin to add Christian lyrics to rock music, or Rap music. Would this be wrong? Would we frown upon such and discourage them from attending our Churches? They claim to be Born Again.

Are we sometimes stuck in the mud?

Wondering what we can do to bring the youth back into church?

I don't have the answer but perhaps we need to look at ourselves first before we point the finger at others.

We are today, the product of how we were raised.

Our youth are products of how they were raised.

Parents are the god-ordained youth ministers. They are the ones expressly charged with bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Just preach Christ and Him crucified, and don't worry about the demographics. The soul of a youth is not more than the souls of the elderly.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

If I read you correctly, you are saying that the church lacks discipleship and mentoring. If so, then I can tell you that the church I attend has the same problem. Sure, we have good singing and fellowship, but there is almost NO discipleship.

I'm sorry to hear that. Have you talked about it with your pastor?

Unfortunately, you're not alone. Biblical illiteracy and the lack of discipleship is a huge problem in the Church today.

So when our house band gets old and dies, what next?

On a related note, what happens when musical styles change and all of the "youth" who were attracted to church by the rock band start to complain that the music no longer suits their tastes? Do they just leave? And what does the church say to them?

I've had any number of people tell me that my church lacks deep faith and discipleship.

Yeah, that's a bad boat to be in. I can sympathize. The church we broke off from was like that.

Why? Discipleship takes hard work. Discipleship requires sacrifice. OK, I'm going to get off my soapbox now.

I agree. Christianity is not for the faint hearted.

Please pray for our church and our Pastor.

Will do.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Parents are the god-ordained youth ministers. They are the ones expressly charged with bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Just preach Christ and Him crucified, and don't worry about the demographics. The soul of a youth is not more than the souls of the elderly.

Like I said, why is it that everybody is saying "What can we do to attract the youth", but nobody ever asks what they can do to attract old people.

I run into "youth ministers" and alleged pastors all the time who have the big plates in their ears, tatoos all over the place, dressed slovenly, etc, because they want to attract hip young people.

Why? What happens when your church is full of young people? While it's true that there are a lot of young people who are a great voice for the Lord, where are the elderly saints the Bible tells us that God has put in the church to mentor and counsel the young people?

And continuing on in that line, what sort of message does the youth obsession send to the elderly in the church?

 

[sag38]

My church is 75 percent seniors so we have a vested interest in reaching children, youth, middle aged, in addition to senior people. Personally I don't want the church I serve to be known as the senior citizen's church. Rather, I'd like it to be known as the eclectic church where there people of all ages serving and worshiping together.

 

[sag38]

Fourth, "grown up under the ministry of a church" isn't any more a barometer of salvation than "grown up under the presidency of Richard Nixon". I think you are misunderstanding what was saying. Surely if a church is being used of God then children and youth who grow up under the ministry of that church will not leave the church and their faith when they leave home. Many like to criticize what other churches are doing or aren't doing with youth when the church they serve isn't doing any better than those they criticize.

In my church we have a very eclectic blend from traditional hymns (The Baptist Hymnal is a staple in my church), southern gospel, praise and worship, and from time to time "God forbid" popular classic rock songs rewritten with Christian lyrics such as "Amazing Grace" sung to the tune "The House of the Rising Sun" or "Can't You See What Jesus has Done for Me?" to the tune "Can't You See What That Woman is Doing to Me?" No "Gimmicks" though, just worship.

 

[revmwc]

My church is 75 percent seniors so we have a vested interest in reaching children, youth, middle aged, in addition to senior people. Personally I don't want the church I serve to be known as the senior citizen's church. Rather, I'd like it to be known as the eclectic church where there people of all ages serving and worshiping together.

That is what I called an "intergenerational church" where you plan events centered around each generation helping the other. Maybe a womans meeting where the older generations teach the younger about serving God and the how to's about it. Or the men of the church have a campout and the older generation and younger sit and talk about how to worship God. But also conduct a right of passage for your young men when they pass into their teenage years and become part of the men who serve, puttting them in positions as ushers, have them as part of the opening prayer rotation. Let them read the scripture passages that begin the service. Let them feel part of helping conduct parts of the worship in song. Get them involved in serving the church rather than keeping them in the background.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Many like to criticize what other churches are doing or aren't doing with youth when the church they serve isn't doing any better than those they criticize.

I will guarantee you that if you pick ten churches at random and ask the youth of those churches the difference between imputed righteousness and infused righteousness or the difference between the general calling and the effectual calling, they will have no clue.

