Worship Team Plans Fall Worship Series

Members of Brighton First Worship Team

The Worship Team met on June 7 to evaluate our most recent worship services, finalize plans for summer worship and plan worship themes for the fall. The ideal for worship planning is that basic worship themes and "big" worship events be planned 12 months in advance. This would give the Worship Team and worship leaders that opportunity to gather resources and have preparation time for quality worship. Our Worship Team has worship themes in place 3 - 4 months in advance and we are working to stretch that.

For September, I suggested that the book, The Five Marks of a Methodist, be the basis for Brighton First's worship theme. The team heard my idea and proposed going in a slightly different direction. Our discussion produced great fruit.

This is how worship is shaping up over the next few months.

Summer: In June, July and August we are "Going to the Deep End". Each week in worship we will focus on a controversial topic, an issue that people have a hard time discussing deeply with grace. We will use the Wesleyan discernment tools of Bible, Reason, Church Tradition and Experience of the Holy Spirit to examine each issue.

September: The worship theme for the month is "Why United Methodist?" On the Sundays in September we will be talking about what makes our congregation uniquely Methodist and how being Methodist can influence our daily lives.

Worship Series preparation begins with Bible study

October: We'll be having some fun with "The Rest of the Story" in October. We'll strip away the assumptions that we have about classic Bible stores that come to us from our Sunday School days. We'll take a fresh look at well-know biblical stories, considering what the Bible really says and asking about relevance for today.

November: As we brace for the cold of winter and anticipate the warmth of family and friends gathered at the harvest table, we'll celebrate the mercy, comfort and grace of God. We'll experience the reassurance of God in our grief, the renewal of our baptism vows and the warm of gathering at Christ's table. The worship series "Comfort, Comfort My People".

December: Our Advent Worship theme and our All-Church Advent Study is based on the book Sent: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas by Jorge Acevedo. In worship we will sing with joy about Jesus who comes to reconcile us to God, set us free, be with us and bring us new life.

Worship Team Plans Fall Worship Series

Members of Brighton First Worship Team

The Worship Team met on June 7 to evaluate our most recent worship services, finalize plans for summer worship and plan worship themes for the fall. The ideal for worship planning is that basic worship themes and "big" worship events be planned 12 months in advance. This would give the Worship Team and worship leaders that opportunity to gather resources and have preparation time for quality worship. Our Worship Team has worship themes in place 3 - 4 months in advance and we are working to stretch that.

For September, I suggested that the book, The Five Marks of a Methodist, be the basis for Brighton First's worship theme. The team heard my idea and proposed going in a slightly different direction. Our discussion produced great fruit.

This is how worship is shaping up over the next few months.

Summer: In June, July and August we are "Going to the Deep End". Each week in worship we will focus on a controversial topic, an issue that people have a hard time discussing deeply with grace. We will use the Wesleyan discernment tools of Bible, Reason, Church Tradition and Experience of the Holy Spirit to examine each issue.

September: The worship theme for the month is "Why United Methodist?" On the Sundays in September we will be talking about what makes our congregation uniquely Methodist and how being Methodist can influence our daily lives.

Worship Series preparation begins with Bible study

October: We'll be having some fun with "The Rest of the Story" in October. We'll strip away the assumptions that we have about classic Bible stores that come to us from our Sunday School days. We'll take a fresh look at well-know biblical stories, considering what the Bible really says and asking about relevance for today.

November: As we brace for the cold of winter and anticipate the warmth of family and friends gathered at the harvest table, we'll celebrate the mercy, comfort and grace of God. We'll experience the reassurance of God in our grief, the renewal of our baptism vows and the warm of gathering at Christ's table. The worship series "Comfort, Comfort My People".

December: Our Advent Worship theme and our All-Church Advent Study is based on the book Sent: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas by Jorge Acevedo. In worship we will sing with joy about Jesus who comes to reconcile us to God, set us free, be with us and bring us new life.

Worship Team Prepares for Worship Changes this Summer

Brighton First's Worship team met on Tuesday, April 5. Their discussion included review of Lent and Easter worship, making notes for next year, and discussion of the upcoming summer worship series "The Deep End".

The Worship Team also discussed the upcoming changes in the 11:00 worship service. They agreed that the best metaphor for the transition ahead was "retooling the factory for production of a new model." The tentative plan is to hold a final 11:00 worship service on Sunday, May 22. The worship service would end for the summer and be reintroduced in the fall as a new worship service. During the summer, those committed to launching a new worship service would receive training and help to prepare for the service. In many ways, the process will be like starting a new church. Please keep this prayer in process and if you are feeling lead to join the team, see Bob Fuchs or me.

