As churches work to “appeal” to a “younger demographic,” the hymnal is going the way of the landline. In these churches a worship team leads the congregation in some extended anthems to Jesus in which the word “I” is used a lot. A PowerPoint display helps you know which words to mouth even if it can’t help you with the tune.

Jumbotrons are also necessary at churches that have multiple campuses. (A multi-campus church is one that owns many buildings and the pastor’s message is telecasted as people assemble to watch. When you gather in a building with other church members to see your pastor speaking on a screen from a remote location, there is a .0042% chance you would ever be granted a meeting with him in person.)

Bucolic and otherwise “inspirational” backgrounds are brandished on the screen(s) between worship songs. Oftentimes the background will display one word that is presumably intended to inspire the congregation.

In some instances churches will hold a service for “traditional” worship (always the early service) and the ensuing services will be “contemporary.” This is to please members of the congregation on both sides of the generational gap. The nuances of these two services will be discussed further in a future post.