I don't know to what extent this trend is in the evangelical church today, but it would seem to me that the vast majority of churches today have a set pattern for the service. It usually begins with an opening song or two, followed by a very informal "greet those around you" 10 second break, followed by another 2-3 songs. Then come the announcements, then another 2-3 songs. Then children are dismissed to children's church, then the message begins. Once the message is over, then there is another 1-2 songs, followed by a dismissal of the congregation. At HCRBC we plan on being a bit different.
Our services will start with one song (an introduction to worship), followed by quick announcements, then, right into the scripture reading and message. Once the message is over, there will be singing. During the singing, the congregation will have the freedom to do a number of things, including singing, praying, praying for others, and taking the Lord's Supper. There will be freedom to respond to the message however the Spirit is leading the congregation. We do this because we believe the message will prepare the listener to worship and respond however they need to. We do not restrict when and how they will respond, as that is an individual relationship that needs to take place between the listeners and God, and in some cases one-another. The Lord's Supper will be open to all believers (not just those that are church members) to partake of the meal, and this will be a weekly occurrence, not every 3-4 months. We believe that the supper is a reminder of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and a great opportunity to take our burdens before Him, and to give thanks to Him by remembering what He has done for us.
Questions or comments? Please leave a message here, or email us privately at hillcountryreformed@gmail.com, or call us at 403-932-0519.
Good point about the freedom to worship, in the churches I used to lead worship at there was also the freedom to extend "worship" if need be, or also cut it short if the pastor felt there was a need to preach more.
ReplyDeleteGood point Thomas, it's hard to be open to worship time when it gets in the way of a set schedule. The only schedule we will be wary of is the 12:00pm time we need to be out of there. Other than that, we sing or pray or meet however we feel led.
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