Worship
HOW TO HAVE A RELEVANT WORSHIP ENCOUNTER WITH GOD 1. Give worship preparation much prayer. Worship celebration is far too important to attempt without ample prayer and planning. God promised in His word that when we come together in His name, we can know that the Spirit of God is already at work in the hearts of those gathered to worship. 2. Seek to create an 'at ease' environment. When people gather together to worship, there needs to be a sense of being at ease in the place of worship. Make room for others to fit within your church’s framework. Clearly, rethinking relevant worship is not easy but change is inevitable if the church is to survive. 3. Create a spiritual environment where our sins are forgiven. Worship should help us deal with our sins and feelings of inadequacy. Relevant worship does not only seek to entertain the masses, but balances celebration with a healthy fear of God. Worship sanctifies. Worship has a sense of wonder in it. It has a sense of awe! 4. Keep your worship fairly simple. As our society continues to change, one thing that has changed significantly in North America is the number of students taking music classes and lessons. It is a much smaller percentage today than it was in the early 1960’s for example. Since many worshipers lack musical talent today, it is helpful to keep your services fairly simple musically. When a worship celebration is too complex you take the personal experience away from the people. 5. Worship should flow. A.W. Tozer mourned in his book, “God Tells the Man Who Cares” (Harrisburg: Christian Publications, 1970, p. 12), the “little sense of divine presence” in evangelical meetings: “But so often there is a dull or a breezy song leader full of awkward jokes, as well as a chairman announcing each “number” with the old radio continuity patter in an effort to make everything hang together.” Remember, once worship celebration begins, allow it to move forward purposely and evenly. 6. Remind worshipers why they have come to church. Leaders of worship must help worshipers remember why they have come to worship and build a sense of community through establishing a collective goal. Statements like, “We have come to worship today the Lord our God. As part of our worship today we will see …”. Take a few minutes to let those who have gathered understand what the morning’s theme is and then explain it to them. 7. Public worship is a participatory event. I love to worship God with outward expressions! I remember when my children were young how both of them reacted to worship favorably when it allowed for outward expression. One of my choice memories in life was holding my daughter at six years of age in my arms so she could be up with the “big people” to shout praises to our God in our church in Michigan. A clap here and there goes a long way. On the flip side, when worship is fashioned in liturgical, inward self-reflection, younger people will long for the participatory nuances of worship that seeks to have outward expressions. The more that people participate in worship celebration, the more likely it is that some of them will open up to God. 8. Keep worship God-ward and non-mechanical. It is easy for those on the platform or at the front of the sanctuary to forget that our real ministry should be focused God-ward. Have you ever been in a service where it seemed too much attention was focused on key changes and chord charts? All of us must strive to concentrate on God so that part of our lives might open up to Him. Turning one’s thought inward toward God alone takes real effort. 9. Worship must be authentic and not starchy. One of the hardest things today for any of us is to worship in such an authentic way that those who are participating do not view it as starchy or unfriendly. No worship celebration can be authentic unless all those who have gathered are engaged. Worship planners tell me they are challenged by the need to balance the new with the old. The spirit visits those who let it in but they may have to be led to it. The church will die of boredom long before it dies from controversy. 10. Reassure worshipers that it is alright to sing, pray, and respond to God. As worshipers, we need to be assured that it is all right for us to pray, sing, and respond to God during the entire worship service. Permission often empowers the participants to experience God in a way that might not happen unless it is understood that God moves in His way throughout the celebration service. Plan services that invite activity from many or all rather than ones that only offer a presentation. Encourage participation. Creating the right worship environment allows participants the chance to interact with God as He works in each of our hearts specifically. Remember the attendees are sending you non-verbal messages describing what they hope will happen during the celebration service. Help them learn how to let Him in. The divine priority is worship first and service second! That is how we attain relevant worship. Some will be deeply moved. Some will be indifferent. Some may be indignant. Regardless of their reaction, a lot of talk will follow. This is good. People will be thinking about their church. Word will spread. You may lose a few but you will gain more if the Spirit is present. Learn from your mistakes. Follow this often-used formula: 1. Do it. 2. Fix it. 3. Do it better. -Tom Cheyney, Team Leader, Resource Development and Delivery Available Resources
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This section contains resources to help church planters understand some of the unique people groups and places in need of church plants.
