{"id":30964,"date":"2022-09-10T15:11:29","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/9-ways-the-modern-worship-service-is-changing\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:11:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:11:29","slug":"9-ways-the-modern-worship-service-is-changing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/9-ways-the-modern-worship-service-is-changing\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways the Modern Worship Service Is Changing"},"content":{"rendered":"
Edward Cisneros photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1998, Netflix was only a year old and only offered DVDs by mail. In 2006, Apple was on the verge of introducing the world to the first iPhone. In 2012, the idea of at-home exercise changed with the founding of Peloton.<\/p>\n

Think how much the world has changed since the late 1990s. Now, think about how much the average church worship service has changed in the same time frame.<\/p>\n

The National Congregations Study (NCS) by Duke University has surveyed a representative sample of United States congregations in four waves: 1998, 2006, 2012, and 2018. The most recent release demonstrates the adjustments the average church has made to their worship service in the past two decades.<\/p>\n

1. More worship services at different locations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The NCS has demonstrated the rise of the multisite church. In 2012, the first year the study asked, 3.4% of congregations had weekly worship services at more than one location, and 10.3% of churchgoers were involved in such a church.<\/p>\n

More than 1 in 10 congregations (10.6%) have worship services in multiple locations and are drawing 17% of U.S. churchgoers, according to the latest National Congregations Study. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

By 2018, more than 1 in 10 congregations (10.6%) had worship services in multiple locations and were drawing 17% of U.S. churchgoers.<\/p>\n

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2. Fewer services during the week<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The percentage of congregations who say they held two or more services in a typical week declined in each survey wave, dropping from 72.8% in 1998 to 60.5% in 2018. Those who say they only have one service each week rose from 26.6% to 38.3%.<\/p>\n

The drop in multiple services may be attributed to non-Protestant congregations, as a 2018 Lifeway Research study found 9 in 10 Protestant pastors say their church has some form of Wednesday night activity.<\/p>\n

3. Fewer major differences in the worship services<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2006, almost half of churches with multiple weekend services (47.9%) said there were \u201cimportant differences,\u201d like style of music, between those services. Now, 36.2% say that is the case.<\/p>\n

The percentage of churches with multiple weekend services who said there were \u201cimportant differences" between those services fell from 47.9% to 36.2%, according to the National Congregations Study. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

A 2018 Lifeway Research study also suggests churches have moved beyond the \u201cworship wars,\u201d as only 15% of Protestant pastors say the biggest challenge they face in the area of music is navigating the varying music preferences of members.<\/p>\n

4. Less traditional forms of worship<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In previous decades, a common worship service would involve an organ accompanying a choir. Today, it may be a praise band with a drum and guitar.<\/p>\n

In 1998, 53.9% of churches had a choir singing in their worship service, and 53% used an organ. Now, 41.9% regularly use a choir with 46.8% using organ music. Meanwhile, use of drums has risen from 19.9% in the late 90s to 40.8% today.<\/p>\n

Praise teams (52%) now outnumber choirs (33%) among Protestant churches, according to Lifeway Research. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

Specifically among Protestant congregants, Lifeway Research found praise teams (52%) outnumber choirs (33%).<\/p>\n

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See also  Most Pastors See Racial Diversity in the Church as a Goal but Not Reality<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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5. More languages in the worship services<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While fewer churches have different services with significant changes overall, one type of worship service change has seen growth\u2014Spanish or bilingual worship services.<\/p>\n

In 2006, 6.3% of churches held such services. By 2018, 1 in 10 churches in the U.S. had a Spanish or bilingual worship service.<\/p>\n

6. More diversity in the pulpit<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fewer churches are now led by white senior pastors compared to the late 1990s. In 1998, more than 3 in 4 congregations had a white pastor (76.9%). Now, that has fallen to 64.6%. The share of Hispanic pastors has grown from 1.8% to 5.2%.<\/p>\n

7. More age in the pulpit<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Those leading the church have substantially more life experience now than two decades ago. The average age of a senior pastor has grown from 49 in 1998 to 57 today.<\/p>\n

The average age of a senior pastor has grown from 49 in 1998 to 57 today, according to the National Congregations Study. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

This follows other studies which have indicated a graying of the pastorate and a growing inability of many denominations and congregations to draw younger leaders to the pulpit.<\/p>\n

8. More expressive worship<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If worship services seem more animated today than 20 years ago, research indicates this is actually the case.<\/p>\n

Now, most worship services see someone raise their hands in praise (62.7%), compared to 44.6% in 1998, according to the National Congregations Study. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

Now, most worship services see someone raise their hands in praise (62.7%), compared to 44.6% in 1998. Also, 27.9% of services now include an adult jumping, shouting, or dancing spontaneously. In 1998, that was the case in 19.2% of congregations.<\/p>\n

9. More technology involved<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Churches are less likely to have a written order of service and more likely to use visual projection equipment compared to the late 1990s.<\/p>\n

Use of written service orders have declined from 72% in 1998 to 66% now, while use of equipment to project announcements or music lyrics has grown from 11.9% to 46%.<\/p>\n

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Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

@WardrobeDoor<\/p>\n

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Aaron is a writer for LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n