Talking to Your Teens about Contemporary Christian Music
Beth Wolff

Every student that I have talked to wishes that their family had more conversations about life, faith, and family. Does this surprise you? The trick is finding a time to talk when everyone is relaxed and emotions are low (not when you just found out he is failing all his classes). And it doesn’t have to be a super formal “family meeting.” Just over dinner or in the car from here to there. Have everyone read the short prompt (or just tell them the main idea), and ask some questions.

Try This One Out:
In the 1950s and 1960s, many churches in America began to seek new ways of reaching out and bringing them into their congregations. Many in the church felt that young people perceived church to be a stuffy, structured and dull place and that they needed to change this impression. Many congregations began adopting a different style of worship, shifting from some of the older hymns to more contemporary-sounding songs. Over time, Christian rock bands began to form that performed concerts much like their secular counterparts. Today, Churches such as Hillsong in Australia have popularized contemporary praise music, which are typically led by a worship band in a church. All of these shifting trends have, of course, led people to view contemporary Christian music differently. Use the following questions to discuss this idea with our church youth:

1. When you think of “Christian music,” what jumps into your mind?

2. Do you choose to listen to Christian music? Why or why not?

3. What is your favorite Christian song? What do you like about it?

4. What is your favorite secular song? What do you like about it?

5. In what ways are Christian musicians different than secular musicians? In what ways are they the same?

6. In Ephesians 5:18-19, Paul writes, “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” Some have claimed that the contemporary music heard in churches today distracts people from worshiping God. Do you agree or disagree?

7. What are the benefits of filling your mind with music that focuses on God and what He has done for us?

8. Could contemporary Christian music ever be a negative influence? If so, in what ways?

From: www.mountainpark.org web site. March 2016

The above article, “Talking to Your Teens about Contemporary Christian Music” was written Beth Wolff . The article was excerpted from www.mountainpark.org.

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying