FredMcKinnon.Com

True. Back to the “no blame” concept… I think today’s music is much more “dynamic.” Hymns and old praise choruses were 1 chord structure repeated over and over and they typically used the same set of songs over and over – not expanding their music.

Younger generations have been raised with the expectation of new songs introduced regularly, punches, putting a 7 in the bass, replacing a major with a minor, etc. It doesn’t have nearly as much with age as it does with the culture (church or otherwise) they were raised in…just my 2 cents.

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I agree with matthew..it has to do with what your music culture was and is…

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The short general answer would be ‘True’. There would of course be exceptions as discussed already.

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First, I think you need to define your “generations.” I’m 41. Am I younger or older?

I remember when my oldest song was about 11 (a dozen years ago) he brought me his Discman (really!) and said “Hey, Dad, these guys are pretty good!” I took the headphones. It was Led Zepplin.

Young people are generally (and that’s painting them with a broad brush) accepting of new things and experiences. When I was a kid, I listened to everything from Van Halen to Glenn Miller. But I was taught that way, and I try to teach that way. I hear my own kids listening to things from the 70′s and 80s all the time.

We’ve “taught” many of our older congregants to listen to and enjoy the new music we do. While most of the over sixty crowd may not ever get into a Fusebox or Kutless tune, they appriciate some of the Hillsong, New Breed and even Crowder tunes we do. There’s probably more 40+ folks at our church who listen to Casting Crowns than youngin’s.

Russ hit one thing on the head. Most of our opinions are colored by the fact that we are musicians. Not only how accepting we are of new music, but how accepting we are of people who are not accepting of new music. (if that makes any sense)

It’s not as simple as a generational thing, either. Being in a very multi-ethnic church and community, these things are also drawn along cultural lines as well. Couple of people said that.

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Fred, I think you’re about 5 years older than me.

Are you talking about the music of your formative teen years? Say the majority of the 80s? or are you talking about the music you like now?

If it’s the 80s, then no. I don’t really like the 80s. I’m a kid of the 90s.(my formative teen years). However, I probably really enjoy and appreciate the new music that you would listen to today.

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Mostly true. We have all kinds of services from very contemporary to “traditional”. Our younger generation here will generally say the old stuff is lame and grudgingly join in, where as some of our older congregation has been known to stay away or leave when the band gets rockin’. And there is absolutely no way they will raise their hands in worship!

Our congregation seems to really worship thru the “old” hymns sung in a new way. Speaking as an older, 50s- something full time ministry assistant, I love the new stuff (and am addicted to indie powerpraise radio). I also like the fact that our kids respond to the “new” hymns such as “Power of the Cross” and “In Christ Alone”, etc.

Hey, we have powerful praise band cranked up at one service and full orchestra/organ/choir at others. also still have over 100 in youth choir. guess we’re an anomaly…. I do think the upcoming generation is very hungry for values, tradition of some kind (whether it be the old or developing their own!).

FALSE. But not as black and white as you are framing here.

It is intolerable, at least in a church setting. Where, the fact is, older people will put up with their kids–given health and leadership.

What the experience seems to be is that older people are vocal and younger people just don’t come back.

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I would say my experience is that generally the statement is true. However it really does depend on the “kind” of music and where it is being introduced, even how it is being introduced, and why.

I think a lot depends on what you mean by older generation, I am 41 and love the new stuff, but I always have liked a more contemporary sound (though I was raised in a very traditional church).

In our congregation we have had a struggle with newer music and the older “gatekeepers” if you will. But, have found with gentleness and love, and with explanations about the music, and time…there has been better acceptance of the newer sound in the worship service experience, or at least tolerance.

I think in our experience, time and love have proved to be able to begin to bridge the “generation gap” between music, at least in the corporate worship service.

My son (18), who is reading over my shoulder, said that the bottom line is that there should be mutual respect/tolerance/acceptance from the older and younger generations when it comes to music and style in the corporate setting.

Well I must say that I do find myself someone in her 40′s grasping on to the sound of today,vise my children grasping the sound of the 70′s/80′s.

As a mother of 5 children ranging from the ages of 13-23 I’ve always allowed my children to be diverse when it comes to music etc.,etc. I grew up listening to all kinds of music, jazz , pop, gospel,country,R&B, punk rock,classic,ragae, easy listening, opera I listened to it all and so does my children and I believe it’s made us exceptable to most music. I think we all have a certain song that speaks to us or a certain sound that speaks to us whether rock, pop, gospel, or jazz and there is absolutely nothing wrong with us having our own different tastes that’s what makes us special and unique.

