Entrepreneurship and Worship

A question that I have been asking is, “How does entrepreneurship and worship (within a church context) relate to each other?” In other words, how can worship and entrepreneurship coexist? I have thought a lot about this question as I see how many churches, some mega-churches and some smaller local congregations, seek to innovate and change worship. There are a few points that I have come to as I have thought about how to answer this question. First, there are some aspects of worship that should not ever change, meaning that entrepreneurs should not seek to innovate, tweak, or upgrade it. That aspect is the object of worship–namely, God. The object of our worship in the church context should always be God. No entrepreneur should use any sort of innovation and ideation should not be permitted to change that object of worship.

The second point is with regard to the changing culture. Even over the course of the last decade western culture has changed an infinite amount. This can be seen in what music is sung, what the set designs look like, and even the length of a worship service. Churches like Hillsong and Bethel have been largely influential as they read and understood the culture, adapted, and changed the way that worship is done. Again, the object of worship did not change, but the songs, designs, length, and instruments changed. That is where entrepreneurship comes in. Entrepreneurship can be used as churches seek to change and grow with the culture. The eternal realities of who we are worshipping are unchanging, but the people in the room and the culture of the church does change. After reflecting on the question: “How does entrepreneurship and worship relate to each other?” I have realized that entrepreneurship can play a large part in worship as churches seek to change the style of worship while maintaining its primary purpose of worshipping God.