First of two parts

I write articles and other pieces for my newsletter hoping they will stimulate thoughts. I look forward to responses, whether positive or negative. Regretfully, readers are like many members of mainline churches, who cheer heartily for their favorite football team on Saturday but on Sunday are struck dumb.

Whether to challenge or agree with me, for the most part I haven't had anyone respond, until recently. I'm happy that someone finally posed some questions that I can respond to; here is one concerning worship:

Dear Ken:

I am just wondering. Do you not see a niche for the "traditional" service? It seems that all of your articles are negative towards traditional services.

What is wrong with tradition? It seems to me that not everyone likes a contemporary service with praise bands, dancing in the pews, and so on.

Many of us like and revere the traditions and symbolisms of a service. It seems to me that a lot of contemporary services—and I have visited several large churches with praise bands—come across as huge productions or entertainment extravaganzas. When does this cross over from praising God to entertaining the masses?

Crying on cue?

Several years ago I went to a large Nazarene church. The first time I was moved with the music and the service. Halfway through the sermon, the minister started crying; I thought he was passionate about his message.

However, when I went two or three more times, at almost the same spot in his sermon the tears started rolling again. I wondered how much of his emotion came from passion and how much was a show.

How do we make that balance between the old and the new? I try to incorporate contemporary music in our services, because I like the words that are written. But I also like the old hymns that I was brought up on, so I try to incorporate old and new. I'm not opposed to new ways of presenting the gospel, but I'm not sure change for the sake of change is of value either.

--Sincerely, Don

Dear Don:

Thanks for your e-mail. You pose some interesting questions and thoughts.

Yes there is a place for a traditional service. It just needs to be updated to the 21st century. The traditional, dying churches that I wrote about earlier remind me of my youth. Their services are like going back to the days of the first television sets, when all the shows were in black and white.

Back then, everything moved at a slow pace because each production only had two or three cameras. If they wanted a different shot, they had to pick them up and move them. The technology wasn't available that we have today. Those filmmakers can be excused for that because they did their best with what they had.

However, in 2006 we can't be excused for staying in the 20th century in presenting church. We have the expertise and equipment to do a better job. Many mainline churches are stuck in the past, while young people are used to a totally different lifestyle. They aren't interested in returning to the 1950's.

A call for change

Interestingly enough, as I finished writing that last paragraph I received a call from one of those dying mainline churches that wants to start a contemporary service and asked for my help. I'm not sure what we will do—they may not need a contemporary service—but they do need some change.

One of my mentors recently said that congregations don't necessarily need a contemporary service; they just need a contemporary church. That means a church that lives and thrives in the 21st century.

This doesn't mean always catering to young people. However, if your services plod along with an amateurish flavor, it is disconcerting to younger members of the congregation who are used to better production values.

Granted, church isn't a show, but it can't be mired to staid, centuries-old traditions in an era when people communicate across the globe instantaneously. The key question to ask yourself is: "Where will this church be in 20 years when most of the people currently sitting in the pews are gone?"

If the answer is, "It's likely to be gone too," then you know that something has to be done—while there is still time.

--Ken Johnson

© 2006, Ken Johnson, President and CEO of The Ken Johnson Group, LLC. To contact Ken, or for permission to reprint this article, send an e-mail to: ken@thekenjohnsongroup.com.

Read Part two here: How to modernize your services.