contemporary services

Thespia · 08-30-2003, 08:55 PM

My mother leads a contemporary Lutheran service at Peace Lutheran Church in Hurst, Texas.

swit · 09-02-2003, 12:16 AM

Just found out that this site even has a discussion section, much less an area for Lutherans talking about contemporary worship. I've used it before just to locate guitar tabs. As Jay mentioned in a previous post, there are several (ELCA and LCMS) congregations in the Chicago area that offer "real" contemporary worship. I happen to have a ministry that offers consulting to congregations who want to launch a new service or improve an existing one. Additionally, I have moderated a separate eGroup for the past three years called the Chicago Contemporary Worship Leaders' Network and, although it's primarily designed for folks in the Chicago area, we have subscribers across the country and even across the big pond in the U.K. By the way, while it's primarily Lutheran, we also have lots of Methodists, Presbyterians, UCCer's and Baptists, too. The link for the home page (you can subscribe there, too) is at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChgoContemporaryWorship

If you're looking for specific help on contemporary worship, you'll find lots of Lutherans there offering all kinds of help. We also have one of the most comprehensive collection of free resources, links and files for free download.

jmpeter316 · 09-05-2003, 05:59 PM

swit...

Good to finally see you here...I've been here for quite a while...Hope everything is going well. (jmpeter316 in your yahoo group too!!!)

I too get frustrated with members of our congregation who think that contemporary is "only" the music. If you take out "A Mighty Fortress" and put in "Open the Eyes of My Heart" but don't change the flow or feel from a traditional service, than it's still traditional. We are eventually trying to steer away from using the WOV setting altogether for our contemporary service (or even the new hymnal due out in a few short years..) The yahoo group/link in the previous post is a great place to share ideas, frustrations, prayers, etc... I highly recommend it to anyone (even outside of Chicago) who has a contemp. service, has just started one, or is thinking of starting one.

Peace.

Jay

(jmpeter316 in your yahoo group too!!!)

love2fishfork · 09-16-2003, 12:02 PM

At Beautiful Savior Church in Olathe, KS (Kansas City), we have been practicing the "Chicago Folk Service" by Art Gorman. It is a 70's style, but very nice. It was written for Guitars, Flutes, and Piano. We also have Bass and Drums. We have introduced a few songs over the summer and plan to do the entire communion service on September 28th.

Jerry

smittomatic · 01-13-2004, 04:04 PM

summit lutheran church in phx arizona. all we do is modern worship. no hymnals or organs or anything like that. not there's anything wrong with it, its just not for us.

i am the worship leader there. www.summitlutheran.org

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ChainsawCharlie · 02-23-2005, 11:09 PM

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Kensington, PA (near Pittsburgh) uses contempory music (guitar, bass and keyboard) along with a more traditional litergy. We've been doing it for over a year, and even the older members like it.

ephesians5:14 · 03-13-2005, 01:03 AM

my church is kind of dead accually. i noticed im not satisfied with the "worship" we have. we basiclly sing out of the hymmnal with the oragan. we have a "paise team" but that's just a couple basses, a piano, a snare drum sometimes, and me and like 3 little kids and an around 3 old women as singers with songs out of the hymmnal. what songs aren't hymms might as well be with how the director does it. the only people that care to change some of that have no power.
accually everyone who has ever tried to do something real for the youth have got kicked out by the music director and her little buddies. heck they even kicked out our paster for it. my mom wants to start a youth mission now. she's told the new paster (he's awsome!!) about it and i think she wants to help her cause our church really is dead. there's no joy our worshiping. it's a blessing to know that lutheren churches are really worshiping how christains need to be.
the hymms are wonderful but we need to really step it up and praise with body heart and soul. oru church doesnt do that at all, were pretty dead. lol. luckally there's a church i go to on fridays that really give God there all. every once in a while people start speaking in toungs. it's increadible.it's not lutheren but i dont really care. on friday it's all singing worship and just letting the spirit go crazy in you, so it doesnt go into any specific doctrine anyway. it's really amazing. Tramway Community Church in Albaquerque, NM (famous from the Wired Al song! lol)

Drew Neal · 04-04-2005, 01:34 PM

There are quite a few up here in MN, most of them are ELCA.

Briana83 · 05-26-2005, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew Neal

There are quite a few up here in MN, most of them are ELCA.

