Find the right fit.

One of the statements in Jimmy's sermon yesterday that I have thought so many times is if you don't agree with the way a church worships, keep looking. Why would anyone stay in a church that is not a fit for them when on another corner in town, they could find the right fit. That's why we have so many denominations and styles of worship.
If someone would ask me what my style is, I would have to say conservative/contemporary. This only makes sense to me. I want contemporary music, teaching, setting, but I am conservative in my behavior in church. I almost always wear a dress; I don't care what everyone else wears. I sing along, but I don't raise my hands in praise. I sometimes want to, but that's just not something I do. Why? Don't know.
My opinion about the typical Baptist church around here is that we are afraid of rituals because someone might think were too close to Catholic, and we are afraid of being too demonstrative because someone might think were too close to Charismatic. So, we rock along in the middle. Before I settled on Harrah Church, I visited a variety of other churches. If I liked the music, I didn't care for the preaching. I require a smart preacher. I refuse to sit week after week and listen to a man speak to me if he hasn't studied more than I have. I want to be taught every week. If I liked the preaching, I usually didn't care for the music. That's why Harrah Church is such a good fit. The music has changed drastically since I first started attending, but the change has been for a valid reason. We are trying to reach people who have never been to church. We can't reach them with songs like.
We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful, Zion
We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God.
I really like that song, but I grew up singing it.
I also used to sing the four part harmony songs like:
I'll Fly Away, When we all get to Heaven, I'll meet you by the river.
Can you imagine an unchurched person visiting a church for the first time and picking up a hymnal and trying to follow along while everyone is singing different words at different times.
I want people who come in to our church to look at the screen and sing along with the praise songs that we sing today. We often have traditional hymns that have been "remixed" but only those who grew up singing hymns would know that.
I wish I had a surefire way to get visitors to come to church with me. I have to keep praying for opportunities.