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    Five Circles: Church Growth Through Music
    Five Circles: Church Growth Through Music
    Five Circles: Church Growth Through Music
    Ebook159 pages1 hour

    Five Circles: Church Growth Through Music

    By Charles Kelly

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    About this ebook

    "Five Circles: Church Growth Through Music" provides necessary and relevant information that establishes why diversity is important in worship music. The book highlights the important work that successful teams are doing to support diversity and church leaders.

    The Church is needed now more than ever. Over the last year, we've been confronted with immense adversity and seemingly overwhelming challenges. We are currently facing social unrest, the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare issues, global warming, human rights violations, and financial hardships.

    Beyond this, we're facing a devastating rise of unemployment, racism, divisiveness, corruption, and a general lack of empathy. Many people are crying out for a change of leadership that can help get them through the difficulties of life… Unfortunately, many churches are still segregated and do not accept God's heaven.

    God receives people that accept Christ as their Savior, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or gender. Music is the universal language that breaks down barriers between all people. It is also the perfect tool to bring people into a relationship with Christ. To make this a reality, church leaders must be willing and able to reach all people with music in church services. Throughout this book, Dr. Charles Anderson Kelly shares must-read information that establishes the importance of increasing diversity in worship music.

    Ephesians 5:19 says, "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord."
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateApr 29, 2021
    ISBN9781734391831
    Five Circles: Church Growth Through Music

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      Book preview

      Five Circles - Charles Kelly

      Biography

      PREFACE

      There is not a more needed time for the Church to lead this world than now. We are currently confronted with social unrest, COVID-19, healthcare, global warming, human rights, financial issues because of unemployment, racism, divisiveness, corruption, and ageneral lack of empathy. Many people are crying out for a change of leadership that can help get them through the difficulties of life. What I have grown to understand is that no man or woman can successfully overcome the major difficulties of life without the power of God. The Holy Spirit must live in each of us and drive our daily actions. The church MUST play a leading role in this transformation. Unfortunately, many churches are still segregated and do not accept God's heaven. God receives people that accept Christ as their Savior, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or gender. Music is the universal language that breaks down barriers between all people. It is also the perfect tool to bring people into a relationship with Christ. To make this a reality, church leaders must be willing and able to reach all people with music in church services. This will take leaders to knowhow to make it happen.

      This book provides the basis for why diversity is important in worship music. Additional inclusions are literature to support the importance of what successful teams are doing to support diversity and recommendations for church leaders. Ephesians 5:19 says, "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord."

      INTRODUCTION

      There has been a steady decline in congregational church membership over the past few years. Per the 2012 statistics released by the denomination's Office of the General Assembly, the total number of members of the Presbyterian Church within the United States was 1,849,496 (Kincaid, 2012). Results show a decrease of 102,791 from the 2011-figure of 1,952,287. The decrease is the largest decline since 1983. Lack of diversity, financial instability, poor church location, and unstable leadership are issues that caused the decline. There is also evidence to assume contemporary music increases church membership (Kincaid, 2012). David A. Roozen is the author of a research project titled Faith Communities Today 2008. The research focused on musical styles of the fastest growing churches in the United States during 2008. Roozen's research project became known as the Faith Communities Today (FACT) 2008 study. Per the FACT 2008 study, churches that did not convert to contemporary music when moving away from a traditional musical style were 41% least likely to see a two percent or more growth in worship attendance (Abbamonte & Banks, 2009).

      The focus of this book is to provide insight into what successful music ministries are doing to help increase congregational membership size using what I call a "Five-Circle Integration Theory" model. The context of this bookcomprises providing a background of contemporary music, which includes current music ministry business models and cultures. The book also includes responses from pastors, church board members, worship leaders, congregation members, and volunteers from churches with significant growth. The literature review section contains references used in the research, analysis, verification, and exploration process regarding characteristics of successful church music programs.

