I guess it’s all in your perspective....

1) I see people using whoever wants to use their gifts and talents for the Lord worshiping Him

2) I see people putting effort forward to “dress up” a little considering the One they’re worshiping - shorts would be ok with them too I think

3) I see a pretty full worship space - they must have something going on there

4) I see them using what they have been entrusted with - like a great space for worship. How many of us have been praying for an upgrade?

5) I see multi generations and multi-ethnic mix. Depending on the community this is good or great.

6) I see people on the platform and in the congregation smiling! They’ve got something we all need.

7) I don’t see a platform full of only slicked down 20-somethings or all boomers, but rather using different generations to reach out. I mean take a look at the harpist. Even they are rocking out!

8) I see people singing what they believe.

9) Yea, I’d come back from what I see and hear. Considering they’re Baptist, WOW! TYJ!

10) I’ll betcha they don’t care what the church down the street is doing either - as long as souls are being saved! It ain’t a competition, and from what I see, they understand that.

11) Obviously, they believe in doing your best (from the quality of sound) with what you have.

I just hope they have decent coffee and a fresh bagel...lol

It reminds me of Thomas Road...Very contemporary feel, but traditional in look.

Looks like a traditional church doing doing “traditional worship” service well.  Takes all types.  I would echo above: if it is reaching people far from God then more power to em.

I think they did an excellent job here.  I wish all churches “blended” as well as this church.  I remember a number of years ago visiting a church and they did “God of Wonders” with full choir and orchestration and lets just say the song will never be the same again.

I loved the lead and bass guitar players - jamming in ties. 

As a worship leader, I think Mike says it best...we must allow our churches to reach the communities to which they serve. We don’t “do” church in a particular way to attract the kind of people we want ot surround ourselves with. We “do” church for God...He is the audience.

What the camera fails to show here is more of how the congregation is responding to this. My worship team does some great things, but there are still those that sit with frowns, crossed arms, and silent lips (but they don’t change that response when I use old, new, or in between).

But congrats to Hickory Grove...great stuff on all the points mentioned by the author of this entry. Glory to God.

That’s blended? Looks pretty 1980’s to me… Bring in a processional, full liturgy, lectionary readings and a smoking hot band… and that’s blended. :o)

Okay… enough commercial… however, I don’t see anything contemporary about this video. Very old songs done very traditionally. To be blended, for me, I’d have to see a bit more ancient mixed with contemporary.

Praise God for what they’re doing… the style just looks dated to me.

Greg, you’ve got to remember that “dated” to one person might be cutting edge to another. Hickory Grove is a classic Southern Baptist Convention church located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Contemporary things must be gradually brought into such a church. If you try to go full bore with the hot new music and ideas, you’ll scare the folks to death. I know because my background is in Convention churches. Of course, I never served as the pastor of any church remotely the size of Hickory Grove, but Southern Baptists are Southern Baptists whether they sit in mega-churches or churches where ushers can stand in the back and count the attendance. Yes, compared to some of today’s churches, the worship service might seem like 1985. But to a conservative, S.B.C. church like Hickory Grove, they are living on the edge. Sure, they may always run twenty years behind the trailblazers, but that puts them forty years ahead of many churches. I give them credit for that.

Greg,
I understand what you’re saying and there’s no argument here. My point is simply this: generally speaking, S.B.C. churches DO lack experience in blended or contemporary services. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure that any S.B.C. church would come under your label of “contemporary” or “blended.” I just want to applaud Hickory Grove for their very real efforts at updating their worship services. Two years ago I started a non-denominational church in my town, a town that is dominated by Southern Baptist churches. Since most of our church’s members came out of S.B.C. churches, I’ve had to spoon feed them anything contemporary. For that matter, being raised as a “good Southern Baptist” myself, I’ve had to spoon feed myself before I could them! (lol)

Personally, I liked it.  Worshipful.  Joyful.  Uplifting.  Good stuff.

Greg didn’t write that! :o) One of my favorite SBC churches is Pathways in Denver… with Ron Johnson.

Again… to call this congregation in the video “contemporary” is missing a large degree of experience in “contemporary”, “blended” and even “traditional” worship…

Sounds like a great place.” As long as souls are being saved.” “As long as you love me.” What moving words. I would like to print such words on my nfl jerseys. Let them move more people.

金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い
金利 低い