Today I will trace the major influencers over the praise and worship trends in churches in the U.S. that I have experienced in my walk of faith. I call it God’s traveling trophy of anointing on the choruses churches use in their praise and worship services.

JESUS PEOPLE MOVEMENT – 60s and 70s. Chuck Girard and Barry McGuire were well known singers. It coincided with the San Francisco Hippie Movement. Made up mostly of young people fed up with established main-line religion, there was much zeal. You came to church dressed as you were.

SCRIPTURE IN SONG – 70s. David and Dale Garrett from New Zealand made singing scripture popular. They published small spiral bound music books that got people singing the Word of God.

CFNI – In the 70s and 80s, Christ for the Nations made praise and worship recordings that introduced many popular choruses to the church. “To Him Who Sits on the Throne” by Debby Graafsma was a well-known song. Her little sister, Kerri, sang in the first Living Praise group I directed at CFNI.

HOSANNA INTEGRITY – 80s and 90s. “Give Thanks,” sung by Don Moen and many other powerful choruses were birthed and recorded and published through this ministry which had a periodic, well organized marketing method of supplying praise and worship leaders with new songs to sing in churches.

VINEYARD – 80s and 90s. John Wimber, himself an accomplished.professional sax player, started a movement of churches and music which introduced a rock concert style to churches .. low lights, sing-a-song, audience applause, start another song. Local, converted rock and rollers could easily reproduce their songs.

HILLSONG – 90s. Darlene Zschech’s song, “Shout to the Lord,” characterized the Hillsong music movement that produced popular praise and worship music that was published and well-distributed worldwide.

God uses imperfect people to sing perfect praise. Our eyes should be upon Him and view the people He uses with loving, forgiving hearts. They are singing about Him and to Him. Songs that get all the people focused on Him and singing to Him is the goal.

I can’t wait to hear the music of heaven.

READ/HEAR: Rev. 5