Hip Hop is here to stay. It won't stop. It can't stop. Hip Hop is more than rap songs and music. It is a culture all on its own. This thesis addresses preaching as a tool to invite a small congregation east of Atlanta, GA to accept and welcome the Hip Hop culture into the church. The context of this project is Livingston Chapel Christian Methodist Church, a small aging congregation in a growing and vibrant community in Covington, GA. The majority of the church members are senior citizens. There are few children, teenagers, and young adults in the congregation. In this thesis, I will explore how an aging congregation will be able to accept and welcome a generation and a culture that is different from their own. Through interviewing of members about their knowledge of Hip Hop culture, their views and opinions about Hip Hop, and their willingness to accept Hip Hoppers into the congregation, and through interviews with Hip Hop Practitioners, preachers will be able to see from beginning to end how Hip Hop can be integrated into the church. When a congregation becomes knowledgeable about Hip Hop, it is more accepting and more open to welcoming young people that embrace Hip Hop.
