Trends in Worship Music
By: Ryan Dahl

In the last 30 years, we have seen a revolution invading our modern, evangelical churches through the ministry of worship and music. A spark ignited in the mid-70's that turned into a flame, that flame turned into a fire, and that fire has become a force of change that has fueled both revival and dissention – all at the same time. 

Nowadays, the style of your church is largely defined by the kind of music you sing. More often than not, music is the first impression that a newcomer will encounter when he or she walks through the doors of your sanctuary. That is a big responsibility, not to be taken lightly.

Not long ago, it was quite uncommon to find a music pastor on staff in a mid-sized church. Today, worship pastors abound within a highly developed industry that merges music and technology with the ministry of worship.

In the past, many well-meaning "traditionalists" put up warning signs about this trendy new movement in contemporary worship, labeling it as charismatic fluff, lacking theological depth and having an unbalanced focus on experience and emotionalism. As the contemporary worship movement gained strength and momentum, one of the hottest topics of debate in ministry was over worship style.  Aside from preaching, there is no ministry that has such a wide-reaching impact across all the generations in a local church. In most cases, the worship pastor is given as much (or more) stage time as the preaching pastor.

Looking back over the last 30 years, you may ask yourself this question: Are we going in the right direction? After all the debates and dissention that many have endured, has it all been worth it?

One thing is certain: The "worship style debate" has been beaten to death. The shelves are full of books and tapes on how to navigate through worship wars and transition to a more contemporary worship style. Many have landed in the Blended Worship camp, hoping that would satisfy everyone on both sides of the fence.  Unfortunately, some have experienced that blended worship is about as satisfying as having a well-cooked steak-and-potatoes meal thrown into a blender. Others have gone to more of a McDonald's approach, where you can pick exactly what style you prefer. But again, more often than not, the contemporary service ends up thriving, and the tradition service ends up waning. Please don't be offended – these are all merely generalizations that may or may not reflect your local church.

What is more important is to know that contemporary worship is in fact Biblical.  Not to say that everything in contemporary worship is Biblical, but the impulse behind contemporary worship music has a Biblical foundation.

Contemporary is quite the buzz word in Christian circles. Simply stated, contemporary means "something fresh, reflecting the trends of our day." Trends affect us in all areas of life. Colors, clothes, hairstyles and houses all reflect the trends of our day and our culture. Look through your old photo albums and you will be able to date your pictures simply by what people are wearing and the style of their hair.

Indeed, they were contemporary in their day. Now, times have changed and what is contemporary today looks much different than what was contemporary then. All that to say, contemporary is a moving target. 

Why do trends change? Because somewhere, someone is spending their time being creative, thinking of something fresh and new to introduce into this world. At first, these new ideas may seem very odd. Then, they are accepted by society. And then no sooner, they are out of date, making way for the next new trend.

Is all of this Biblical? What does this have to do with worship styles? The same force behind trends is behind the constantly changing sounds of contemporary worship. Someone's creative inspiration produced an idea that caught on with others and produced a trend. That creative inspiration is a product of the creative nature of God, implanted into mankind. You don't have to be a Christian to be creative. You don't have to be a Christian to be made in the image of God.

God created us to be creative beings, and He wants us to flourish with our imaginations. That truth is the Biblical foundation to accepting what is contemporary in our culture, even as it affects our churches. But remember: What is contemporary today will be out of date tomorrow, and that is fine. That is the creative cycle; that is the contemporary revolution.

We see this specifically related to the ministry of worship and music in the Psalms when David says, "Sing a new song unto the Lord" (Psalms 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1).  David is saying, don't get too settled and comfortable with the old songs of yesterday, because God has something fresh and new for you today.

There was a day in the early years of this "contemporary worship movement" when the level of theological depth in our praise choruses was limited. However, times have changed, and contemporary worship has matured.  We have hymn writers today that are just as anointed as the hymn writers of yesterday.  There once was a day when "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" was a new song – believe it or not – and the church balked at it. Yet through the fresh wave of creative impulse, men like Martin Luther and Charles Wesley transformed the church culture of their day through music.

