Sunday Social Hour - the welcoming parish
This week on our social networks, it's been fairly quiet. The Cafe's art blog now has its own photo album on Facebook, which should make it easier for fans to share the images on their own pages if they wish to do so.
One of the threads on "Hymn Madness" evolved into a conversation about what brings people to church after one woman observed that she feels traditional hymnody drives away young people, and that she and her family attend the local Methodist church because she feels they do more, with their contemporary service, to attract young people. Enter Gia, who makes some sound counterpoints that it may not be the contemporary worship that draws the young people to the Methodist church and it's probably not the lack of it that drives them away:
Your older parishioners' resistance to change is exactly the kind of cultural attitude I've been talking about, that sends kids away feeling unimportant because only the adults matter. I would bet quite a lot of money that there are other symptoms of this culture in that parish: the decision-makers and power-holders are all old guard, children and youth are confined to small invisible roles, newcomers tend to be ignored, babies must be absolutely silent in worship or they are banished to the nursery, youth ministry falling heavily on one or two people instead of being owned by the entire parish. Changing the music alone will not address those cultural factors. It simply won't, and in fact it'll drive away those who value more traditional hymnody.
You can read the extended conversation here.
Now we're getting closer to the bone, closer to the core of the matter. I would add it's not enough to have a separate, child or youth or "young adult" service. The culture of the congregation of origin has to change to make way, not just to include, but welcome the leadership of those younger than themselves. I have experienced extraordinary insightfulness in children age 6 to 10. But we tend to go for the "oh how cute" response instead of inviting those insights to reshape us.
Posted by Lois Keen![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 27, 2011 8:11 PM
@Gia, @Lois - I wholeheartedly agree. To survive and grow what needs to learned is you don't chase after the latest new things, but you do open your church culture so the old guard don't stifle the environment. Your parish has an old guard, folks. The question is the old guard controlling (wittingly or not), or is it open. Being superficially welcoming is not welcoming.
Posted by John B. Chilton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 27, 2011 8:28 PM
Our parish suffers with and "old guard culture" and as a 90 year old I can say that publicly and get away with it. At the same time we have been open enough to call a priest from Zimbabwae to be our Rector. The congregation, however, still prefers older well-known hymns set to old familiar tunes. That does not appear to upset the new younger people who are now beginning to join our family. Church music has always been both important to our worship and difficult ro agree on.
Herb Gray
Posted by Hgrayowl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 28, 2011 11:47 AM
This discussion about having contemporary music to attract young people is really a tired argument.
As a 30-year-old, I can tell you I would prefer to sing as little praise and worship music as humanly possible, and I am far from alone in my age group. I do like some contemporary compositions, but usually those in the style of traditional hymnody.
I think the first comments hit the nail on the head. It's not the music or the liturgy that needs to change. If fact, if anything, I would say that argument compromises our principles and identity. Rather, it's the exclusivity of some churches that needs changing.
Posted by Matthew Buterbaugh+![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 28, 2011 8:24 PM