For churches who have a traditional and contemporary service...

[bradshaw9499]

In order to foster more congregational unity between the people who attend the two different services, we are considering having only one service during the summer and alternating between traditional and contemporary worship.

Our normal worship times are 9:00 AM for contemporary and 11 AM for traditional with Sunday School between. During the summer, we don't have Sunday School, so the worship time would be 10 AM.

Has anyone tried this? If so, how did it work?

[kmckenzie]

My first thought when reading this is that you'd have people attend their regular service, traditional or compemporary, every other week and that there wouldn't neccesarily be the sense of 'unity'.

If I were in your situation, and this is simply theoretical as I've not been in your situation, is that I'd develop a 'blended' service for the summer. Focus on the coming together as one body, regardless of worship style. Focus on God the object of our worship rather than the human styles of how we worship Him. Focus on what we bring to worship rather than what you get out of worship.

[webebo]

I agree with kmckenzie. Unity of your church, as far as worship goes, will not be accomplished until you remove the traditional/contemporary tags of the services. Need to bring the music togeher in order to bring the people together.

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

I think that a blended service would be the best thing. If the pastor will promote the idea ahead of time, the response of the people will be better.

I would suggest that the contemporary songs used for this be some of the "tamer" ones, not the head-banging ones. Use three or four songs on the same theme, 2 of each, or 1 and 2. Songs in the same key would also be a plus.

Since the Traditional accompanists are not used to playing with the band, and vice-versa, you will need to find a creative way to get them to work as a team. One easy way would be to let the piano and organ play the traditional, with just the drums and maybe the bass added; for the contemporary, find or write a simplified chord-based accompaniment for the piano and organ, and have them play softly. This will create some teamwork, and as the summer progresses, you may be able to add to the mix.

However you decide to work it, both teams will need to spend time getting to know each other, and learning how to work together.

I hope this has been helpful.
Tom

[TruePraise]

i guess i would ask why you have two services that are different in the first place? does that reason change just because it is summer?

I do not think that would work for our congregation. We had a difficult enough time getting two services going (on the whining and gnashing of teeth by the traditional crowd), and if we were to go back to one service i fear we would have a hard time getting back to two come fall. Not to mention the issues of music choices and volume and dress on stage and food in the worship center during the service...oi vie....

Also, those who attend first service do so for a reason, they like it, they are ministered too there. Those who attend second service do so far a reason, they like i, they are ministered to there. If we were to suddenly go from 2 services to 1 and try to blend or alternate it would not be a good experiment. Especially since our pastor has received confirmation after confirmation from the Lord that the 2 service format is the way we are to go.

If you believe the Lord is leading you this way, then by all means do it. But not unless you are sure.

One thing we do, is every 5 or 6 weeks we have a combined service with fellowship lunch that follows. It is a blended service and once a quarter it works, but if we continued it week after week, it would not be what we have been called to do.

anyway, my 2 cents, which is probably about what it is worth!