The “Battleship” church has two basic goals; equip believers to do the work of God and spread the gospel. In part one of the Battleship Worship series we talked about the shifting landscape of the modern culture, and how the church is adapting in response. In this blog, we will begin to unbox what relevance actually means for a worship ministry, and some of the characteristics of a Battleship worship ministry. First, we will look at how a worship ministry can help the church reach the lost.
What is most important is leading people to Christ. One part of what leaders of worship do in today’s church is welcome the un-churched and the de-churched people into the service. We are often times the first thing people off the street see. First impressions matter. As missionaries at home we must strive to lower the bar of accessibility.
I take example from Paul’s mission to Athens in Acts 17. There, he preaches at the Areopagus, where the philosophers and high office holders of the day met. While speaking to them, he sets an example of what we should be doing in ministry. He contextualizes the gospel truth of Jesus’ resurrection to them by quoting from Greek philosopher Epimenides, and a Greek poet Aratus (The Bono of his day). Our worship should emulate this example. We should strive in our worship times to reveal the gospel truth through the context of music to the unsaved.
The ultimate measure of effectiveness in this area is whether or not people are getting saved or not. This can often times be hard to measure, and it would be foolish to try to link or attribute the aspects of worship in a church, directly to the revelation of God in an individual’s heart. This is a work that only God can perform. Even when Paul preaches in Athens, some followed him, but some mocked him, and no one doubts Paul’s effectiveness. The effectiveness of a worship ministry can not be directly tied to how many people are finding Christ in a church.
However, like Paul, we should be active in the pursuit of creating an environment of worship, that effectively contextualizes the gospel to those in our community. Since there is no non arbitrary measurement of what success looks like , success can only be measured in the pursuit of the mission. So instead of trying to provide a list of things to do or not do, we can only observe the characteristics of ministries who have clearly targeted the mission. Here is what I have observed.
Authentic- Arguably the most important characteristic of having a worship ministry that is equipped to promote the gospel, is one that has authenticity. You cannot hope to sing words like “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ Name” with a heart filled with pride, and expect to have any effectiveness. You cannot lead someone to a place you have never been. Today’s interconnected social media has turned us into very sophisticated authenticity detectors. As worship leaders We must ensure that we are taking the time to tune our own hearts before we try to lead others. An authentic worshiper leads by example and serves to model what it looks like to submit to the authority of Christ.
Theologically Complete- Remember, just like in the Pastor’s sermon, the lyrics we sing, teach the gospel message. In today’s “It’s all about me” world, it can be easy to over-emphasize the feel good aspects of God’s nature, and present a warped picture of who God is. As created beings, we all desire, down deep, to be in relationship with our creator. As such, our soul responds to the revelation of God’s full character. If we always sing about how God makes us feel and how he can provide for us, but neglect to sing about God’s holiness and authority, we do a disservice to the work God wants to do in our services. While it can be easier to sing about what God can do for us, God does not need an editor, he needs a messenger.
Accessible- While ensuring that we are presenting a complete picture of the gospel, a Battleship worship ministry will also try to communicate the gospel in common terms that are familiar to the un-churched. Like Paul we should attempt to remove the barriers to understanding the gospel, and make it accessible by using the language and vocabulary of the people we are trying to reach. Whilethere is a benefit to some of the old world practices of the past, let us be careful to distinguish what is made by man, and what is inspired by Christ. We should not be afraid to part with traditions made by man in the pursuit of making the gospel more accessible. Timeless message, timely method.
Contextually Progressive- In the same way that we need to utilize accessible vocabulary, we need to utilize accessible music. It is no secret that society and music trends are constantly changing. While the style wars rage on, we need to understand that music is just a tool. We choose our screw driver based on what kind of screw head we are screwing. In the same way, what style of music we choose to do should not be based on our own biases, but on what is the best tool to remove the barriers to the gospel message to the un-churched.
If this is truly our ultimate goal, there really is no way around adapting your style to current trends. If what we are playing in church is so radically different than what is played outside the church, the music itself can be a barrier to the message. While most of us have our own musical agenda, it is important to remember, we are servants advancing God’s mission, not our own. This does not mean we have to obsess over trying to be on the bleeding edge of the hottest musical trend. What it does mean, is we, like Paul, should not fear leaving our comfort zone in an attempt to reach the lost. If the pipe organ presents a barrier, it might be time to move on.
I will retrace a little to say, that there is value in providing our own God given voice to the process, and we should not just be blindly emulating others. We should however be careful to distinguish what is our own selfish personal bias, and what will lead others most effectively. While I am not fond of dub step, it might be what is needed to present the gospel most effectively to our kids 5 years from now. What I am proposing is that instead trying to emulate culture, we leave the four walls of the church, listen, and equip ourselves to engage the culture, not run away from it.
Regionally Contextual- We should also be cognizant of the cultural norms of the area we live. Worship should look different in Montomery Alabama than it does in Boston. It does not make sense for me to lead worship with the style of the latest recording from Australia in a small Kansas town. While it can be easy to emulate our worship style from a YouTube video, our goal is to reach the people in our own communities.
For instance a church located in an area with heavy Latin influence should strive to incorporate elements of the Latin music style to help create an environment where the unsaved of that community, will feel welcome enough to hear the message. This can be very difficult if you live in a very diverse area, or one that is going through transition. Does your community look the same as it did 15 years ago?
This does not mean that there cant be different churches that serve different needs, or that God cannot work if the music is not right. But in the light of the shifting landscape, where the missions field is becoming more in our back yard than overseas, our methodology has to shift as well.
Multi Generational- In a world where families are becoming more fragmented and separated, there is a growing need for churches to fill the vacuum. There may be no better ministry in the church better equipped to example the unity of a healthy family than the worship ministry. Just like having a big family dinner, having multiple generations on one stage can bring many logistical hurdles. But the impact of seeing the unified body of Christ in worship, cannot be underestimated. Especially in these times where people are desperate to fill the need of family in their lives.
I admit, it is a lot easier to try to silo different generations than it is work through the beautiful mess that comes with unification. This is why it is so important to develop a culture in your ministry that is sold out for the mission. A team on mission can put their agendas, and biases aside and begin to work together. The young breathe new life and passion, and the old bring wisdom and clarity. A worship ministry that is brave enough to work through the issues, and is humble enough to sacrifice their own tastes for a greater purpose, will put themselves in a prime position to help reach the lost.
Pursuit of Excellence- A worship ministry that is executing the mission of spreading the gospel will pursue excellence. Just like Paul in Athens, we are Jesus’ apostles. The tool we use is music, but mission is the same. If we view worship ministry as part of the missional function of the church, literally life and death are at stake, and we cannot afford to give anything less than our best.
Music is an incredibly powerful tool. There is no coincidence that the lost often find comfort outside of church in bars filled with music, while they fill themselves with drinks that are ironically called “spirits”. Distanced from God after the fall, our souls desire to worship and to be filled. A battleship worship ministry should be desperate to see the work of God carried out, and the gospel spread in the community. We should always pursue excellence and to give our best, both as a sacrifice for God, and as a sacrifice for the lost to see Christ revealed to them.
We should not pursue excellence for excellence’s sake. Instead, we orchestrate, practice, and work diligently that we might be a small part in seeing Christ revealed to the lost. I have no doubt in God’s capacity to reveal himself, even if the music is terrible. In the same way, I have no doubt of God’s ability to work in Athens had Paul not prepared himself. We should take Paul’s example and both prepare with all our strength, serve with all our strength, and fully rely on God. Because our all our righteous acts are like filthy rags compared to God. Including well orchestrated music with religious words.
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