Transforming Congregations in worship : 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship : 1)      Transforming Congregations in worship:

Transforming Congregations in worship : 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship : Our story: Bethel Mennonite Church, Winnipeg 2)      Marva Dawn indicates that the goal of worship is threefold: -          to worship God extravagantly -          to be God's people more faithfully, -          and to serve our neighbours more lavishly. 3)      Ekklesia – ek klesia – klesis --- kaleo 4)      “Ten years ago we were like a couple of German shepherds first meeting each other; circling each other from a distance and snarling at each other.” 5)      “In our congregation there has been a lot of healing that has happened; all of it closely linked to the study of scripture and its application.”  6)      “We’ve now developed an atmosphere in which folks are praying for the congregation instead of against it.” 7)      “We do not tolerate the question: ‘what do I like in a worship service?’ But rather ‘what enables us to worship well? That’s the question we need to answer.” 8)      “The Anabaptist vision is getting world-renown recognition, and we’re going to be ashamed of it at home? No way!” 9)      The Nature of Worship from a missional perspective 10)  The transcendent nature of worship 11)  Eschatological design for  worship 12)  Political character of worship 13)  Confessional foundations of worship 14)  Sending assumptions of worship (This is what we sent Irma. 15)  worship is central to our life. 16)  Worship renews missional engagement 17)  missional engagement revitalizes worship.

Transforming Congregations in worship : 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship : God is active in our world 2)      Marva Dawn indicates that the goal of worship is threefold: -          to worship God extravagantly -          to be God's people more faithfully, -          and to serve our neighbours more lavishly. 3)      Ekklesia – ek klesia – klesis --- kaleo 4)      “Ten years ago we were like a couple of German shepherds first meeting each other; circling each other from a distance and snarling at each other.” 5)      “In our congregation there has been a lot of healing that has happened; all of it closely linked to the study of scripture and its application.”  6)      “We’ve now developed an atmosphere in which folks are praying for the congregation instead of against it.” 7)      “We do not tolerate the question: ‘what do I like in a worship service?’ But rather ‘what enables us to worship well? That’s the question we need to answer.” 8)      “The Anabaptist vision is getting world-renown recognition, and we’re going to be ashamed of it at home? No way!” 9)      The Nature of Worship from a missional perspective 10)  The transcendent nature of worship 11)  Eschatological design for  worship 12)  Political character of worship 13)  Confessional foundations of worship 14)  Sending assumptions of worship (This is what we sent Irma. 15)  worship is central to our life. 16)  Worship renews missional engagement 17)  missional engagement revitalizes worship.

Transforming Congregations in worship : 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship : Become more aware of God’s activity in our midst

Transforming Congregations in worship : 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship : More intentionally aligning our activities with God’s mission

Transforming Congregations in worship : 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship : Focus worship, education, community life, and witness in light of God’s purposes

11/17/2018 Drastic changes??

11/17/2018 Worship Committee: Purpose Statement

To invite the congregation into God’s presence 11/17/2018 To invite the congregation into God’s presence

Worship points to God and reminds us that we are not God. 11/17/2018 Worship points to God and reminds us that we are not God.

God invites us to participate in worship 11/17/2018 Worship is our community’s acknowledgement that the source of who we are, can be, and are to become is beyond who we are now. God invites us to participate in worship

Basic values in planning worship 11/17/2018 Basic values in planning worship

11/17/2018 Focus on God and on God’s will: recognize worship as a Holy time and a Holy Space

We are actors and participants; God is the audience 11/17/2018 We are actors and participants; God is the audience We are not spectators

11/17/2018 Worship is hopeful

Worship reflects Mennonite/Anabaptist identity 11/17/2018 Worship reflects Mennonite/Anabaptist identity

11/17/2018 We pays attention to the physical space to make it more conducive for focusing on God.

11/17/2018 Worship facilitates expressing gratitude, confessing failures, be open to wisdom and teaching

11/17/2018 Worship keeps the congregational voice alive via music, sharing, prayer, and scripture reading.

Worship enhances spiritual vitality and passion for God. 11/17/2018 Worship enhances spiritual vitality and passion for God.

Worship is child and family friendly 11/17/2018 Worship is child and family friendly

11/17/2018 Worship reflects the profile of the congregation via use of languages like French, German, Spanish, English

Worship blends familiar things with new experiences. 11/17/2018 Worship blends familiar things with new experiences.

Practical Issues and challenges in implementing our hopes. 11/17/2018 Practical Issues and challenges in implementing our hopes.

More participation is important even if it impacts the “quality” 11/17/2018 More participation is important even if it impacts the “quality”

Put both Reflection and Action on the agenda of our committee 11/17/2018 Put both Reflection and Action on the agenda of our committee

Some resistance to learning new songs in different languages. 11/17/2018 Some resistance to learning new songs in different languages.

Resistance to moving things around on the platform 11/17/2018 Resistance to moving things around on the platform

Some resistance to having only women leading the worship service. 11/17/2018 Some resistance to having only women leading the worship service.

11/17/2018 Implementation: What did we do?

Visuals, banners, displays 11/17/2018 Visuals, banners, displays

Different musical groups with different styles 11/17/2018 Different musical groups with different styles

Workshops for worship leaders 11/17/2018 Workshops for worship leaders

More intentional about developing a common theme through worship 11/17/2018 More intentional about developing a common theme through worship

More people involved in scripture reading in different languages 11/17/2018 More people involved in scripture reading in different languages

11/17/2018 Print scripture passages in bulletin for congregation to engage more easily

More drama and dramatic readings, especially of scripture 11/17/2018 More drama and dramatic readings, especially of scripture

More involvement of children in offertories 11/17/2018 More involvement of children in offertories

Closer attention to children’s story: both it’s content and delivery 11/17/2018 Closer attention to children’s story: both it’s content and delivery

11/17/2018 Drastic??

Transforming Congregations in worship 11/17/2018 Transforming Congregations in worship