Editor's note: This is the first of two stories examining how churches balance tradition and new ideas.

CEDAR FALLS - They come in fine suits and neatly pressed blouses. The weekly occasion, a Sunday church service, is worth the extra effort.

The traditional format draws a mostly older crowd to the early service at Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church. The faithful file into pews. They rise for hymns. They kneel for Communion.

During the sermon, the Rev. Bob Wallace stands behind a pulpit, dressed in robe and stole. On a recent Sunday, Wallace used sporting terminology to make a spiritual point. Just as baseball players can determine the sweet spot on a bat - the place where contact with a ball brings the best results - so, too, can people discover their unique purpose and place in God's kingdom, Wallace said.

An actual golf club, bat and racket remained tucked out of sight. The sporting goods might only distract during the traditional hour, Wallace said.

The pastor produced the athletic equipment later as a visual aid during blended and contemporary services. In an effort to relate to these parishioners, Wallace's attire also becomes progressively more casual.

But a baseball bat really isn't the point, Wallace said. Neither is the organ. At Nazareth, the entire worship experience - no matter the method - is designed to draw people to experience God.

"Style is not the Gospel," Wallace said. "Style is the vehicle to communicate the Gospel."

Traditions versus new ideas - and how to balance the two - are ongoing challenges for churches and parishioners. Church leaders continue to profess a common mission: Reach and keep people in communion with God. But to do so, the faithful are sometimes pushing ahead, while others rely on the past. Many try to balance and respect differences.

Contemporary elements may show up in sermons, music, attitude and attire. Pastors may exchange the pulpit for a platform or stool and use a more conversational style to relay messages about everyday life.

For some churches, contemporary worship, particularly in music, is already pushing the limits of imagination.

"It's gone to the edge, and then where do you go?" said Mike Jensen, worship leader at Nazareth.

Jensen prefers modern styles, though he supports other versions of sacred music. Other ministers think something is missing beneath all the joyful noise. They make room for liturgy and emphasize sacraments.

The Rev. Larry Trachte, campus pastor and professor at Wartburg College, isn't surprised. The Lutheran pastor credits contemporary and evangelical movements in challenging mainline denominations to be more relevant. But there is merit in the ways of the forefathers.

"You can't just throw out hundreds of years of religion without losing something," Trachte said.

"I think eventually people seek out more depth."

Thinking ahead

Eight years ago, Grace Reformed Church of Waterloo was more or less a sea of white and gray heads, according to veteran members. Attendance was dwindling. Young families were scarce.

Parishioners decided change was necessary. They hired a young pastor who refused to even come for an interview unless parishioners were open to change.

"We agreed we would do whatever it took to be an outreach church," said Wilbur Adams, a 50-year member.

Adams was on the board that hired the Rev. Dave Van Netten.

The new pastor warned he played drums and is passionate about contemporary worship. Last Sunday at 10:45 a.m., Grace Reformed kicked off its first contemporary service. The church has its own praise and worship band.

Van Netten also has a habit of stepping out from behind the pulpit and walking about as he preaches. He doesn't like to stand stiff and straight. He has also implemented creative evangelism efforts and neighborhood outreach programs.

The changes came slowly, Adams said. But eight years after Van Netten's arrival, church attendance and membership have doubled.

"The overwhelming majority of new memberships is reaffirmation of faith," Van Netten said. "We seem to be reaching some of those kind of folks."

Adams attends the earlier, traditional service but doesn't have to look far to find validation for the drums, guitar and casual style. He is touched by the group of girls who attend each Sunday.

Van Netten asks parishioners to write down prayer requests. And they do.

Adams is amazed at how many of the girls pray, for themselves and others.

Until recently, the church alternated contemporary and tradition music every other Sunday.

"It took some getting used to," said Virginia Tjebkes, 78, of Waterloo.

Now, the church has enough people to support two services.

Tjebkes believes the sacrifice was worthwhile and necessary.

"There are always those people in every congregation that would like it to stay the same. I think you have to go with the flow, so to speak, in order to keep young people involved, which is our future."

Ancient modern

Cedar Valley Community Church in Waterloo is a sizable Wesleyan congregation with young families, cutting edge technology and a snazzy Web site. But recently, pastors and parishioners started paying more attention to historically important church seasons and holidays, including Ash Wednesday and Lent.

For the second year, the church will offer a monthly reflective Communion service in October. The addition, dubbed Sacred Spaces, draws on liturgy and traditions of Western church history, but makes room for current expressions and styles, said Adam Mellem, 26, worship arts director.

"Sacred Spaces was birthed out of a belief that Communion is something that in modern church history is, far too often, treated lightly and irreverently," Mellem explained.

There are other examples of churches borrowing from their past.

About four years ago, teens at St. John's Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls created an eclectic worship option for their peers. At Twilight Resurrection, students sang - even screamed - praises. Hard-core vibes and emo music - a genre characterized by high-pitched vocals and emotional, poetic lyrics - created a lively atmosphere.

But teens also incorporated elements valued by earlier generations of Christians. The youth service included ancient liturgical traditions, like Kyrie, a repetitive prayer song. Gospel readings and the Apostles' Creed added meat to the program.

"There was a stage where everything went ancient modern," youth discipleship director Ryan Houts said.

