The challenge of crafting worship services that allow for heartfelt, unifying worship within a group of believers who come from a diversity of backgrounds and traditions has only intensified in recent years.
Studies have shown that while the American culture at large continues to become more and more diverse, the Sunday morning church service continues to be one of the most segregated places in America.
In contrast to this present reality, Revelation 7:9 provides both a glimpse into heavenly worship as well as a model toward which the local church should strive.
This paper argues that unifying worship services within a diversity of backgrounds and traditions are not only preferable but possible when the individual church members as a whole are willing to lay aside personal preferences and work together toward a Revelation 7:9 model.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework that passionately communicates and promotes this vision within the local church. As part of this, the worship leader and church leadership must intentionally acknowledge and affirm the heart languages from a variety of people within the local church across diverse backgrounds and traditions, while at the same time regularly teaching and modeling the value of a Revelation 7:9 model in corporate worship. Practical considerations are given to elements such as service structure, song selection, and a variety of other components in the corporate worship setting. Other biblical principles and teaching are considered as well regarding the role, heart, and attitude of individual believers and how this may be best fostered and cultivated within the local church.
The value of this study is that it will promote multiethnic and intergenerational worship within the local church and provide practical strategies and actionable steps that encourage this unity in diversity within the corporate worship setting in order to allow believers of all backgrounds to engage in worship in a meaningful, God-honoring way that reflects our Triune God and glorifies Him.