Re: Contemporary worship services Contemporary services focus seems to be to peak the interest of youth by offering music with instrumentation at elevated decibel levels, use of abbreviated verse in songs repeated numerous times, extended periods… Re: Contemporary worship services Contemporary services focus seems to be to peak the interest of youth by offering music with instrumentation at elevated decibel levels, use of abbreviated verse in songs repeated numerous times, extended periods of standing that enables more freedom of body movement and, often, casual dress. The pastor frequently omits suit and tie, perhaps in an attempt to become one of them. Employment of psychological manipulation seems evident. The contemporary service is frequently employed by churches that offer two or more worship services and, on occasion, more than one Sunday School session. Sometimes, one Sunday School is set aside for the youth, leaving the others primarily for senior adults, since the younger adults usually follow their children. Even with one Sunday School, the young adults usually gravitate to the contemporary service. Seldom has a church opted for only a contemporary service. The traditional service, more sedate and considered outdated by some, continues to focus more on the preached word, with the 30-minute music program relegated to only a secondary adjunct to the sermon. However, I have attended hundreds, perhaps thousands, of this service type and found they can be stimulating and uplifting. The following are a few of the pitfalls that church leaders should be cognizant of when entering the contemporary service: 1. It can become a divisive tool. The church family becomes fragmented. 2. The youth are deprived of the adult role model. 3. Senior adults miss the energizing provided by youth. We may awaken many years from now to discover that the problem was remedied not 10 years ago but 2,000 years ago on a cross. The words of Jesus will save the churches, not a music program. John Foster Folsom

March 23, 2015