Question:
Our youth runs a sunday night program. The general idea is to get along as many unsaved kids as possible, get the band up there, have a good time and hang out once theyre done, and basically show these kids that christians are generally good people. The bandll show off their stuff and play a bit... now and agin theyll even throw in a christian song too. This gets my back up something cronic. Theyll sing the same songs we sing to god in church, but 'funk it up' and sing it to the crowd because it sounds good. Theyll be singing with lyrics that are actually sung TO god (i.e i wanna know you today, the world will never take you away etc...) but theyll sing it to the audience and perform rather than praise. Then theyll put on a show and tack jesus onto the end with a short clippet of 'Were doing this because theres a guy called jesus and he wants to...' you get the picture.
I cant help but feel that something is terribly wrong. That we should either center our focus on god or not involve him at all. Not settle for tacking him onto the end of something else. ITs like saying 'we can win people over without you'.
Ive always been a firm beleiver in the veiw that if you invite gods prescene into a place, he will do the work that needs to be done. That the only way you are going to see people saved in a situation like that is to let them see for themselves who we are, why we love god, and who he is. Not pretend were about something different to get them wandering into something that weve kept hidden.
Am i being stupid? Should i be supporting this?
Answer:
I think this is perhaps why worship services were never used as evangelism tools in the early church.
Answer:
Yeah the whole point is that theyre trying to put on a night to just hang and get to know some christian people. But the way theryre involving god without really involving him feels... wrong in a way. But seriously what do you think i should do? Be supportive? Boycott it? Speak up?
Answer:
Who are you in relation to the group? Are you a leader? A student? An outside? A parent? That answer to that will determine my answer to your question.
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Im one of the very few long-term members of the youth group. Im just a member, a teen.
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Alright, so basically I think what you need to do then is offer your opinion (with humility) to whoever is in charge.
On the subject of the service, though, I don't think there's anything wrong with having fun and what not. But... a worship service is one thing and a fun meeting is another. As long as you're not mixing them up or getting confused as to which you're doing, I don't really see a problem.
Answer:
My thoughts exactly. One or the other. Dont make a comprimise between the two.
Thanks for ur thoughts bob. I think i will after i figure out what the rest of the youths veiws on this are and see if any others feel like i do.
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Ok, but you don't want to mob the leader with a big revolt of people who think it should be changed. I'd actually recommend going to him/her yourself and telling him/her your concerns. If he/she wants, he/she can poll the youth himself/herself... wow, the efforts of being PC.
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Yep, i was just suggesting that i could see some of my friends points of veiws to see if mine needs changing... see if i havnt looked at it in a certain way..
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Ok, that makes sense. Good luck with everything.
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Thanks bud
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I completely disagree with bob (no offense).
If your praise team is mature enough to differentiate between worship and evangelism within seconds of each other this is a beautiful opportunity to do both.
You have a captive audience here of dozens of youth who are willing to hear you, likely knowning full well there is some religous affiliation of your performing group before they even came. You show them you understand the world, but then you show them you are not of it by letting them see you in the actual act of worship. This is evangelism at its finest.
Dont be an exclustionist.
There are people who use God's name every day to damn their friends, while claiming to be followers of Christ... and, you're worried about using it to bring glory to Him in front of pagans?
Seriously....get up there and rock with all honesty and passion!
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ITs not worship though. Its a performance. Theyre doing it to please a crowd, and in doing so theyre using worship and making it look like something shallow...
Answer:
Originally Posted by Planet Bass ITs not worship though. Its a performance. Theyre doing it to please a crowd, and in doing so theyre using worship and making it look like something shallow...
Who is "they"?
Worship does look shallow to the unsaved, in fact it can look ridiculous, but it may give them something to think about.
Should we ban non-christians from the "Christian" music concerts because there might be worship time during them?
Are you in the act of worship during these times of service?
Countless ministry acts are intended to please a crowd and not God. Its your own investment and heart that determines the particular worth to Him. Don't cop out with some lame excuse like this. If you want a Christian country club, ministry is not your place.
Ministering to people in need while being able to praise God at the same time publicly is a blessing, enjoy it.
Answer:
Originally Posted by russellcframe Who is "they"?
Worship does look shallow to the unsaved, in fact it can look ridiculous, but it may give them something to think about.
Should we ban non-christians from the "Christian" music concerts because there might be worship time during them?
Are you in the act of worship during these times of service?
Countless ministry acts are intended to please a crowd and not God. Its your own investment and heart that determines the particular worth to Him. Don't cop out with some lame excuse like this. If you want a Christian country club, ministry is not your place.
Ministering to people in need while being able to praise God at the same time publicly is a blessing, enjoy it.
It may look shallow to the unsaved, but that doesnt give us headway to go and make it shallow. ANd im telling you. What they (the band, our leaders who are putting on the event) are doing up on that stage isnt worship. It has nigh on all the christian kids basically standing in their seats wondering just what it is they should be doing. Okay. Play music, thats cool, worship god in front of as many non-christians as you like, thats awesome, i just have a problem with trying to mix it and ending singing to god without actually singing it TO him. When we praise&worship, it should be for, about, and directed to god. its like singing a song you wrote for someone for an audience when the peson themselves isnt even there.
Sure, countless ministry acts can be directed at a crowd and not god. But when you take something as pure and beautiful as the praise & worship of god, then present it for a crowd without even involving him, thats wrong, that makes me stand and feel physically sick.
And do i stand in an act of worship? How can i? Gods song is being ... i dont know... contorted... urgh... Look, when gods annointing is on a group of musicans, they sound amazing. As they do every sunday morning and every other time we get together and offer up what we have to god. That night, they didnt.