Specifically I am thinking about worship. What are we doing in churches to worship and teach and train others to worship? Here are some questions to ask yourself: 

What music do the people participating listen to outside of worship?
Would teens tune into this music if it were on the radio?
Would they change the station if it were on the radio?
Is it being executed well?
Are teens participating more than just singing?
Does worship appeal to the heart of the teens participating?
How does worship look? 

If these questions sparked more questions for you, then you will definitely want to evaluate what you are doing. What can you do to change worship? If your like most people out there, your own training in worship is probably somewhat limited. Don’t let that stop you, though. There are many resources out there to borrow from. The best thing we can do to worship is acknowledge and glorify God, and we are all equipped to do that.

<< Style
My first question to someone I am meeting is, “what kind of music do you listen to?” followed quickly by, “what is in your cd/mp3 player?” Style is what identifies preference. Though our own preference is not the most important thing in worship, it is important, especially when helping people to connect with God. Worship can be set to any style of music. The most important thing is that is brings people closer to God. This can happen through what they are familiar with, or it can drag them kicking and screaming. Teens, and most people, prefer the former over the latter.

<< Execute
This is where I think most people fall short. I don’t really mind hymns or praise songs, as long as they are preformed well. Being performed well is a slippery idea. In my distinction I am saying that there are no (or few) wrong notes, that the leaders are not just playing the notes but are passionate about their part, and that they feel comfortable enough with what they are doing that they can still worship without having the burden of performance.

<< Participate
Again this is an area that many accept as static and not as important. I would question anyone’s ability to worship without participating. Yet many places of worship I have been a part of don’t seem to care about participation. Singing along is great, but it is easy to check out mentally and even easier to check out emotionally and spiritually. This is the time to be creative and do something different. People thrive on creative approaches to the familiar. God made us that way. Be creative in getting worshippers to participate.

<< Steal
I don’t mean break one of the ten commandments. I mean borrow as much as you from people who do things well that can make worship an experience that people will crave. People pay way too much for food that they can get at a fraction of the cost because they enjoy the ambience of the surroundings and the freedom of not preparing it themselves. Look at other places of worship, at places people hang out, at the look of media being used, and any other visual aid you can think of. All of this will help you make worship something special to God.
 

If we are going to reach this generation, we will need more than all the old tools we have been using. We need to get very real with ourselves. We need to start using the new tools that others are using as our competition. We will have to get outside of our own comfort zones and into theirs. Worship should be something that we crave. We all crave worship of something worth our devotion, and if we can make that directed to God, then that is the only worship that is a fulfillment of our purpose in being.