Broadening our definition of worship
In times of Covid, we cannot engage in congregational singing, long a staple of corporate worship. So let’s think creatively. What else can we do to usher ourselves into the presence of God? How can we experience him and praise him? Nature sings I once took a group of...
Journey toward a new beginning: How can we adapt worship?
There is no way around it. Taking a traditional large church service and doing precisely the same thing in a small group just feels strange. A twenty-minute sermon in a living room or backyard? Congregational singing? Much of what we have been doing for worship for...
The substance of worship
Parishioner: “Pastor, I’m just not getting anything out of worship.” Pastor: “I’m SO sorry! There’s been a terrible misunderstanding. We’re not worshiping YOU.” Worship isn’t about getting. It’s about giving. Our...
Who are we precluding from worship?
When I was a pastor, I would think about the numbers of people who legitimately can’t come to church on Sunday mornings: hospital workers, police, firefighters, etc. Their schedules preclude Sunday mornings, and I’m glad for it. I want them to be available for...
Where are people gathering?
Church planters talk all the time about the trouble we have gathering people. Yet when we look at it from another perspective, people gather all the time. I heard Jay Pathak speak recently and he asked the question, “Where are people gathering and why?” They gather in...
Worship strategy: Separating the creating planning from the implementation
One strategy I’ve found to be quite helpful– particularly in the worship area– is to separate the creative planning of the worship service from the actual implementation. You can get your creative thinkers to come up with ideas and the plan the...