I figured there would be. I'm actually new to the area, but I do know about Spirit Garage ... Lutheran under the hood. http://www.spiritgarage.org/

kquamme94 · 06-17-2005, 11:24 AM

Prince Of Peace Luthern Church of Burnsville, MN has both traditional and contemporary services. It is the church I have attended since I was a little fellow. It's also ELCA.

There are at least four other luthern churches in a three city area around Burnsville that are also contemporary.

Rockin'forHim · 06-17-2005, 06:14 PM

Our church (Also in MN) has an 8:00 Service that is "Traditional" with litergy, and organ music, and a 10:30 service that is contemporary with a worship team and all that. My brother and I play with the worship team once in a while, but we are pretty busy playing with our youth praise team...

~RFH~

P.S. We're LCMS (Gasps!!!)

swit · 06-19-2005, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockin'forHim

Our church (Also in MN) has an 8:00 Service that is "Traditional" with litergy, and organ music, and a 10:30 service that is contemporary with a worship team and all that. My brother and I play with the worship team once in a while, but we are pretty busy playing with our youth praise team...

~RFH~

P.S. We're LCMS (Gasps!!!)

I'm not sure why you "gasped" when you mentioned that you are an LCMS congregation. As a worship consultant, while I've worked primarily with ELCA congregations and most of my experience comes from that flavor of Lutheranism, there are many LCMS parishes that are well-versed in and do a great job in contemporary worship. Some in the Chicago area, some in the St.Louis area, and some in New Jersey. By the way, the "Created to Praise" workshops (excellent programs) and the Songbook "Best of the Best" (from Fellowship Ministries) is largely conducted and supported by people in the LCMS. While neither the ELCA or LCMS church leadership (national church) embrace contemporary worship as a separate style, many individual congregations realize that there aren't a whole lot on unchurched or dechurched people driving around listening to Bach organ preludes on their car radios. By the way, at one time I was a church organist and choir director before I got involved in contemporary worship!

Milisha · 07-06-2005, 04:41 AM

Our church (St Lukes Lutheran, Parkwood - Western Australia) probably does a contemporary service once every two weeks or so. It's actually becoming more and more regular since the old organists have been retiring from playing (and in some cases unfortunately dying

).

I'm part of one of the "contemporary" music team - electric guitars, drums, keyboard, vocals. We usually use the typical songs that everyone knows and jazz them up a bit, but occasionally we'll throw in a Hillsong song and the like. Occasionally I will even use full-blown distortion and a guitar solo if the song lends itself to it.

EddoAloha · 08-17-2005, 01:44 AM

On the West side of town, I know of a few.

Pilgrim Lutheran on Hall Blvd. has a full contemporary "New Joy" service at 10:30 AM. Full praise band and leading singers. However, they have recently lost their drummer to a different congregation. The pastor with strong contemporary support has taken a new call, so they are going back through the traditional/contemporary push and tug until they get some direction. (LCMS)
http://www.pilgrim-church.com/

Bethlehem in Aloha has a two contemporary services. One at 10:45 AM and the other is evenings at 5:00 PM. My wife has played one contemporary wedding service here, but we have not attended regular services. (LCMS)
http://www.blcfamily.org/

Light of Life, a small congregation at the SW edge of Aloha on the way to Farmington has a 8:30 AM "Praise" service, but they are so new to it that they have a hard time getting past the "blue" book. My wife will be leading there this Sunday and we shall see how they take a service done from scratch. Opportunity abounds... They, too, are in the process of making a new call...(ELCA)
http://www.lightoflifelutheran.com/

St. Matthew near West Slope (East part of the West side) has a very large service. Lots of members, so they are doing something right. Not a recent attendee, so cannot speak for current format, but it is at 11:00 AM . Praise Team might even be by audition only. (ELCA) http://www.stmatthewlutheran.org/

Singing Praises to the Lord from Beaverton/Aloha, Oregon.

claypot · 11-29-2005, 09:07 AM

My church, King of Kings in Round Rock, Texas, does a contemporary service each Sunday. Actually, about 1 1/2 years ago God called me to get the band going and switch our late service from a piano led style to more contemporary music. We use acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums (we have even purchased electronic drums!), and keyboard. We also do bluegrass Sundays sometimes and use banjo and dobro. It has been a challange at times since our music director is more of a classically trained church musician that also plays organ for our traditional service, but it is working out.

I am now pushing for a "Praise" service, maybe once a month, where we abandon the strict order of worship completely. Who knows where God will lead it...