People who grew up in churches without stained glass and crosses may still long for the artwork and symbols, he said. But this, too, can become a fad, Houts said.

At St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center, some young adults want to return to old devotions and pre-Vatican II practices, said the Rev. Ken Glaser. The priest recognizes a desire among some to re-embrace some of religion's mystery.

But like Houts, Glaser stresses tradition should hold meaning and purpose.

"It's OK if you believe that," Glaser tells the innovators. "But tell me why you believe we should go back to Latin."

He suspects other reasons influence some young folks looking to the past. Reasons that go deeper than musical preference.

Many of today's college students, Glaser said, are disheartened by societal and family problems. So they may look to their grandparents' generation.

Straight and narrow

Paul Speed, 18, of Waterloo, likes to use his alto saxophone and vocal chords to praise God. He also unashamedly enjoys classic hymns like "It is Well With My Soul," composed around 1873.

For Speed, who participates in music ministry at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church in Waterloo, church music can be fast or slow, familiar hymns or old songs with a new twist.

A music program may utilize creative instrumentation, including cymbals, marimbas and electric guitars. But the lyrics should be saturated with Scripture and sound theology, Speed says.

The Rev. Mike Augsburger believes this focus on the Bible sets Walnut Ridge apart from others with a contemporary bent.

"That's not a typical perspective of music ministry," he said.

This eliminates a number of contemporary Christian songs, tunes with a Rock-like sound and creative lyrics that don't rely on Bible verses. Fine for the radio, perhaps, but not the church.

"I think contemporary music has it's place as long as the lyrics and style are worshipful," said Beth Fliehler, 29, a member of Walnut Ridge.

Speed said he is also willing to censor his Christian music in organized worship settings out of consideration for others. Some music may stir negative associations.

"You gotta be careful how contemporary or how hard you make the music," Speed said. "Christian rock may hurt people who used to listen to bad, hard music."

Churches should not try to compete with outside entertainment, Augsburger said. The Baptist pastor believes the faithful should desire church and disciplines, like prayer and Bible reading, out of conviction, not for the bells and whistles.

Healthy fun has its place. The youth room includes table tennis and foosball tables. Volunteers also understand growing teens like to eat and offer snacks.

Churches have to accept times are changing, Augsburger said. At the same time, he says, they should follow what he sees as God's mandate: Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold.

Augsburger thinks packaging faith in flashy performances may have a negative influence, perhaps too subtle to notice right away.

"It's casualized people's views towards God," he said.

Back to basics

Explaining - not eliminating or diluting - the liturgy and sacraments is essential to keeping the church alive, some mainstream churches contend.

Joey Podhajsky, a youth minister, puts more faith in baptism and Communion than crowd-pleasing events like pizza feeds.

Brought up at First United Methodist Church of Waterloo, Podhajsky returned five years ago to build a youth program. Then, the church counted fewer than 10 teenagers. Today, about 40 youths are active.

Teens, she says, want substance. If given the chance, they'll ask the big questions: What does God want from me? What is truth? What about other religions?

Profound questions can come out of observing and understanding traditions, Podhajsky said.

"Most of the kids, they want to understand it," Podhajsky said.

She recommends explanation and application.

"The church calendar was set up for a reason. It's like the story of the church. It's why we are Christians."

Sometimes worshipers feel caught between two worlds.

Annmarie Goldhorn, 28, of Cedar Falls, grew up in a traditional rural Lutheran church. She enjoys praise and worship songs and attends a contemporary service. But as she gets older, her tastes are turning more to her roots. Blended services fall short for Goldhorn.

"I've been to a service where they try to make the hymns more with the band, and that just probably should be left to the organ and the piano," Goldhorn said.

She remembers her confirmation date and says her faith runs deeper than music and presentation. As she ages, cherished hymns of her childhood and the liturgy speaks to her heart.

"I think when I do get to a traditional service, I just feel more at home," Goldhorn said. "That's what feeds me."

Vanessa Stephens, 17, of Waterloo, a United Methodist in Podhajsky's youth group, likes more upbeat music during Wednesday night youth programming. But she doesn't mind traditional songs with her Sunday morning, either.

For Stephens, a church service is the culmination of beliefs, fellowship and history.

The Rev. Benjamin Webb of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Cedar Falls also holds liturgy close to heart. Episcopalians across the globe, he says, find comfort in following the same calendar, practicing the same methods and reciting the same prayers.

He also believes a sacred reason exists to respect tradition that goes beyond personal preference and taste. Past ways, he says, were created by man under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

But a healthy and sometimes protective stance on tradition doesn't mean churches stagnate. Webb notes less Elizabethan language during services, more participation from lay people in the liturgy and a desire to demystify tradition for youth.

"There was never a perfect moment in time that contained everything we are trying to preserve," he added.

Change should be purposeful.

"In a way we don't pander to contemporary whims or try to get with it, be cool, just for the sake of that," Webb said.

Today, tradition continues to offer wisdom and guidance to Episcopalians, Webb said. Take the church calendar. The congregation cycles through the life of Christ and the story of redemption.

"Humans are fundamentally prone to forgetfulness and need help remembering," Webb said. "The liturgy, the Eucharist, is an antidote to forgetfulness."

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.