In a book called “Rethinking the Church,” James Emery White tells this story. He was speaking at a conference where he mentioned using contemporary music to help those who haven’t grown up in the church to receive the truth of the gospel.
Afterward, an elderly woman came up to speak to him. With the help of a cane, she had slowly worked her way up to the front.
She stood in front of Mr. White and said, "Young man, I want to have a word with you about what you said tonight."
And he’s thinking, “Oh no, here it comes.”
"Are you trying to tell me churches should use contemporary music to reach people today?"
Now, he’d just spent a good deal of effort saying exactly that, but after taking a look at that cane, he very politely said, "Well, ma’am, I don’t know, it might help -- what do you think?"
She said, "Young man, I want you to know that Montovani is about as contemporary as I get -- unless it’s a weekend -- and then maybe Lawrence Welk!"
Then she held up her cane, pointed it right at his face and said, “So if rock ’n roll is what it takes to get people back to church, all I’ve got to say is . . . ’Let’s Boogie!’ It’s not my style of music, but if it will reach people for my Jesus, I like it.”
And then she said, “Besides, the church doesn’t exist for my needs. It exists to win the world."