Question:
If you play in a youth group you should know that its more fun if you can get the crowd pumped up. How do you do it? I have a couple of different ways. Sometime me and my band will make up a screamo song on stage or sometimes i'll make up a funny acoustic song. What about you?
JPatty
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Play louder, stop singing about God, and give out free beer.
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mmk not exactly what i had in mind. Does that praise God's glorious name? So it's not worship.
JPatty
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I ask the exact same question about services that seem focused more on music, lights and having fun than on God.
We had a very similar thread recently in here: /forum...d.php?t=119885
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Originally Posted by MMHMM RK mmk not exactly what i had in mind. Does that praise God's glorious name? So it's not worship.
JPatty Do made up screamo or funny acoustic songs praise God's glorious name, and therefore constitute worship?
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ok but seriously i just want to see different ways people do it while staying in the "worship context".
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Originally Posted by bobthecockroach Play louder, stop singing about God, and give out free beer.
ok...
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Originally Posted by Tony Do made up screamo or funny acoustic songs praise God's glorious name, and therefore constitute worship?
This isn't about me. This is just to see what you guys' method is. If you have a problem w/ my style. take it up w/ God b/c thats who im living for and praising.
JPatty
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Haha! What a great thread this has been in only 7 or 8 posts thus far!
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Originally Posted by MMHMM RK This isn't about me. This is just to see what you guys' method is. If you have a problem w/ my style. take it up w/ God b/c thats who im living for and praising.
JPatty
Unfortunately, as I have recently found out in another post, you are not going to get much positive help on this topic... only a lot of negative flak and sarcasm
it's kind of sad really

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about though! and I think it's important in some groups. When we play at youth retreats sometimes we'll have worship at 7am and it's really good to do some stuff to energize and invigorate the kids before going into worship.
One thing we do a lot is things we call energizers which are songs that we do that have a lot of motions that go along with them. A few kids come up front and lead the group in all these crazy movements that go with the song! They're a lot of fun and the kids really get into it!
Please save the negative remarks about "this is worship this isn't" for another place! What good does it do us as a group of christians to bicker and argue among ourselves about such trivial things? what does that show to a non-believer who might be looking at this?
Just stick with the topic and if you don't have anything to add then don't!
I'd love to keep hearing other ideas
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Originally Posted by MMHMM RK This isn't about me. This is just to see what you guys' method is. If you have a problem w/ my style. take it up w/ God b/c thats who im living for and praising.
JPatty I was actually asking you a question, not blasting. I am problem-free with your style. Does your conscience bother you about it?
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Originally Posted by metropolis4 I know EXACTLY what you're talking about though! and I think it's important in some groups. When we play at youth retreats sometimes we'll have worship at 7am and it's really good to do some stuff to energize and invigorate the kids before going into worship.
One thing we do a lot is things we call energizers which are songs that we have a lot of motions that go along with them. A few kids come up front and lead the group in all these crazy movements that go with the song! They're a lot of fun and the kids really get into it!
That's great... and those songs certainly can serve their purpose without being "worship." Daniel's suggestions (well, except for the free beer, depending on your particular group) are actually pretty much exactly what most people do when they want to "pump up the crowd" before beginning an actual worship service. I've personally (meaning in person... yeah) seen Chris Tomlin do this sort of thing on many many occasions, as well as many other less-known worship leaders. It seems that faster, louder, non-God-oriented / non-spiritual songs are pretty much a standby when it comes to doing this sort of thing. Why are you complaining at someone for making a suggestion and why are you assuming that your intended result requires you to do something spiritual?
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Originally Posted by metropolis4 Please save the negative remarks about "this is worship this isn't" for another place! What good does it do us as a group of christians to nicker and argue among ourselves about such trivial things? what does that show to a non-believer who might be looking at this?
Just stick with the topic and if you don't have anything to add then don't!
I'd love to keep hearing other ideas Jesus seemed to think our method of worship was very important:
John 4:21-24
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In any event, I'll leave this thread alone because I'm as tired of trying to convince people that having fun isn't what matters in worship as you are of people like me. Suffice to say in closing that I do not believe I have been negative, and I know I haven't been sarcastic (hyperbolic would be a more fitting word ).
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Originally Posted by Nate That's great... and those songs certainly can serve their purpose without being "worship." Daniel's suggestions (well, except for the free beer, depending on your particular group) are actually pretty much exactly what most people do when they want to "pump up the crowd" before beginning an actual worship service. I've personally (meaning in person... yeah) seen Chris Tomlin do this sort of thing on many many occasions, as well as many other less-known worship leaders. It seems that faster, louder, non-God-oriented / non-spiritual songs are pretty much a standby when it comes to doing this sort of thing. Why are you complaining at someone for making a suggestion and why are you assuming that your intended result requires you to do something spiritual?
I'm not sure what you mean by "why are you assuming that your intended result requires you to do something spiritual?"
As for your other question, I just keep getting these responses from people that are saying "THIS is worship, and this other thing that you're doing is wrong because it's not really worship" and it gets a little frustrating...
I don't see why we have to argue so much with each other about what worship TRULY is...
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If you're just trying to pump up the crowd, I don't see any problem with what's already been suggested. Generally, at least from my experience, the more spiritual music doesn't "pump me up" in a way that leaves me jumping up and down screaming (or something else that might cue a worship leader into thinking I was pumped up). But some less spiritual songs do that for me pretty well.
From my point of view, the free beer thing might have something to it as well (although I don't think the elders at church would go for it, and probably with good reason).
Nate