CCLI
MULTIGENERATIONAL WORSHIP IN THE CHURCH W / LIZZIE MORGAN | Matt McCoy
Artist, songwriter, and worship leader Lizzie Morgan sat down with CCLI President Matt McCoy to discuss the importance of planning and incorporating all generations of people into your worship services.
[ Matt ] As a songwriter, have you noticed worship songs are changing in how they are written and the content of the song?
[ Lizzie ] I think so. One thing I’ ve found cool, is a lot of our songs are getting back to vertical. For a while we did a lot of storytelling, testimonial, songs of lament. Some of those are my favorites. I’ m a testimony girl and I love songs like that. But I have noticed lately when I’ m choosing songs, there’ s a lot of songs about singing what the angels are singing, calling God holy, singing about His worthiness.“ Holy Forever”,“ No One Like the Lord”, there’ s a lot of really big songs that are very reverent and vertical. And once I start singing about how He’ s holy, the room shifts.
[ Matt ] As we’ re talking about Gen Z, millennials, and all people, how do we include all generations in our worship at church?
[ Lizzie ] You have to meet them where they are. It goes back to being real. I always tell worship leaders that the first thing you can do to compel people to worship is ask them to join in. But if that doesn’ t work, the second thing is to compel them to worship by inspiring them with how much you love the Lord.
There’ s a moment as a worship leader where you make the decision, if I’ m not getting them to come with me, I can choose right now to just be a worshipper, and love on the Lord and do something that’ s real in front of all these people. Then hopefully the way that I love the Lord will inspire people to love Him that way. There is an art to going on stage and forgetting that you have all these people you have to lead.
There is something so cool and inspiring about just being a worshipper and being authentic. Meet people where they are, but it can’ t just be singing songs.
[ Matt ] So if it’ s real and congregational worship, does that bridge the gap between the people who want to sing Forest Frank and the people that want to sing How Great Thou Art?
[ Lizzie ] I’ m a huge advocate that it’ s possible to meet everyone in your worship set if you are intentional. A lot of worship leaders have gotten stuck with choosing their top three favorite songs and that’ s the setlist. But I think about my grandmother who wants to hear a hymn, and I think about my younger siblings that want to hear Elevation’ s top song. My perspective is, why can’ t you do both? Do“ Holy Forever” and then“ Worthy Is the Lamb”. There is a way to meet everyone, it just takes a lot of intentionality. And it’ s about caring about everyone. I don’ t love singing all of those songs, but we should care about meeting people where they are across the board.
CLICK HERE to listen to the full conversation between Lizzie and Matt.
You can listen to Lizzie Morgan’ s newest album Not My Will wherever you stream music and get the Master Tracks on LoopCommunity. com.
Matt McCoy Matt is the President of CCLI and the Founder of LoopCommunity. com. He’ s also a worship leader and passionate about building simple, powerful, and affordable technology for churches and worship teams. www. ccli. com 46 March 2026 Subscribe for Free...