Today, the anointing and heart is the same, but the names are different.  Now, instead of Martin Luther, we have Martin Smith, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Paul Baloche and Stuart Townend, just to name a few. These are the world-class worship leaders made famous by the publishing companies. There are others sitting next to you in the pews of your church.

There are many great songs that have stood the test of time for hundreds of years.  But, there are also great songs being written today that will stand the test of time tomorrow. Some will, and some will not. Needless to say, all great songs are new when they are first introduced, inspired by the creative nature God planted within us and the Biblical mandate to sing a new song unto the Lord.

It is time we leave the stereotype behind that says contemporary and modern worship represents passion and emotion, and traditional worship represents theological depth. Based on a narrow selection of songs, that may have been true at one time. The fact is, the contemporary worship movement that spawned in the late 70's has now blossomed and matured. 

The church is moving forward, and there is no holding it back. God is present in our time. He has something fresh for us to tap into today, even as we lay hold of our firm foundation in the Word of God.  Fortunately, that is the one thing that will never change.

Ryan Dahl is the president and founder of PraiseCharts, www.praisecharts.com, which is an online music publishing company that provides downloadable worship music for churches all over the world.

Product Roundup

Schulmerich MelodyWave Instruments
A powerful innovation in worship technology, Schulmerich's new MelodyWave Instruments bring the power of MIDI to praise bands and choirs. 

• A percussion section can take on complex melodies
• A handbell choir can become an orchestra
• 13, 25, 37, or 49 hand-playable batons
• Charger/carrying case(s)
• Rack-mountable wireless base station. 

The MelodyWave Instrument's touch-sensitive batons and straightforward interface provide full control over expression and dynamics.
www.MelodyWave.net

World Music Supply  
World Music Supply is a one-stop shopping source for churches, praise bands and musicians. World Music Supply offers:

• Musical equipment
• Guitars
• Drums and other percussion instruments
• Professional sound equipment
• Microphones
• Keyboards
• Lighting equipment.

When professional musical equipment is needed, World Music Supply has the latest technology products from the top manufacturers at guaranteed lowest prices.
www.worldmusicsupply.com

Expanded Audio Capabilities Input Box from Allen Organ
Expanded Audio Capabilities (EAC) provides a unique solution to the drawbacks of standard contemporary worship sound systems by allowing contemporary performers to utilize the state-of-the-art sound systems and advanced sound processing. EAC utilizes advanced design in three key audio components:

• Amplifiers
• Mixing
• Speakers

EAC benefits include lowered costs, increased tonal fidelity, efficient use of space and improved aesthetics
www.allenorgan.com

Yamaha's Contemporary Digital Piano
Yamaha's Contemporary Digital Pianos give you the right features at the right price from a company you can trust. Features include:

• Competitive price points
• Superior sound quality
• Flash-ROM user song memory and more portable designs
• 88 weighted piano-sized keys
• 64 notes of polyphony
• 14 of Yamaha's best keyboard voices, each with three tonal variations

With the ultra-realistic Yamaha Stereo Grand Piano voice, three separate layers of stereo samples provide accurate reproduction of tone, harmonics and subtle details, including key-off and stereo sustain samples.
www.yamaha.com

Pro Comm PCX U1002 from Peavey
Peavey has introduced its 100-channel, true diversity Pro Comm PCX U1002 wireless systems for live voice and guitar reproduction. PCX U1002 systems are available with handheld or hands-free microphones. The system features:

• AutoScan technology
• Automatic channel scanning and control for user-friendly operation
• CCS (Channel Control System
• Handheld, lightweight magnesium belt-pack transmitter

The compact PCX U1002 receiver occupies one half-rack-space and features a color LCD panel displaying function statuses.
www.peavey.com

Audix RAD-360
With one of the most powerful transmitters in the industry (50 mW) it has already become a favorite with such touring Christian Artists such as Casting Crowns and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. Features include:

• Frequency agile UHF Wireless microphone system with 193 selectable frequencies
• Dual tuner
• True diversity receiver
• Modular design of the threaded capsule housing assembly

The RAD-360 is designed for a wide range of applications from handheld vocal mic transmitters to lavalieres, headsets, horns and guitar systems.
www.audixusa.com