by Don Chapman
I used to think that really good music grows
a church. Get the hottest band and singers
in town and the people will come.
I don't think that anymore.
Now that I'm free from the weekly grind of
the music director's life I've been able
to visit a lot of churches. I've been to
huge megachurches with thousands of people
and so-so, bland music. I've been to tiny,
struggling churches with superb, cutting
edge-music. [Editor's note 04.19.08: I just
heard that the local Andy Stanley Catalyst
Church plant here in Greenville, which imported
musicians from Atlanta, is closing.]
Recently in LA I was at
a faaaamous church
that had one of the worst,
off pitch background
praise singers ever. Another
LA megachurch
had the most horrible worship
flow of any
church I've ever attended.
Sing a song. Stop
cold. Sing another, random
song. Stop cold.
Sing another. What??
I've also been to huge
churches with great
blended music and huge
churches with superb,
cutting edge music.
Great music, huge churches.
Lousy music,
huge churches.
Small churches, great music.
Small churches,
lousy music.
Great music sure won't
hurt a church, but
my worship algorithms are
telling me that
it ISN'T the music that's
primarily growing
churches. It's the PREACHING.
Gasp.
If the preacher is theoretical,
boring, irrelevant
and clinical, the hottest
music in town isn't
going to help draw a crowd.
If the preacher is relevant,
personable and
preaching on spiritual
issues that matter
to the common man, the
lousiest music in
the world won't keep the
throngs away. They'll
put up with anything to
hear the Word speak
into their lives.
So just what does music
accomplish? It simply
sets the tone and flavor
of your church.
Your music style will attract
a certain style
of crowd. It's no different
from a radio
station. Think of the different
crowds associated
with these music styles:
Country. Heavy Metal.
Classical. Can you picture
what someone looks
like who would listen to
each style? How
about: Cowboy hats. Long
hair and tattoos.
Suit & tie.
I see blended, orchestral
churches attracting
a "churchy" bunch
in suits &
ties and Sunday dresses.
Churches with cool rock
bands and cutting-edge
music are attracting the
20-30s.
The typical WillowCreekesque
church with
90's praise band (which,
I believe, is currently
the mainstream of churches)
is attracting
younger baby boomers who
are bored by the
blended stuff plus young
families. I suspect
the young families probably
would prefer
the cutting edge music
church but those churches,
attracting younger people
with no money,
generally have weak children's
programs.
So young families put up
with the baby boomer
music style since they
have the funds to
afford nice nurseries and
youth activities.
Different styles attract
different looking
people, but there's another
element to put
into the mix - personality
types.
One personality type revels
in the mediocre,
the other loves quality.
Ministries with a low standard
of quality,
no matter what the style,
will attract people
who have a low standard
of quality. If the
church allows off-pitch
people to sing on
the praise team, they'll
attract people who
like to hear off-pitch
singing. Believe it
or not, there are actually
people in this
world who thrill to hear
off pitch singing
on mic. These same people
also enjoy karaoke.
This mindset would prefer
to see a bunch
of people who wanted to
sing in a constant
rotation so they can use
their "gifts,"
no matter how bad things
sound, rather than
see the talented few leading
week after week.
Call me spritual or something,
but I really
don't care who's up there
as I go into my
own personal world of worship.
What gets
me out of that world is
the jarring effect
of hearing someone yelping
the wrong notes.
A church, contemporary
or traditional, who
insists on a high standard
of quality generally
attracts people who like
quality.
The two personality types
don't mix. If you're
trying to build a quality
music ministry,
have you ever experienced
this phenomena:
an off-pitch singer demands
to sing in church,
you won't let them and
they throw a tantrum...
threaten to leave the church...
etc.
I know of a case where
a talented vocalist
found themselves in a low-quality
church.
This person is a dream
vocalist you'd give
your left leg to have in
your ministry -
and spiritually minded
to boot. This person
was rarely asked to sing
and was baffled.
I've heard the same story
over and over.
I found an answer to these
mysteries from
Oprah, of all people. For
some reason I flipped
on the TV one day and watched
her for five
minutes. In that span she
said something
that rocked my world: "Mediocrity
hates
quality."
Worship leader, have you
been banging your
head against the wall?
Now you know why.
Maybe you're the right
type of person in
the wrong type of church.
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