I agree it’s the type of atmosphere you’re brought up in (church affiliation/community/culture/upbringing) that makes you exceptable or unexceptable to certain music. If you were in a family that allowed you to listen to and expand your world of music no matter what culture, nationality or sound then you more than likely are more exceptable to listen to other styles/sounds of music.

I love the sound of some of the contemporary music of today.I feel the music of today is catapulting us into a deeper dimension and another realm of praise and worship unto the Lord, no matter what race or nationality religious origin, or age group, whatever get’s us there let’s go.

When I turn on worship music of today or any up to date cd I connect especially to the praise and worship music. It’s a deeper call a deeper connection with God. I love it. I love the new sound and being a Prophetic Psalmist I hear the change I feel the change in our music. God is calling for a different sound in this season and Like I said I like it and I think it’s a Glorious change. I even see some of my peers/elders grasping on to this sound of worship. It’s all about connecting. I believe we will all eventually have one sound that will invoke the atmosphere and set the world on a new order of worship. All I can say is “Are we connecting to what God is calling for during this season?” Again I’m excited,

I only browsed the above responses so that my own wouldn’t be influenced…

Our church is extremely multi-cultural, multi-generational, multi-just.about.every.thing.al! (I once counted over 20 countries represented by first generation members)

I’d have to say that if I pulled out an old time hymnal and a song was presented the way it was when I was a kid in a traditional, organ-based denominational way, the older generation may get a twinkle in their eye because of familiarity, but soon, they’d be snoring. The younger generation would excuse themselves and find somewhere else to be.

We love to be contemporary…after all, it’s where we all live, no matter what age. In our team we tend to chose the newest songs from the newest artists, but we also love to pull out an old hymn–our church’s favorite? “Blessed Assurance,” but we pick up the tempo until the congregation is jumping out of their seats!

Other oldies like “Crown Him with Many Crowns” fit into contemporary songs and add wonderful depth and meaning.

I’ve taught my kids that many hymns are timeless, and they’ll hear them all their lives. But they’ve also learned them in a more contemporary form, and actually enjoy them.

And last week, two of our older ladies were seen dancing in the aisle to “I Am Free.”

So, that being said, we’ve not had a generational issue with worship in our congregation.

False. I have known both varieties in both generations, that is flexible and inflexible olders and the same in youngers.

Kathy, what a neat church you must attend.

I would love to see our “older” folks at least smile when they sing, but sometimes I wonder if that is just the way they sing….the amount of worship going on in their heart is probably not always demonstrated by the look on their face or their movement or lack there of….but sometimes I wonder…

I too connect to todays “praise and worship” music very deeply, and love it when hymns can be incorporated into the more modern choruses and songs…

I am sure the trueness or falseness of the original questions probably varies from congregation to congregation.

I don’t think it is a younger or older generation thing at all. In my experience, people prefer the music that they sang when they fell in love with Jesus.

So if you are in your 60s but still chasing hard after Christ, then you don’t mind new expressions of music. But if you are 60s but stopped chasing after Christ in your 30s then you will not like the new expressions of music.

The opposite is true as well. If you are in your early 20s but chasing Christ, you don’t mind the older stuff, but if you are in your 20s and living off of your teenage love for Christ, you will not dig it at all.

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While both ways exist, if I had to pick one side or the other my vote would have to be – NO WAY! I find that the older people in congregations where I have played and/or led will tap their feet, clap along, even smile and sing along with the latest greatest P&W music we can bring in, but try playing old hymns or even classic Gaither tunes for a group of 15-19 year olds and you’re in for bored looks and figity teens, IF they bother to stick around. There are exceptions to the rule on both counts but this is what I keep running into over and over again. The reason I am so sure of it is because I used to think the youth were more accepting and it was so consistantly shown to me that the opposite is more often the case until I had no choice but to admit it to myself! IMHO of course…

thats a tough question. Im one of the seniors. I like both new and old. I also dislike some oldies and some newbies. most oldies tell a story and the words are above board. while some of the newbies the language is discusting. and dont necessarily tell a story that makes sense. it also doesnt take much talent to have songs with only 2 lines which just repeat themselves. I like songs of peace and those which are peaceful. But every body to their own taste. you can rock it you can sock it anything as long as its got a good melody and tells a story

From what I’ve seen in the past and in most places, the younger age seems to be more tolerant, maybe because they’ve had to be. As in human nature, we tend to lean toward the things WE like, while not being very tolerant of things we don’t know as well or like as well. I see the younger ages adopting and adapting the older songs – just changing the style or the chord structure a bit to make it fresher. I don’t personally see the older section doing the same thing. In our church, there’s not much said and minimal “conflict” over it, but everyone pretty much gravitates toward their “comfort zones”.

