Editor’s Note: One of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s five core objectives is to see at least 500 churches revitalized by the year 2024. Because renewed worship fuels revitalized churches, Scott Shepherd’s passion is to help the local church deepen its understanding and practice of worship. With this goal in mind, he has written a brief series of articles entitled “Keys to Worship Renewal” which will be printed in upcoming issues of the Baptist and Reflector.
By Scott Sheperd
Worship & Music Specialist, TBMB
We Baptists love to talk about worship. And, if we’re honest, our conversations usually focus on stylistic issues — especially musical style.
Traditional or contemporary? Choir or worship team? Pipe organ or electric guitar? Sometimes we even use these discussions to cast blame on musical style for plateaued, declining, or dying churches.
If we begin our worship chats on the topic of style, however, we are starting in the wrong place. [Read more…]