A song for everyone: Exploring music for worship in an intercultural church

Abstract

This Qualitative Research study examines the data collected from worship leaders and congregational members of one specific Church that self-identifies as an intercultural church. Using the ethnographic case study methodology, having completed direct one-on-one interviews with seven participants, this study focuses on how music is conducted in their worship services and what the Church can do most accurately to meet the musical need of the congregation. This study identifies four overall themes which ultimately relate to theories and practices: Cultural differences and Expectations, Unmasking the challenges, Language Barrier, and Celebrating the Cultural Differences. It is argued that the focus is on the music's spirituality rather than language. This research has many implications for the Church, with an anticipated increase in the number of intercultural singing dynamism.