I’d say this statement is pretty true in my experience, but not it’s not so black and white. In my church there are plenty of older generation-ers that are extremely supportive. The younger adults seem to like the traditional and contempory blend and the really young adults (18-24 maybe) are not regular church-goers anyway.

True – because we look to the greats before us. Today music doesn’t seem to capture you. Not all of course. I’m 47.

If the question is: are younger generations more likely to ‘tolerate’, as in, endure without whining…. then I’d say the answer is yes.

If the question is: are younger generations more likely to actually ‘enjoy’ music of the older generations… then I’d say the answer is independent of age. In the church setting it has entirely to do with a person’s spiritual maturity, what they’ve been taught about worship, and how close they are to God personally.

But here’s the follow-up question: will the younger people that are more tolerant now grow up to be the ‘older’ people who are not? Is that a function of generational characteristics, or is it a function of age?

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I want to post my take on this before I read and participate in any responses.

True. But as usual this depends….

I say true from my experiences. Most notably from my daughter, Christy. She’s almost 20 and a sophomore at the University of Arizona.

Christy is a very mature follower of Christ for her age. As I was helping to form the new church I’m now a part of, Bridge Covenant Church, the senior pastor and I wanted to make the music oriented toward the youth, or at least make it interesting and not boring for them.

Here’s the bottom line: After a little experimenting with styles, I asked my daughter what she thought. Here’s what she said: “I think that young people are looking for true worship, no matter the style of the music.”

Mature Christ follower who just basically quoted John 4:21 through 24: “Jesus declared, ‘Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.’ ”

Isn’t this question a bit like the context of these verses? This woman wants the water of everlasting life. Jesus tells her that any other manner or place of worship is irrelevant next to worshipping in spirit and in truth.

What is spirit and truth? Well, that’s debatable. But what’s not is that God accepts our worship if we are sincere no matter how we imperfect humans go about that. Our worship ‘envelope’ means very little next to the intentions of our heart, mind and soul.

SO, let’s take this question a bit deeper (and I don’t mean to be judgemental, just opening it up for food for thought): is this question important so that we as local church leaders can be seeker friendly, so we can get and keep the numbers in the door?

Again, I’m not being judgmental. Just thinking out loud.

I know that we don’t want to just do hymns (although there are proponents of just that) because that will most likely drive many young people away.

But why not do a mixture of all forms of music? Personally, I love the formula of taking an old and popular hymn and making the verses melodic and then rocking out the chorus. Both young and old seem to love that.

I also love to play modern rock tunes. I find that the older generation can relate to that when tempered with the occassional modern-style hymn. And I find the opposite to be true as well.

Worship God in spirit and truth!

Steve

I am amazed at the older people I see really worshipping to music geared to younger audiences. Older people are really wanting to accomodate the younger crowd and make them feel comfortable and accepted and not feel as though they have to leave the church . I do think that the younger crowds do not realize what older church goers went through (spiritual battles) to bring them to where their wishes for relevant music can be honored. There is an entire group of worshippers now middle aged who pioneered the kind of music you now hear in our churches.

If I were to respond to music in general, I would have to say TRUE.

However, if I were to answer from the perspective of what I have seen in our congregation, I would say FALSE. This wasn’t always the case, however in the last 3 to 5 years, I have seen our older generations, become far more accepting of “non-hymns” as not only acceptable, but meaningful and engaging. It’s very moving to see our seniors heartily singing Fuhrler’s ‘It is You”!

We are also blessed with youth and young adults who also enjoy and want to sing the great hymns of our faith!

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Lots of thoughts and ideas… It probably depends on the church background. If the church has been very traditional then the old favorites will be popular with the oldies, if its a ‘Hillsong’ music type church then modern music is more acceptable. Folk sing louder if they know the tunes, and some of the newer tunes can be hard to learn, and as has already mentioned the music attitude comes from where the heart is. Our church has a good mix of old’s and new’s although we tend towards to more modern type of music and everybody seems to enjoy the worship.
As a PA operator the difference is noticable – sing an old traditional song and you can almost turn the PA off because the volume is so high, with some of the new songs you turn the choir up to fill in the silence. Overall I think there is a general acceptance of both styles of music

True, younger gen flow of music mostly is not appreciated by older gen except me. I belong to the older gen but I’m open to both kinds of music coz I too am a worship leader.