• It allows various segments and age groups in the congregation to meaningfully worship God when they meet together, without excluding anyone.

• Take your time. Transition is a process, not an event. Blended worship won’t happen overnight. Those leading this change need to read the congregation and know when (and pray over how) to move. This change should occur gently, over time, and with exemplary leadership and execution (see next bullet!).

Blended worship is “the coming together of various forms of expression to create diverse and accessible forms of worship.” The purpose of blended worship is to “reach all people,” in support of our church’s mission and vision statements. Everyone should feel at home in our congregations. There are of course many factors that go into this, but music plays a key role. The music selected for a divine service has a direct effect on the atmosphere and on the overall worship experience.

Our congregations are made up of members of many different age groups and with different backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experiences. Subsequently, to offer everyone only one type of worship experience isn’t a healthy option. We need to be accepting of each other’s worship preferences, and those who select songs need to understand that our congregations are filled with members who have likes, dislikes, and needs. Very few of our congregations, if any, are “one size fits all” when it comes to music and worship preferences.

Blended worship, then, is all about variety. There’s variety when it comes to music style (mix of traditional and contemporary), participants (mix of choir and congregational singing, solos and small ensembles), and musical instruments (mix of voices and instruments). There’s a little bit of something for everyone in worship. With blended worship, everyone, at some point in the service, has an opportunity (hopefully many!) to be turned to God through music.