The Worship Threshold

Dr. Marcia McFee, a worship consultant well known in United Methodist circles, believes that communal worship is a place of great power. When we worship God together, God's Spirit moves in life-changing ways. 

Brighton First's Worship Design Team began its most recent meeting by viewing a video segment where McFee talks about the "worship threshold", that significant moment when a congregation enters worship together. McFee suggests that the threshold should be marked in some way so that worshipers sense the entrance into the sacred.

It has been the tradition at Brighton First to begin worship with the procession of the cross and the light during the first hymn. The choir members join the procession on the weeks they offer music. In our band-led worship, we begin with a gathering time of conversation. The worship director's invitation to join in song with band members marks the threshold.

In discussion following the video, team members brainstormed and planned for new ways to create a threshold into worship that fit with different worship themes. The worship committee considered lighting changes, the use of instruments and choruses, creative prayer, scripture reading and congregational movement. In the coming weeks and months, congregation members will experience subtle and bold worship thresholds that fit with worship themes.

Why did the Worship Design Team give so much effort to just one small segment of worship? The team's work reflects their purpose: to be a "think tank" for creative, excellent worship. They accomplish this through honest, critical review of worship and planning together for upcoming worship experiences.

When the Worship Design Team was established in early 2015, team members described the characteristics of excellent worship at Connecting, Transforming and Transcendent. The worship design goal is to reach excellence, by the grace of God, every time the worshiping community of Brighton First gathers. The team is committed to creating worship experiences that connect worshippers to the sacred and to one another. The team works to design worship that will transform, changing the hearts of those who worship. And while team members understand that transcendence cannot be forced, worship must be a place where the Holy Spirit is welcomed to move in the midst of the people.

Creating an intentional worship threshold is our first step into excellent worship that connects, transforms and transcends. 

The Worship Threshold

Dr. Marcia McFee, a worship consultant well known in United Methodist circles, believes that communal worship is a place of great power. When we worship God together, God's Spirit moves in life-changing ways. 

Brighton First's Worship Design Team began its most recent meeting by viewing a video segment where McFee talks about the "worship threshold", that significant moment when a congregation enters worship together. McFee suggests that the threshold should be marked in some way so that worshipers sense the entrance into the sacred.

It has been the tradition at Brighton First to begin worship with the procession of the cross and the light during the first hymn. The choir members join the procession on the weeks they offer music. In our band-led worship, we begin with a gathering time of conversation. The worship director's invitation to join in song with band members marks the threshold.

In discussion following the video, team members brainstormed and planned for new ways to create a threshold into worship that fit with different worship themes. The worship committee considered lighting changes, the use of instruments and choruses, creative prayer, scripture reading and congregational movement. In the coming weeks and months, congregation members will experience subtle and bold worship thresholds that fit with worship themes.

Why did the Worship Design Team give so much effort to just one small segment of worship? The team's work reflects their purpose: to be a "think tank" for creative, excellent worship. They accomplish this through honest, critical review of worship and planning together for upcoming worship experiences.

When the Worship Design Team was established in early 2015, team members described the characteristics of excellent worship at Connecting, Transforming and Transcendent. The worship design goal is to reach excellence, by the grace of God, every time the worshiping community of Brighton First gathers. The team is committed to creating worship experiences that connect worshippers to the sacred and to one another. The team works to design worship that will transform, changing the hearts of those who worship. And while team members understand that transcendence cannot be forced, worship must be a place where the Holy Spirit is welcomed to move in the midst of the people.

Creating an intentional worship threshold is our first step into excellent worship that connects, transforms and transcends. 

Prayer Valued in Worship

Brighton First is a community that values prayer. We believe that prayer is a primary way that we grow in relationship with God and experience God’s grace. On Sunday morning, people in worship are invited to complete Prayer Cards. Their concerns are lifted in prayer by clergy and/or our praying community. Prayer Quilts, created by our Prayers and Squares Quilt Ministry are tangible evidence of prayer. Worshipers are invited to tie knots in each quilt as they offer prayer for the quilt recipient. 

