Christian Music - Something for Everyone
What kind of music do you like? Rock? Country? Contemporary? Rap? Heavy Metal? Are you new to the Christian faith? Just as there are different types of secular music, there are just as many types of Christian music. Some people may think that Christian music is just hymns, gospel or praise and worship. While these are part of Christian music, it is far from what is out there today.
In many churches today, contemporary Christian music is becoming more and more popular. More and more churches seem to have a young, contemporary worship team, reflecting the tastes of younger people. There are several popular groups who have crossed over into secular radio such as Switchfoot, Jump 5, Jars of Clay and POD. These groups have maintained success in the Christian music industry but have gotten airplay on secular radio stations. Many more people, not just Christians, are hearing the songs by these groups, buying their CDs, downloading their songs, and attending concerts where they will eventually hear the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Young people are especially being reached through these groups because they are playing the type of music they like.
When I first started attending church, the Christian music we heard in our church was mostly hymns sung by the choir and the congregation. Some of the old, traditional hymns are still my favorites, such as How Great Thou Art, Be Thou My Vision, and I’ll Fly Away. Christian music artists have actually recorded versions of these wonderful hymns in more contemporary versions, and I like them a lot too. Of course, a lot of older people may prefer gospel songs and the older hymns because it’s what they are familiar with.
After attending my church for some time, you could feel change coming about. Our congregation was growing at a rapid pace, with many more young families attending. We started to include praise and worship songs in our Sunday services. Praise and worship songs that you may be familiar with are Shout to the Lord and Lord I Lift You’re Name on High. These songs promote the true reason why we attend church: to worship God and draw closer to him.
Eventually, our church put together a worship team. Our worship team consists of a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, percussionist, and several singers. There were some people in the congregation who liked the traditional Christian music, so this was quite an adjustment. We still have one service where the music is more traditional.
No matter what type of Christian music you like to listen to, whether in church or not, its purpose is to reach people right where they are at and to draw people closer to God. There are radio stations, praise bands, and musical artists out there for every age and musical taste which will touch your heart and guide you in your daily walk with God.