Josh was one of the most zealous workers we'd seen at church, but I realized he was three steps beyond "weary in well doing" when I read his letter: "My walk with the Lord is nonexistent. I've allowed the pressure of church work to crowd out time with God. Now it seems impossible to get back in touch with him. We've also gotten seriously into debt, and I've been trying to do "ministry" while working ...
Many leaders of smaller movements and organizations try to make all the decisions themselves, and under certain circumstances this approach works well. But such leaders almost always crash and burn as the organization grows; or alternatively, the organization itself collapses when the original leader ages or becomes ill or dies.
Even in small organizations there are compelling reasons why a leader ...
On Pentecost last year, 850 gathered for worship beneath an enormous yellow-and-white tent on a church lawn in Falls Church, Virginia. Folding chairs were arranged in roughly the same configuration as pews in a planned sanctuary to be built on that site.
It was Celebration Sunday at The Falls Church (Episcopal), and for the first time in recent memory, the whole congregation worshiped as one. The co-chairs ...
The Difference Is in the Book God’s people are distinguished from other groups by one particular factor. by John Ortberg
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Pretty much all the nations and tribes from Bible times that were around Israel's size are gone. So why did Israel survive?
Israel had a book. Scrolls really, with books like Genesis or Isaiah written over the centuries, that most people, being illiterate, had to hear being read. They had a book like no other. This book so defined them that they were called "people of the book."
Reading Scripture in Public Worship Place the Word of God front and center as you gather together to worship him. by Howard Vanderwell and Norma deWaal Malefyt
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Worship planners will benefit from an assessment of the place of Scripture in worship. In your planning team meeting, examine a number of recent worship services and start by assessing how Scripture was used. Then use these observations to plan future services.
Selecting Scripture to be Read
Since Scripture is God's voice, its location in the service should serve to advance the dialog with God. There ...
We Love to Tell the Story Learning Scripture by heart adds authenticity and helps the message stick with listeners. by Joan Huyser-Honig
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Learning Bible stories by heart, instead of simply reading them, is a spiritual discipline that connects people with the living Word of God. Congregations can find ways to use biblical storytelling in many parts of their worship services.
Oral Tradition
Dennis Dewey, an ordained Presbyterian and professional biblical storyteller, explains that public Scripture reading often sounds like "spoken print." ...
Soaking in Scripture Total immersion in the Bible through memorization can give power to worship. by Joan Huyser-Honig
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Seminary professors Tim Brown and Clay Schmit say that rediscovering the Bible's power is the key to letting it shape our lives and worship. One way to tap into that power is by memorization.
Rediscover the Living Word
During a seminar at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Brown preached the Genesis 1 and 2 Creation narratives from memory, pausing along the way to let participants ...
Using the Psalms in Worship The Bible’s own prayer book can help your church express every emotion in worship. by Joan Huyser-Honig
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These insights from the Calvin College Psalms Festival will help your congregation use more psalms in worship.
Pay attention to context—The Psalter's structure—lament to praise, individual to communal—offers a profound message: "Following God should not be done alone." So look for patterns in adjacent psalms, such as the contrast between a life spent meditating on God's law (Psalm 1) ...
Ready, Set, Read Consider these methods to add more meaning and variety to Scripture reading. by Howard Vanderwell and Norma deWaal Malefyt
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In the interest of making Scripture reading in worship more interesting, noteworthy, and formative, worship planners should consider these ideas:
Include more Scripture passages. Let God's voice come through multiple times in multiple ways in a worship service. When this is done, it's usually best to carefully examine the length of each passage. A larger number of brief passages may be more effective ...
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