Words spoken in prayer during worship have traditionally been called “liturgy” which means “the work of the people.” We are very blessed at Brighton First that our worship prayers are written and offered by persons from the congregation. Each week, our worship hosts work to craft prayers that speak for the community and connect with God.

It is our practice to observe an extended time of silent prayer during worship. By measurement of real time, the silence may last 1 – 2 minutes, but in our sound-filled world, the time may seem longer! As we sit in silence together, we can speak our hearts to God or listen for God’s breath to move. The Holy Spirit is powerfully present when a congregation prays together.

In times of worship let the spoken prayers join our voices before our Lord and Savior. Settle into the time of silent prayer and feel God’s presence.

Prayer Valued in Worship

Brighton First is a community that values prayer. We believe that prayer is a primary way that we grow in relationship with God and experience God’s grace. On Sunday morning, people in worship are invited to complete Prayer Cards. Their concerns are lifted in prayer by clergy and/or our praying community. Prayer Quilts, created by our Prayers and Squares Quilt Ministry are tangible evidence of prayer. Worshipers are invited to tie knots in each quilt as they offer prayer for the quilt recipient. 

Words spoken in prayer during worship have traditionally been called “liturgy” which means “the work of the people.” We are very blessed at Brighton First that our worship prayers are written and offered by persons from the congregation. Each week, our worship hosts work to craft prayers that speak for the community and connect with God.

It is our practice to observe an extended time of silent prayer during worship. By measurement of real time, the silence may last 1 – 2 minutes, but in our sound-filled world, the time may seem longer! As we sit in silence together, we can speak our hearts to God or listen for God’s breath to move. The Holy Spirit is powerfully present when a congregation prays together.

In times of worship let the spoken prayers join our voices before our Lord and Savior. Settle into the time of silent prayer and feel God’s presence.

"Reel to Real" - Summer Worship Series

This summer, our worship series bring classic films into the sanctuary, as we explore what Christian truths we might discover in popular movies. We will combine a fun look at movies, new and old, with theological examination and practical application. Each week we will move from “reel to real”.

The movies we’ll discuss in upcoming Sundays. Note: These movies were chosen by congregation members in a “vote” that was conducted through the month of March.

June 11: The Lion King; June 18: Beauty and the Beast; June 25: Toy Story; July 2: Zootopia; July 9: League of Their Own; July 16: Field of Dreams; July 23: Cinderella Man; July 30, The Blind Side: August 6: Gone with the Wind; August 20: Shawshank Redemption; August 27: Star Wars (overview); September 3: Godzilla versus King Kong.

"Reel to Real" - Summer Worship Series

This summer, our worship series bring classic films into the sanctuary, as we explore what Christian truths we might discover in popular movies. We will combine a fun look at movies, new and old, with theological examination and practical application. Each week we will move from “reel to real”.

The movies we’ll discuss in upcoming Sundays. Note: These movies were chosen by congregation members in a “vote” that was conducted through the month of March.

June 11: The Lion King; June 18: Beauty and the Beast; June 25: Toy Story; July 2: Zootopia; July 9: League of Their Own; July 16: Field of Dreams; July 23: Cinderella Man; July 30, The Blind Side: August 6: Gone with the Wind; August 20: Shawshank Redemption; August 27: Star Wars (overview); September 3: Godzilla versus King Kong.

Worship Planning

The Worship Committee works months ahead to plan worship content for Brighton First. The Committee’s four goals include creating excellent worship that is informative, connecting and transformative. The fourth goal, that worship may be transcendent, relies on the work of God’s Holy Spirit. When the first three goals are done well, God has a fertile place to work on our hearts in worship.

Each time the Worship Committee (a combination of clergy, church staff and congregation members), we review worship. We look carefully at how worship reached the goals listed above and the places where we need to adjust to achieve those goals.