      CHAPTER 1

      BACKGROUND OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC IN CHURCHES

      For centuries, music has been part of many church services. Since the days of Gregorian chant, music has been the tool by which people worship and praise God. People positively respond when the music is good and want to attend churches that best fulfill spiritual needs (Abbamonte & Banks, 2009). Many church music departments are integrating technology into the associated business models to attract churchgoers (Abbamonte & Banks, 2009). For example, since the rise of internet businesses, organizations are attracting more listeners while increasing the customer base (Duncan, 2010). Small churches have adopted this approach and now can show church services on the internet and attract listeners from around the globe (Latonero, 2003). It also might be safe to assume if people who attend church dislike the music or the spoken word, will eventually lose interest in attending church completely or go to a church where those needs get fulfilled (Krejcir, 2001). While many churches attempt to provide quality music and continue to grow, there are still churches that rarely provide quality music. Many of these church leaders believe music does not contribute to congregational growth. Also, many people in church leadership do not know how to incorporate music to increase church membership. Both situations present problems for many churches to create a transformational mindset within the church staff to promote the importance of having a quality music program. It is critical to define quality asa well-planned and executed worship experience through music based upon a foundation of practice and commitment to excellence (Cooke, 2010). This book examines the importance of having contemporary music in the church, and the importance to strive for excellence to improve music programs, by using best practices of successful business models. It is critical for church organizations that depend on volunteers with various skill levels to achieve the goal of having a quality music presentation that enhances worship (Seibold, 1999).

      Churches are struggling to increase or maintain congregational membership (Cooke, 2010). Many churches lack vision and understanding of how implementing new business models can help attract new listeners and members. Depending on location, culture, and classification, congregational church sizes are quite different and could cause a severe impact on how the congregation perceives the experience (Cooke, 2010). Some traditional churches are having an issue using contemporary music, new technology, and integrating changes into powerful music program models (Cooke, 2010). The inability to integrate effective changes in music program models is a general concern within the church community. For example, churches in Southern California, who do not convert to contemporary music are 41% less likely to see a 2% or more growth in worship attendance (Abbamonte & Banks, 2009). One to two percent of growth is not enough to keep up with population growth, thus leading to a decline in church attendance (Shattuck,2014).

      Based on current trends, church attendance by the year 2050 will be almost half of the 1990s attendance, which is a drop from 20.4% to 11.7% (Shattuck, 2014). The forecast for years leading up to 2050 is projecting a decline of 15.4% in 2020 (Shattuck, 2014). While most small to midsize church leaders will acknowledge, congregational membership is in decline; many are hesitant to make the required changes necessary to increase growth. While many traditional churches move away from traditional music to a more contemporary musical style, many congregation members will resist the change.

      Implementing a contemporary musical style causes some congregational members to leave (Abbamonte & Banks, 2009). Because of the potential conflict with long time church members, many church leaders are not willing to make the change, even when there is evidence of a decline in growth. Also, some traditional churches are having an issue using and integrating technology into current business models. Church leaders that cannot embrace change could lose good volunteers. Churches cannot function properly and could shut down if enough volunteers leave. Even though enormous churches have an advantage because of congregational size, well organized smaller churches can still compete with much larger churches and organizations.

      According to the FACT 2008 study, 50% of churches using contemporary music business models for longer than five years and have maintained it enjoyed over 2% growth in worship attendance (Abbamonte & Banks, 2009). Abbamonte and Banks (2009) also stated that 64% of congregations who within the last five years converted to contemporary worship saw an increase in worship attendance equal to or greater than 2%. It is also a fact that megachurch worship is attracting more people because of its contemporary style of music, bold and dynamic presentations, and high-powered tech-electronics (Bird & Thumma, 2011). While it is unknown how contemporary church worship contributes to the success of all churches, there seems to be a strong connection to member growth and contemporary worship in megachurches (Bird & Thumma, 2011).

      SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BOOK

      Since there are many churches losing membership, many church leaders are trying to figure out how to keep church members (McMullen, 2008). While there are studies that could help churches to increase membership, many studies do not focus on the importance of how quality music programs increase church growth. Findings from this book could help many churches understand the importance of music as a tool to preserve church membership. Implementing findings that come from this book may also increase sustainability in churches that are already stable. Researching what successful churches do to increase church membership through music provides insight and options to help struggling churches preserve and increase congregational membership. Looking at the characteristics of what it takes to elevate the level of music could help senior-level church leadership determine if it is worth the investment. This book could help music directors, sound technicians, and musicians from churches with decreasing growth to understand the connection between quality music and church membership growth. It could also reveal to church leaders how and why churches are enjoying success embracing a contemporary music business model.

      CORE LEADERSHIP VALUES OF SUCCESSFUL WORSHIP TEAMS

      For an organization to enjoy success, core values that represent the vision, mission statement, aim, and goals of the organization must be established. When targets and goals are established, there must be a transformational oriented

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