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| Sounds like you definitely have a dilemma that others often face when a change occurs. You say there is still a blended service. Are you still singing praise and worship songs as well as hymns? Is the music as a whole uplifting and adding to your worship experience? Is your leadership leading and making changes with the best interests of the church in mind, or is this is a case of a certain few controlling the rest?
I'll give you something to think about, and in no way does this suggest what you should do. If the congregation's average age is going to be younger, the only way this may happen is for people like you and your wife to stay and invite others to come too. If the congregation is not terribly diverse in vocation or interests, the only way it will become more diverse is for you and your wife to stay and invite others from different backgrounds to come too. I'm not sure what you mean by friendliness in the congregation. Are they friendly in conversation (civility) or is there real friendliness and concern? Do you share meals together, spend time outside of church together? Does the church involve itself in serving together? The only sure way to connect is to build relationships with each other outside of worship service. If you were to rate your church on these questions, would the score be high?
What needs to be present in a local church is committment - committment in membership vows, faithful attendance, committment in paying tithes/giving offerings, committment in serving, committment in being together as a church family. Seems like when things change, the pastor leaves, etc. our sense of committment becomes more fluid too. If contemporary music is important to you and your household, then that needs to be made known. If it is important that your church be involved with kids, then maybe you and your wife could think about starting something to serve them too? Could you invite a couple or two to your own home for a meal? These things must be balanced with what you realistically need in order to have a passionate worship experience. If the things you need aren't going to happen, then you should visit the other church. It could be that what you need is inspiration to start something new at the church you're at now. I will pray for you both.
Rev. (Mrs.) Seabee
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church hoppers?