Also about worship: At Brighton First's music director Susan Snow's suggestion, I recently read the book Ignite by Nelson Searcy. He is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in New York City and Boca Raton, Florida. Searcy writes that the size of a worshiping congregation can rise when hospitality, visitor follow up, opportunities for relationship are joined with worship "events". He suggests three to four special worship services a year. Preparation for the worship services would include encouraging congregation members to invite friends and family and specific marketing in the community.

In Searcy's experience the best times to hold special worship services that intentionally welcome the community are about a month after school starts, in February and at Easter. Susan Snow will be leading exploration of this model and possibly using it here at Brighton First.

Worship Team Prepares for Worship Changes this Summer

Brighton First's Worship team met on Tuesday, April 5. Their discussion included review of Lent and Easter worship, making notes for next year, and discussion of the upcoming summer worship series "The Deep End".

The Worship Team also discussed the upcoming changes in the 11:00 worship service. They agreed that the best metaphor for the transition ahead was "retooling the factory for production of a new model." The tentative plan is to hold a final 11:00 worship service on Sunday, May 22. The worship service would end for the summer and be reintroduced in the fall as a new worship service. During the summer, those committed to launching a new worship service would receive training and help to prepare for the service. In many ways, the process will be like starting a new church. Please keep this prayer in process and if you are feeling lead to join the team, see Bob Fuchs or me.

Also about worship: At Brighton First's music director Susan Snow's suggestion, I recently read the book Ignite by Nelson Searcy. He is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in New York City and Boca Raton, Florida. Searcy writes that the size of a worshiping congregation can rise when hospitality, visitor follow up, opportunities for relationship are joined with worship "events". He suggests three to four special worship services a year. Preparation for the worship services would include encouraging congregation members to invite friends and family and specific marketing in the community.

In Searcy's experience the best times to hold special worship services that intentionally welcome the community are about a month after school starts, in February and at Easter. Susan Snow will be leading exploration of this model and possibly using it here at Brighton First.

Worship Team Continues Work to Enhance Worship Experience

The Brighton First Worship Team met earlier this week in order to accomplish two tasks. The first was to evaluate worship services over the last month and the second, to create a worship theme for Advent and Christmas.

The Worship Team, which began meeting in the spring, meets for these purposes:

1. Work as a creative think tank for all Brighton First worship services.
2. Plan for excellent worship that connects, transforms and transcends, from initial theme development to all aspects of worship
3. Support worship leaders in implementing worship design that connects, transforms and transcends.
4. Review worship honestly and critically, assisting in adjustments toward excellence.

In discussions this week they honestly and critically considered all aspects of worship. The evaluated worship based on its ability to connect people with one another and with God. They looked how worship has opened the way for transformation and transcendent experiences.

Positive experiences in worship have included more opportunities for participation by congregation, the baptism remembrance service (late August) and the relevance of the the "screen-driven" world theme in September.

Concerns included adequate amplification for congregation members who speak, using language that is "churchy" or "insider", the size and visibility of worship images, and transition into worship at the beginning of the service.

The group worked together to develop solutions to concerns.

The time spent developing a worship theme resulted in a December worship series. Wanted: The Best Gift.

Look for the quality of Brighton First worship experiences to increase through the work of this team.

Worship Team Continues Work to Enhance Worship Experience

The Brighton First Worship Team met earlier this week in order to accomplish two tasks. The first was to evaluate worship services over the last month and the second, to create a worship theme for Advent and Christmas.

The Worship Team, which began meeting in the spring, meets for these purposes:

1. Work as a creative think tank for all Brighton First worship services.
2. Plan for excellent worship that connects, transforms and transcends, from initial theme development to all aspects of worship
3. Support worship leaders in implementing worship design that connects, transforms and transcends.
4. Review worship honestly and critically, assisting in adjustments toward excellence.

In discussions this week they honestly and critically considered all aspects of worship. The evaluated worship based on its ability to connect people with one another and with God. They looked how worship has opened the way for transformation and transcendent experiences.

Positive experiences in worship have included more opportunities for participation by congregation, the baptism remembrance service (late August) and the relevance of the the "screen-driven" world theme in September.

Concerns included adequate amplification for congregation members who speak, using language that is "churchy" or "insider", the size and visibility of worship images, and transition into worship at the beginning of the service.

The group worked together to develop solutions to concerns.

The time spent developing a worship theme resulted in a December worship series. Wanted: The Best Gift.

Look for the quality of Brighton First worship experiences to increase through the work of this team.