WORSHIP PLANNING

When I was leading the church, my whole week was aimed toward Sunday.  When Sunday was over, I took a day off and then took aim at the next Sunday.  I lived for these special times!  Although I had many other responsibilities during the course of any given week, making certain that I had Sunday’s plans well under control and immersed in prayer was pivotal.

Over the years, I developed priorities about the development of worship.  These emerged from

·         personal experiences,

·         reading books and other materials,

·         attending conferences and seminars,

·         the seasons of the Christian year,

·         participation in denominational emphases,

·         dialogue with other leaders,

·         participation in many worship experiences of different traditions and forms, and

·         the study of God’s Word.

By my very nature, I bring a creative surge to worship planning.  I believe that worship should be engaging, fresh, vibrant, meaningful, participatory and relevant!  To a certain extent, spontaneity should be allowed for.  We are not watchers – we’re worshipers!  The experience can be shaped, but it cannot be controlled.  Everyone – as well as the leaders - has a part in forming the experience and flow of worship. 

In forty-three years of pastoral ministry, I was privileged to see most of the churches I served at least double in size.  Thanks be to God!  A growing church that is seeing new converts is an exciting place to be!  When people are trained to come with an expectant spirit, good things are likely to happen!

I’ll list some constants as far as our planning went:

ü    Our purpose is to bring honor and praise to God! 

ü    Creative efforts must serve this purpose, but never overshadow it.

ü    Utilizing the gifts and abilities of the congregation is a high priority.  They can do far more than greet and take the offering. 

o   Some are gifted musicians to assist in facilitating meaningful worship.

o   Some are gifted readers for sharing scripture lessons and other readings.

o   Some are capable of assisting with drama to convey the message via the arts.

o   Some are capable of leading in meaningful prayer times.

o   Some can use humor to present announcements and the life of the church family.

o   Others are suited to add elements of technology to the practice of worship.

I distinctly made it my goal not to step onto the platform until it was time to preach the Word of God!  Others are capable of caring for and leading the rest of the worship experience.  I wanted the people to associate seeing me with receiving a stimulating message from God’s Word!

Holy Communion is a dramatic expression of God’s sacrifice for our salvation.  I always invested deeply in the Sundays when we received the Lord’s Supper! 

·         The directions and invitation were clarified.

·         We made certain that people knew when children were welcome and how to handle their experience.

·         We prepared resources for corporate reading that varied every time communion was served.

·         The music/videos were carefully selected ahead of time to add meaning to the experience.

·         Other elements of worship were abbreviated to allow appropriate time for Holy Communion without going unduly long.

·         Prayer stations were provided where people could receive special prayer with a trusted, respected leader.

·         We encouraged people to speak to one another throughout this portion of worship and to pray together.

 

We tried to keep David’s statement in our minds as we planned:   [Psalm 122:1]

“I was glad when they said to me,

‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

 

Worship is more than an obligation!  Worship is something we should look forward to.  It should challenge us in our faith and walk!  It should facilitate our joy and our pain.  People need to be given the opportunity to minister to one another! 

Leaders are present to lead and direct, but not to control or manipulate. 

Music is a large component of worship.  It can add to or detract from our experience.

·         It must be done well.

·         It must be led well.

·         It must invite participation.

·         In most cases it should be familiar to the people.  I feel robbed when the worship experience involves songs that I don’t know and have never heard! 

·         It must ‘flow’.

Flow is an important factor in worship!  We should aim for a seamless involvement with little or no distractions.  Choppy, disconnected elements do not advance our potential to experience God’s presence. 

And that really is the end-goal!  We want our people to experience the presence of God!  We want Him to draw near to bless and touch and minister to the needs of our people.  We would hope that any evaluation of our people would find reports that they frequently experience the presence of God in worship. 

I always worked in a framework that allowed for freedom and diversity.  Churches that rely on liturgy must be especially on guard that the oft-repeated components don’t become boring, monotonous and devoid of meaning.  When people begin to feel that every Sunday is exactly alike, we have missed the mark!  When the order never is altered and the components are always in exactly the same order, we fuel disconnection! 

If we want our people to experience the presence of God, we – as leaders and planners – must keep ourselves clean and our purpose and role clear!