How to Plan Contemporary Worship

Whether it is a Mariachi mass, a jazz band or singing joyous music, contemporary reverence is part of today's worship services. Going to church or synagogue is not a passive activity. Many people, once turned off, are coming back because of new styles of worship that involves guitars, drums, and lots of great music. People of all ages attend blended worship services where PowerPoint presentations on overhead screens replace hymnals.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A room that hold 80 people (share a sanctuary)
• Handouts with praise music (or PowerPoint presentation)
• Name tags
• Agendas (morning bulletins or programs)
• Cookies (or coffee) and punch

How to Plan Contemporary Worship

1. A planning committee decides a time and place for the first service. Some folks begin on Saturday evening while others find a time during the Sunday school hour on Sunday morning works best. Whatever time chosen most likely gets changed as the service begins. Every congregation has a magic time that works best for the congregants. DO NOT PUT OFF THIS DECISION. Make that time and place decision and move forward.

2. Put a call forth for musicians. They are hiding in the congregation. It may be the sitting district judge and the 45 year old plant manager of the local manufacturing plant. The drummer works for the city and the two vocalists are professors at the community college. The contemporary band is waiting to emerge. If they DO NOT come forth immediately, get recorded music from the Christian music store to use for six months.

3. Publicize the contemporary service every week for six weeks before it begins and make it a recruitment tool for new members. Name it in every bulletin and newsletter. Talk about it in every worship service. Put a banner outside the church to encourage others to attend. Place a story in the local newspaper and a public service announcement (PSA) on the radio stations. Promote the service as casual. Encourage congregants to view the service as a different kind of worship.

4. The planning committee serves are greeters and plan the service with the pastor. Copy the songs to be sung either on the worship service bulletin or on a song sheet. The church or a congregant owns a laptop computer with a Dell 1201MP Projector. Use it to put the lyrics on the wall or a screen.

5. As the service begins, have music playing and people greeting at every entrance with a detailed AGENDA (morning program or bulletin). Make the first and every service a grand and glorious event. Provide easily available coffee (or water) and cookies. Make sure people know they can eat during the service. The top five songs:
   1 Give Thanks
   2 How Great Is Our God
   3 Forever
   4 Blessed Be Your Name
   5 Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone (tie)

6. The order of worship follows the tradition of your church. Many people shorten it to FORTY-FIVE minutes. Ministers often condense their morning messages. Try printing the words to the songs in the programs (morning bulletins) and using PowerPoint. Take a survey after five weeks and ask the contemporary worship committee and congregants what they like best.

7. After the service, stay around and greet each other until the last person leaves the building. Keep the food flowing.

Tips & Warnings

• For Christians, begin the contemporary services during Advent (the weeks before Christmas) or Lent (the six weeks before Easter) when prospective new members see the most activity in the Church. Many people at the new contemporary service may also attend their regular worship service. (They may also attend the new service INSTEAD of their regular service.) Eventually a new base of worshipers evolves and attendance increases. Whatever happens, the contemporary worship committee commits to hold the services for eight (8) months. Plant that seed to meet for eight months and the service prospers. SO YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP by Tim and Kathy Carson (ISBN 0-8272-3437-6) is a resource. Sending members of contemporary worship committee to churches where contemporary services are held in other cities helps your church plan. COLLECT CHURCH BULLETINS.
• When a new worship begins, it adds work for the parish minister. Give her praise as often as possible. Even though it seems like fun and a new opportunity to grow the church, the minister ends up doing a lot of work and preaches an extra sermon, lesson or homily. This is especially a burden if the contemporary committee decides to hold the worship service on Saturday night. Hold the worship service if NO ONE shows up. All the members of the contemporary service team came to meet and greet the people so count them as congregants and hold the worship service. Whatever happens, the contemporary worship committee commits to hold the services for eight (8) months. Plant that seed to meet for eight months and the service prospers.

Resources

• Texas Tripper
• Worship Ideas
• Leadership Journal (Christianity Today)