Pastor's Message

May 2005

A few people have responded positively to the idea of adding a third worship service that would be significantly different from our current services. Although our present services are “Liturgical” (see the March Pastor’s Column) we do include a number of elements from “Praise and Worship” so that we might argue that our services are already what we might call “Blended” (see the April Pastor’s Column). So if we want to offer a significantly different worship experience it should be developed along the pattern of a “Seeker Service.” Since a Seeker Service is usually an extra service offered by churches, and often includes an invitation to attend a regular worship service, it should fit in well with what we do at St. Paul's UCC.

So how do we do this? A seeker service is usually put together by a “worship team” which would include the worship leader, the sound and video designer(s) and technician(s) and any other musicians and other worship leaders who are willing to serve. The worship leader would have significant responsibilities for finding appropriate music and leading that segment of the service, which could be more than half of the worship service. It would probably be a paid position (one estimate is that it takes 8 hours of preparation for a worship leader to prepare each service). The worship team meets with the teacher (pastor) to decide on the theme and to share ideas related to the theme. Each member of the team would work on their portion of the service and then come together again to make sure all ideas mesh into a unified service. If we begin by having this new service on a monthly basis, rather than weekly, the team would have more time to develop their skills and ideas than if we tried to do this service on a weekly basis. Since the service would be very contemporary we should probably have the service on a Sunday evening after Youth Fellowship so that youth involved in the service do not need to come to church at a different time, and so that interested youth could remain here for the service.

I have a few ideas on the flow of the service. It would be done in the Main Sunday School Room where we can have a more informal setting, where participants can get a cup of coffee or other drink and be casually seated in chairs that can be in a semi-circle or in groups. The worship leader and musicians would begin the service with a series of praise choruses, perhaps 15 minutes. The theme would then be introduced by a short drama, video or PowerPoint presentation. Your pastor, who is willing to serve as “teacher,” would then come forward and discuss the theme for the service, using Scripture as responses to the problems posed in the theme for the day. Some theme examples might be, “Yes, God does love you” (with reference to the rich young ruler who couldn’t follow Jesus, and the Samaritan woman at the well whose life was a shambles, and Jesus loved them both) or “When God seems absent” (with reference to the time after Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost and how the disciples struggled during that time, just like we often have to struggle to know God’s will for us in difficult times). Other themes might be suggested by those who attend the services.

As members of the worship team gain experience in this style of worship, some may choose to serve as teacher for a particular theme, instead of the pastor. Following the time for teaching, those in attendance will be invited to respond by either bringing a card forward with a prayer request or by bringing an offering forward, which they could place at the foot of a cross (a gift to God). The teacher or a worship leader would select cards to use as a guide for a time of prayer and the service would then close with one or two more songs or choruses.

These are just some initial thoughts on the design of a new worship service. Nothing is decided yet and we are eagerly looking forward to input from members, and even more eagerly looking forward to folks who would like to volunteer to help.