Praise Gathering

Definition and Meaning

A praise gathering is a meeting centered on the congregation singing together to exalt God. Unlike a regular worship service that follows a set order of worship, most of the gathering consists of a continuous series of praise songs, with brief messages from Scripture and prayer interspersed between them. Typically a worship team leads gospel songs and CCM (contemporary Christian music) with band accompaniment. The term is often used alongside "praise and worship."

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament records that singers from among the Levites offered praise when the ark of the covenant was brought up (1 Chronicles 15:16) and when the temple was dedicated (2 Chronicles 5:13). The Psalms call for God to be praised with instruments and dance (Psalm 150). The New Testament recounts how Paul and Silas sang praises in prison (Acts 16:25) and exhorts believers to speak to one another "in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Ephesians 5:19).

In the modern era, Ira D. Sankey sang gospel hymns at the evangelistic meetings of Dwight L. Moody, and congregational singing thereby became one of the pillars of revival movements. The praise gathering in its present form is generally understood to have originated in the simple, contemporary-style songs that emerged from the Jesus Movement and the charismatic renewal movement in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korea, beginning in the 1980s, the Tuesday meetings of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and Duranno Praise and Worship of Duranno Press, among others, are credited with spreading this movement, especially among young adults. Today praise gatherings are held at young adult ministry meetings, during the praise portion of Friday prayer meetings, at retreats, and at joint gatherings of multiple churches. It is also common for worshipers to raise their hands while singing, or for the singing to flow into tongsung kido (prayer in which many pray aloud together).

The degree of acceptance varies by denomination. Full Gospel churches in the Pentecostal tradition regard the praise gathering as an occasion for experiencing the Holy Spirit and make active use of it, often combining it with prayer in tongues. Methodist and Holiness churches, with their strong revival meeting tradition, tend to embrace it relatively readily. Many Presbyterian churches also hold praise gatherings, but some Reformed churches maintain that worship must follow the elements prescribed by Scripture. These churches raise concerns about an emotionally driven atmosphere and the theological depth of the lyrics, and they emphasize congregational singing centered on hymns. These differences of opinion are discussed in the article Worship Music Controversy.