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BCMC JOURNAL 2005
The Future of Contemporary Worship
Breakout Session with Rick Muchow
Reported by David Manner
After more than seventeen years of ministry as Pastor of
Magnification at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest,
California, Rick Muchow is experiencing what he refers
to as a "Rick Reboot." He is moving out of the daily
management of the worship team ministries to focus on
special projects related to the Purpose Driven Life,
national and international projects with Pastor Rick
Warren and writing projects and the development of new
music and worship resources. It was evident as Rick
shared in a breakout session of the 2005 Baptist Church
Music Conference that he can relate to his comment "as
culture is changing, so is the church."
Saddleback uses a system of six worship venues in
addition to their main service, for a total of 16
weekend services. These venues incorporate a variety of
musical styles including: Main Service – the
"Saddleback" style of praise and worship with a full
band; Praise – featuring the Saddleback Gospel
Choir; OverDrive – Rock ‘n Roll music style;
Ohana – island style of music; Elevation – a
venue for singles - Saddleback style with an
"edge"; Passion – a younger, more intimate style;
El Encuentro (The Encounter) Spanish
Music. Though all of the venues' worship styles are
different, they experience the same teaching through a
live video feed from the main service.
Rick
uses the game of golf to illustrate the importance of
flexibility in light of changing conditions. "The goal
is to complete a round of golf with the least amount of
strokes possible. Grass, wind, weather and sand can all
have a bearing on how a course is played. Some church
leaders play with one club no matter what obstacles are
faced. Because of changing course conditions, what
worked one day may require a different club the next day
to achieve positive results."
Change is an issue we all relate to in worship and music
ministry as we continually strive for relevance without
doctrinal and spiritual compromise. Rick stated, "If
our reason for change falls outside of the Great
Commandment and Great Commission, we are outside the
will of God. A Tsunami of change is happening; the wave
of change is inevitable. Some like a dry beach and
continue to deny or ignore the wave, while others are
getting out their surf-boards."
Additional Quotes
from Rick Muchow
"God will always be worshipped…always has been. He is
seeking worshipers but He is not desperate."
"Someone with a new idea assumes his idea is the only
idea."
"Some young people today respond to tradition in the
same way the adults of the 70's responded to guitars and
drums in worship."
"Some new worship wine is bursting old worship wine
skins."
"Sometimes change happens gradually…sometimes change
happens straight through the wall."
"We are killing some churches by making bad choices."
"To attract young people to your church have young
people on the platform."
"If it is not working, do not do it anymore."
"Be a risk taker… if you don't try, it is guaranteed not
to work."
"Leaders are readers…readers are leaders."
"Visionaries think of the future as if it were past
tense."
Rick Muchow is Pastor of Magnification for Saddleback
Church in Lake Forest, California, heading a team of
over 1000 people in leading worship for the church's
various venues. He has a music degree from San Jose
State University.
David Manner is Director of the Church Music and Worship
Team for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern
Baptists.
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