Worship planning is not just for pastors. Most of the time weekly
worship in Protestant churches is planned at least partly by a pastor
or pastors. These days, however, many churches are discovering how much
richer worship can be when it’s planned by church members as well.
Whether you’re a lay (non-ordained) leader in a church who wants to get
involved, or a youth whose turn it is to lead worship at a youth
meeting, or a member of a church that is between pastors, this guide is
meant to get you started in the process of planning worship.
Steps
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1
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2
Reflect on last week's worship.
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3
Study the context of your worship as best you are able - the particular people, the culture, the local history, etc. This will help you to address their needs, experiences, hopes, etc.
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4
Choose scripture passage(s) on which the service will focus. If your church follows a lectionary such as the Revised Common Lectionary, consult it for the scriptures.
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5
Read the scriptures to get a first sense of the themes
that the pastor may want to have lifted up in the prayers, the music,
and the sermon.
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6
Be in conversation with the pastor or other members of
the worship team (musicians, scripture readers, those writing or finding
prayers, etc.), to understand the theme and direction being used.
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7
Review and understand the "shape" or outline of worship ordinarily used in your tradition.
If you are from a prayerbook tradition (such as the Episcopal Church)
you will need to follow this closely. Even if you come from a free
church tradition, it is best to introduce changes gradually and with
lots of interpretation. In most mainline churches the shape of worship
will generally include
- some kind of gathering
- an encounter with scripture
- response to the encounter with scripture (e.g. prayers, call to discipleship)
- sending out/departing
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8
If it is appropriate to your tradition, try to include at
least some time during the worship experience for stillness and
silence. Whether before prayer or before the worship service begins,
this can allow the congregation a time of transition from their busy
lives into the calmness of God's sanctuary.
Tips
- Engage people in many different ways: images, hearing, smell,
rational discourse, poetic language, emotions, dialogue or conversation,
physical movement, music, etc. Different people need different
approaches in order to enter deeply into worship.
- Consult your minister, worship team,minster of music and your
congregation's office administrator early in the process. They will help
you with the nuts and bolts of worship planning. Such as to whom and by
when you need to communicate details about the worship service, the
process of creating a bulletin,etc.
- Is the sanctuary easily accessible for those who may need some type of physical assistance?
- If using a bulletin, welcome folks with a snazzy format, including
nice pictures, suggested quiet meditation (if your pre-service time will
allow for it), and order of worship with rubrics (when to stand, sing,
sit, etc.).
- If your worship experiences are recorded, it would be helpful to get
the tapes/CDs and listen to them either privately or with a group. You
may be surprised at what you will hear that goes out to the sick and
shut-in, or persons who support the media ministry, etc. They may just
have to have that "special" moment for eternity! :-)
- Include laity in the worship. This action results in a more communal
aspect rather than a worship conducted solely by the planner.
Suggestions include having laity lead,special music, children's time,
read scripture,etc.
- Try to find some time between days of
worship to come into the sanctuary and just walk around. Is it neat and
clean? What do the people see from the different locations in the room?
What does the space feel like? Can it be shared easily?
- Also
remember that it isn't about the entertainment value. Snazzy and
attractive are good, but people can get that at home on their TVs.
Challenge the people to enter something deeper that could potentially
touch their souls.
- Become familiar with the congregation's
context. This includes using language relevant to the people. For
example, agricultural references in a city church may not convey your
desired meaning.
- Incorporate some type of meditative quiet time within the worship
service to allow people to center themselves in the worship space.
Warnings
- The ability to evoke certain responses from people in worship can be
addictive, and lead to worship that manipulates for the thrill of the
effect.
- Be aware of the language that you use, as it sometimes takes people
to a place of pain which you had not intended. It is good for people to
invest in worship, but it is also okay for them to have options for
participation if it is causing them pain.
- Worship can not please everyone all of the time. Hear the grace and
freedom in that statement. While at the same time this is not an excuse
to not try.
- Change can be unsettling to some of the congregation. So take it
slow. Don't try to change the entire format of service in one week.
People need to have something familiar in the service that connects them
with the Holy Spirit.
