Church Compass

Contemporary, traditional, liturgical: worship styles explained

By ChurchCompass

Liturgical worship follows a set, written order of prayers and readings that is shared across a tradition, and it often includes Communion every week.¹ When local churches call their worship traditional, they usually mean hymns sung with organ, piano or choir. Contemporary usually means newer songs led by a band or worship team, often in a more casual setting, and blended mixes the two. The labels overlap: a liturgical church can use a praise band, and a contemporary church can sing old hymns. None of them is better than another. Style is a matter of taste, so ChurchCompass doesn't score it.²

At a glance

1. Liturgical worship

A liturgy is, in the Episcopal Church's words, "the rites or texts that provide order for worship services".³ In liturgical churches, the service follows that written order. It's often printed in a book or bulletin so you can follow along, and the same pattern is used in congregations across the tradition.

Here's how different traditions describe it in their own words:

• Catholic. The Mass has two main parts, "the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist", with rites that open and close the celebration.⁴
• Episcopal. Services "vary widely in style but follow the same elements… in a specific order". The elements include Scripture readings, prayers, psalms, creeds, a sermon, hymns and the Eucharist. The guide is the Book of Common Prayer.¹
• Orthodox. The Divine Liturgy moves through set parts, from the Great Litany and the Epistle and Gospel readings to Communion and the Dismissal.⁵
• Lutheran (ELCA). The ELCA describes "a basic pattern for worship among Lutherans": gathering as God's people, God's word "in scripture, preaching and song", a meal "at Christ's table", and being sent "into the world for mission and service in daily life".⁶

Liturgical describes the order of the service, not the music. The Episcopal Church says: "Some churches worship with ancient music, some with contemporary choruses, and some with no music."¹ You can see this close to home. Grace Lutheran in Broomall says it worships "in a style that celebrates ritual and honors modern life too".⁷ Several local liturgical churches mention a band or newer songs alongside the liturgy. Some also offer a quieter service: St. John's Episcopal in Concord describes its 8:00 service as "Rite I: no music, traditional language, contemplative service".⁸

Some churches outside these traditions also follow a set order. The United Methodist Church has a "Basic Pattern of Worship"⁹, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has an order for "the Service for the Lord's Day"¹⁰. How closely a congregation follows a written liturgy varies from church to church.

2. Traditional worship

Churches that call their worship "traditional" usually mean hymns from a hymnal, with organ or piano, a choir and sometimes handbells. Swarthmore Presbyterian Church says its 10:15 service "embodies a classic worship tradition", with "robed choir and pipe organ".¹¹ Several local churches add that their traditional style comes with an informal or fresh touch.

3. Contemporary worship

"Contemporary" usually means newer worship songs led by a band or worship team, often with a more casual feel. Some churches use "casual" for the setting rather than the music. Some churches with several services hold a contemporary service alongside a traditional one (see Blended, below).

4. Blended worship

"Blended" can mean two things:

• A mix within one service. Grace Church in Wallingford says, "We have a mix of contemporary songs and more traditional music."¹²
• Different styles at different services. For example, a traditional service early and a contemporary one later.

5. Local churches by how they describe their worship

Here are local churches grouped by how they describe their own worship, A–Z. Some fit more than one group (a liturgy with a praise band, for example), but each church appears only once. This isn't a ranking. Open any profile to read the church's own description of its worship.

Not every church describes its worship style online. If style matters to you, it's always fine to ask.

Liturgical (41 churches)

Catholic parishes (24), where the profile describes the Catholic Mass or liturgy: Church of St. Joseph (Aston), Holy Cross Catholic Church (Springfield), Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish (Media), Our Lady of Charity Parish (Brookhaven), Our Lady of Fatima Church (Secane), Our Lady of Peace Parish (Milmont Park), Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (Morton), Saint Anastasia Parish (Newtown Square), Saint Bernadette of Lourdes Parish (Drexel Hill), Saint Charles Borromeo Parish (Drexel Hill), Saint Dorothy Parish (Drexel Hill), Saint Eugene Church (Primos), Saint Francis of Assisi Parish (Springfield), Saint Kevin Parish (Springfield), Saint Pius X Parish (Broomall), Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church (Newtown Square), St. Andrew the Apostle Parish (Drexel Hill), St. Francis de Sales (Lenni), St. Gabriel Parish (Norwood), St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church (Wallingford), St. Madeline Catholic Church (Ridley Park), St. Mary Magdalen Parish (Media), St. Rose of Lima Parish (Eddystone), St. Thomas the Apostle Parish (Glen Mills).

Other liturgical churches (17):

Traditional (7 churches)

Blended or more than one style (20 churches)

Contemporary or casual (3 churches)

Other descriptions (18 churches)

Some profiles describe worship without using any of these labels. For example, Media Church of Christ describes weekly Lord's Supper and singing without instruments. Broomall Reformed Presbyterian Church describes singing the Psalms. Living Hope Baptist Church holds a Ukrainian/Russian-language service with live English translation. Each profile gives the church's own description and a link to its page.

6. How to find the style that suits you

1. Read the worship description on each profile. It uses the church's own words wherever it can.
2. Use the preference quiz. It asks which style you prefer (traditional or liturgical, a mix of hymns and newer songs, or casual or contemporary) and reorders the list. It never hides a church.
3. Check service by service. If a church has more than one service, they may be quite different.
4. Visit. A description only goes so far. Nothing beats being there. Your first time at church: what to expect can help.

Keep reading

• How to choose a church: questions to ask
• Your first time at church: what to expect
• Churches in Delaware County, PA: a newcomer's guide
• How ratings work

Information as of Nov 1, 2026.