Contemporary Worship

“Evangelical worship services often feel kind of shallow. A lot of times it’ll feel like a concert and a TED Talk about Jesus.” - Gavin Ortlund

“Pop culture and the pop style of music in general has infiltrated and reshaped much of the thinking, writing, arranging, and performing of Christian music, even within much of ‘conservative’ Christianity.” - Taigen Joos

“Some traditions work to refocus on theological distinctives in their music as worship megahits take over.” - CToday

“Around 3 in 10 (29%) U.S. Protestant churchgoers say their church’s ministry activities and methods would fit best in a time period before the turn of the new millennium….Close to half (52%) say their church’s ministry belongs in the 2000s or later. Another 19% aren’t sure.” - Baptist Press

“when I hear someone say, ‘Contemporary worship music all sounds the same,’ I think of my music history students and wonder if that person simply doesn’t like the music very much.” - CToday

“The annual Sing! Global conference, held Sept. 4-6, drew some 8,500 Christian worship music leaders and other church musicians, pastors, vendors and hymn composers from as many as 35 countries.” - RNS

“If God, or biblical truths, or anything in a worship service is simply means to achieving a religion emotion, then the religious emotion is the true object of our affections.” - Churches Without Chests

“In recent years, industry giants like Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG), which, as of 2021, claims over half the market share of the Christian music industry, have invested more in catalog acquisitions and are seeing profits from publishing catalogs increase.” - CToday

“Leading worship while dressed as characters from the Toy Story franchise suggests theological problems that go way beyond debates about the nature of Paul’s teaching on eldership.” - Carl Trueman

“A new study looked at how worship leaders pick music for services — at a time when a handful of megachurches dominate the market.” - RNS