But I'll bet they can tell you who the latest CCM artist is or tell you all about the last trip to the skating rink.

In my church we have a very eclectic blend from traditional hymns (The Baptist Hymnal is a staple in my church), southern gospel, praise and worship, and from time to time "God forbid" popular classic rock songs rewritten with Christian lyrics such as "Amazing Grace" sung to the tune "The House of the Rising Sun" or "Can't You See What Jesus has Done for Me?" to the tune "Can't You See What That Woman is Doing to Me?" No "Gimmicks" though, just worship.

So let me get this straight: we shouldn't stick to hymns because the kids won't be able to relate, but you think they'll relate to House of the Rising Sun???

Why does Amazing Grace need you to fix it?

 

[revmwc]

Like I said, why is it that everybody is saying "What can we do to attract the youth", but nobody ever asks what they can do to attract old people.

I run into "youth ministers" and alleged pastors all the time who have the big plates in their ears, tatoos all over the place, dressed slovenly, etc, because they want to attract hip young people.

Why? What happens when your church is full of young people? While it's true that there are a lot of young people who are a great voice for the Lord, where are the elderly saints the Bible tells us that God has put in the church to mentor and counsel the young people?

And continuing on in that line, what sort of message does the youth obsession send to the elderly in the church?

That is the whole problem with many churches, there is no mentoring. The youth can learn and glean from the older generation, when is the last time your church had a bible study for the males of the church, not the men and then tell the teens well your not quite old enough, they are. At 13 they should be old enough to join in with the older men. Get to know them and the youth get to know the older generation. If you have a best friend in the Lord and if you have son help the two of develop the same type friendship you have with that friend. If he has a son get to know his son and be a mentor just as much as his father is, let him get enough confidence in you that he tells you anything in confidence and you can advise him on how to handle it scripturally. We just don't do that, we are in the FAMILY of God are we not, and isn't FAMILY to help FAMILY? The music service should be just a small part of what attracts the youth, rock and roll isn't what it is about, traditional hymns isn't what it is about, it is about WORSHIPPING God and exprssing Praise to Him. It is about making them feel wanted, do you as an adult want to feel wanted, how many adults get their feelings hurt because no one shook their hand or no one talked to them. The youth are that way they just want to feel like they have a place and are wanted even needed, most churches don't do that. The church I attend has a youth lead service every 5th Sunday, the youth are in charge all the way from passing out the bulletins to announcenments, directing the music, the opening prayer and selecting the speaker. They plan and conduct the entire service and guess what they do the old traditional hymns as well as the praise songs they like. They are involved and it is their service. But I think every service should in some form involve the youth and older adults because each group plays a role each group has a gift if they are saved. How many of the youth know what their spiritual gift is and how often do you allow them to use it. Somewhere in the congrgation you may have future pastor, help him develop, or a future evangelist help him develop. You may have a future deacon or administrator help them develop. My generation was never developed like that and I am sure those in their 60's and up were never shown how but we have a generation now that we need to train and get them well grounded for a future that may be filled with persecution we need to get them prepared to stick with their faith, that is the parents and churches job. Why the emphasis on the youth they are the future of the church and we need to ensure they will be well grounded in the faith.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

My church is 75 percent seniors so we have a vested interest in reaching children, youth, middle aged, in addition to senior people. Personally I don't want the church I serve to be known as the senior citizen's church. Rather, I'd like it to be known as the eclectic church where there people of all ages serving and worshiping together.

So then why do you focus on youth?

 

[JohnDeereFan]

when is the last time your church had a bible study for the males of the church, not the men and then tell the teens well your not quite old enough, they are. At 13 they should be old enough to join in with the older men.

I agree. That's precisely what we do.

How many of the youth know what their spiritual gift is and how often do you allow them to use it.

I know you guys are going to call me a Pharisee for this, but in our church, membership is a very difficult process. It's made very clear during the membership process that we are a working and growing church and that if you're made a member, you will be expected to be involved in ministry.

As a result, people are put to work right away, to the level of their ability and maturity in the Lord.

Somewhere in the congrgation you may have future pastor, help him develop, or a future evangelist help him develop.

We do. I've talked about this many times here. We currently have nine young men we're mentoring for ministry.

Why the emphasis on the youth they are the future of the church and we need to ensure they will be well grounded in the faith.

But why forsake those who aren't young because "youth are the future"? What about those in the church right now?