Karaoke is the new campfire
At church you aren't allowed to choose the songs the 'worship team' always hog the selection. I like when it's spontaneous and you can do requests.
I don't know why, if singing is a huge part of church services, theres not much attention being paid to what people actually LIKE to sing. I also don't understand why all churches seem to have 'praise bands' instead of choirs.
I can never figure out why churches are the way they are, but I suppose its traditions and what the majority generation of those-in-charge like to do.
Back in 1996 the Church we attended formed it’s first ever worship team. Back then they used a projector slide and cassettes from the sound system. lol!
They prayed 3 years for a guitarist until my wife and I started attending. I was a guitar player.
We also had a choir besides the newly formed worship team. During the opening of the order of worship the praise and worship would play followed by the choir with a hymn or two. There were times when both would sing together. For our Church it worked out great until the young adult members were upset and accused the praise team of not allowing the congregation to select songs. Then we learned the middle and elderly members and some in the choir felt the praise team was taking over. This went on for awhile and was never brought up until we attended a leaders retreat.
During the retreat the issue of the music ministry came up. One of the senior choir members, a long time patriarch gave a moving argument how it seemed the praise team was taking over. It was also brought up how some of the young adults were upset because the praise team selected all the songs. The discussion became intense and this was the first time the pastor and his staff learned about. I was a deacon at the time and served in the music ministry.
I was a fairly new member in our Church (2 years) and was blown away at witnessing the adult leaders talking this way. So I was given the opportunity to speak and made clear the choir was the first music ministry in our Church since 1958. They are the nucleus of this ministry and 38 years later the praise team expanded the ministry’s new directions.
Some of the choir leaders were touched because they just didn’t feel appreciated after 38 years of serving. As far as the young adults who wanted to sing songs of praising God, I asked two other leaders from the praise team, let’s encourage the congregants anytime to give their suggestion requests.
The discussion at the retreat was a co-production effort and talking about it bonded the leadership as we took this new approach back to Church. Not only that but the Choir Director and other leaders of the choir felt loved and appreciated.
As far as karaoke, when the church we planted in 2011 formed it’s worship ministry it consisted of 4 gifted singers, all were experienced in singing parts (tenor, soprano, alto and baritone) used a karaoke machine with cds of pre recorded Christian music. The good part is the studio musicians on the cd never argued! lol! In the next 2 years the Lord sent His musicians to serve.
As a younger Christian I learned it’s easy to divide between Senior and Young Christians in the Church. But bemoaning behind the Church’s back doesn’t escape God. Any member is encouraged to address the pastor or staff.
The same thing goes in the family, community and work. I don’t have fun bringing up sensitive issues to others, whatever age, but when I have to develops good, not perfect, discipline and builds up transparency.
Love in Christ.
Bob