like a fire

Neo Church Yeah, I know. The matrix is done. It’s old and tired and overdone in the church. Well, this article, despite its title, is a really good look at the possibilities of the future church. I read this and thought to myself, “Now there’s an emerging church I can be passioante about.”

From his opening, “There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet.” to the depth of thought in this article, Mark Batterson is on to something.

We have a core value: everything is an experiment. If you think of the Kingdom of God in corportate terms, NCC feels called to the R & D Department (Research & Development). We want to experiment with new ways of doing church. Maybe the best way of saying it is this: we’re orthodox in belief and unorthodox in praxis.

WHat a great concept on strategy and implementation. Forget the churches that are stuck 20-30 years behind culture and struggle with irrelevance. Even the “contemporary” church isn’t thinking like this. I’m definitely adding this blog to my feeder.

Music is probably the single most object of identification for teens. It identifies them into groups that like that kind of music, lifestyle, fashion, you name it. With that thought in mind, what is the church doing to reach out to teens through music? This goes beyond telling them that if it doesn’t explicitly talk about Jesus as the Christ and conform to the heritage of whatever church culture is apparent in their community, then it is not acceptable. There are many messages of rejection out there already that deal with purity of mind and heart. I keep waiting for the article that is the inverse of the argument. If listening to “bad” music makes you bad, then why doesn’t listening to “good” music make you good? If that were true then the churches would be full of holy people.

Specifically I am thinking about worship. What are we doing in churches to worship and teach and train others to worship? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What music do the people participating listen to outside of worship?
Would teens tune into this music if it were on the radio?
Would they change the station if it were on the radio?
Is it being executed well?
Are teens participating more than just singing?
Does worship appeal to the heart of the teens participating?
How does worship look?

If these questions sparked more questions for you, then you will definitely want to evaluate what you are doing. What can you do to change worship? If your like most people out there, your own training in worship is probably somewhat limited. Don’t let that stop you, though. There are many resources out there to borrow from. The best thing we can do to worship is acknowledge and glorify God, and we are all equipped to do that.

<< Style
My first question to someone I am meeting is, “what kind of music do you listen to?” followed quickly by, “what is in your cd/mp3 player?” Style is what identifies preference. Though our own preference is not the most important thing in worship, it is important, especially when helping people to connect with God. Worship can be set to any style of music. The most important thing is that is brings people closer to God. This can happen through what they are familiar with, or it can drag them kicking and screaming. Teens, and most people, prefer the former over the latter.

<< Execute
This is where I think most people fall short. I don’t really mind hymns or praise songs, as long as they are preformed well. Being performed well is a slippery idea. In my distinction I am saying that there are no (or few) wrong notes, that the leaders are not just playing the notes but are passionate about their part, and that they feel comfortable enough with what they are doing that they can still worship without having the burden of performance.

<< Participate
Again this is an area that many accept as static and not as important. I would question anyone’s ability to worship without participating. Yet many places of worship I have been a part of don’t seem to care about participation. Singing along is great, but it is easy to check out mentally and even easier to check out emotionally and spiritually. This is the time to be creative and do something different. People thrive on creative approaches to the familiar. God made us that way. Be creative in getting worshippers to participate.

<< Steal
I don’t mean break one of the ten commandments. I mean borrow as much as you from people who do things well that can make worship an experience that people will crave. People pay way too much for food that they can get at a fraction of the cost because they enjoy the ambience of the surroundings and the freedom of not preparing it themselves. Look at other places of worship, at places people hang out, at the look of media being used, and any other visual aid you can think of. All of this will help you make worship something special to God.

If we are going to reach this generation, we will need more than all the old tools we have been using. We need to get very real with ourselves. We need to start using the new tools that others are using as our competition. We will have to get outside of our own comfort zones and into theirs. Worship should be something that we crave. We all crave worship of something worth our devotion, and if we can make that directed to God, then that is the only worship that is a fulfillment of our purpose in being.

Zen, MuVo Some of you may have already gotten on the Ipod band wagon and they are very cool. Apple definitely does it right. Being the anarchist that I am, though, I would go this route. At MSRP of $329 and 30 gigs, a big screen, and lots of usability, this is my idea of a useful toy. It even comes in your choice of several colors. Plus it comes standard with the add ons I would want for an Ipod, like the voice recorder. Check it out.

Vicky Beeching Finally something new in worship? This is being touted as a project that is pioneering to worship by worshiptogether.com. After listening I had to agree in some ways, at least. Definitely she has a more grounded theology in her lyrics than the very ethereal Crowder and has great songwriting ideas. She’s not a Zcheche either in style, especially vocally. WHile I do like this project, I don’t think I can say that it is altogether pioneering, though. The overall production and sound is not unlike what has been heard in Christian music. This will be a plus to the people who are addicted to that sound and are threatened by new sounds. I am experimental in preference and would love to hear something new musically. Through her in the blender with Mute Math, Coldplay, and Bjork. That would be an album I would pay through the nose for.

Even better, keep an eye out for Amanda Noel and her new project coming soon. Now that is a voice.

.::The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding::. This recent article from The Center for Parent and Youth Understanding is startling. Though I have seen and heard a lot about teens and their acting older than they probably should, I had no idea how far this ahs gone.

a guidance counselor friend of mine dealt with the following issues - one girl drunk in the washroom; three boys suspended for setting a fire in the school dumpster; a boy arrested for threatening two girls with a knife; reprimanding a girl for showing too much cleavage; reprimanding a group of girls for showing too much leg; one request for a pregnancy test; a young lady caught carrying a butcher knife in her backpack; a Wiccan feeling discriminated against; and one case of physical abuse by a dysfunctional father.

It is hard to believe that these are the stories walking the halls of our schools every day. It is even harder to believe that all these kids are eleven and twelve years old.

The rest of the article has some very detailed research that shows not only a behavioral shift but a physical one as well. Be warned if you work in youth ministry.