We will complete the current worship theme, “Learning Forgiveness”, on Easter Sunday. Through Lent we will have moved through defining forgiveness, setting the foundation for forgiveness, repentance and restoration of relationships.

After Easter, in April and May, our worship theme is “Room to Grow”. We will look at the words of Jesus and discover the ways that he encouraged his followers to grow in faith.

June through August, we’re going to the movies for worship with the series "Reel to Real". Each week we will explore a movie for its biblical metaphors and practical faith application. The Worship Committee decided to invite the congregation to suggest what movies we should talk about from three specific genres, Epic, Sports and Animated. Their suggestions are coming in now through the Connection Cards that congregation members complete on Sunday mornings.

As we work to makes disciples for Jesus Christ, we understand that worship is the primary "door" to our church. Worship is also an essential practice for disciples. The members of the Worship Committee, growing as disciples in the planning process,

are charged with designing worship that opens conversation between worshipers and God.

Worship Planning

The Worship Committee works months ahead to plan worship content for Brighton First. The Committee’s four goals include creating excellent worship that is informative, connecting and transformative. The fourth goal, that worship may be transcendent, relies on the work of God’s Holy Spirit. When the first three goals are done well, God has a fertile place to work on our hearts in worship.

Each time the Worship Committee (a combination of clergy, church staff and congregation members), we review worship. We look carefully at how worship reached the goals listed above and the places where we need to adjust to achieve those goals.

We will complete the current worship theme, “Learning Forgiveness”, on Easter Sunday. Through Lent we will have moved through defining forgiveness, setting the foundation for forgiveness, repentance and restoration of relationships.

After Easter, in April and May, our worship theme is “Room to Grow”. We will look at the words of Jesus and discover the ways that he encouraged his followers to grow in faith.

June through August, we’re going to the movies for worship with the series "Reel to Real". Each week we will explore a movie for its biblical metaphors and practical faith application. The Worship Committee decided to invite the congregation to suggest what movies we should talk about from three specific genres, Epic, Sports and Animated. Their suggestions are coming in now through the Connection Cards that congregation members complete on Sunday mornings.

As we work to makes disciples for Jesus Christ, we understand that worship is the primary "door" to our church. Worship is also an essential practice for disciples. The members of the Worship Committee, growing as disciples in the planning process,

are charged with designing worship that opens conversation between worshipers and God.

Outline for Weekly Sermon Available Beginning September 11

Wendy Carmack, Administrative Assistant at Brighton First, said, "I write sermon notes on my bulletin." Like many who attend Brighton First worship services, Wendy writes notes on the edge of her bulletin, including scripture references, major points and sermon challenges for the week ahead.

Bob Fuchs, Director of Discipleship and regular preacher at Brighton First, suggested that we provide a more "user-friendly" resource for our note takers. Beginning Sunday, September 11, a sermon outline sheet will be available for worshipers. It will contain the week's primary scripture reading with room to write other Bible references. In addition there will be space to write thoughts, the challenge for the week, and prayer items that are introduced or come to mind during worship.

We are offering this worship aid because we know that not everyone takes in information the same way. Auditory learners do not necessarily feel the need to write everything down. For those who are more likely to retain information through visual and kinesthetic interaction, the sermon outline sheet may be of assistance.

In examining the literature on note taking during sermons, I have found mixed opinions. Some clergy see preaching as a worship event that should be experienced, not outlined. They believe that taking notes places a sermon in the same category as a lecture. Note taking blocks the full "proclamation event" of the message and may inhibit the work of the Holy Spirit. They question whether or not parishioners are truly participating in the message if their heads are bowed over notes.

For other clergy and worship leaders, sermon notes can be helpful for remembering and inspiration through the week. Jesse Eubanks in the blog article "What Should I Do with Sermon Notes I Take Every Week?" suggests that we keep our notes in our Bibles and transfer notes about the scripture to our Bibles during the following week. He believes that this reinforces what inspired us in a sermon and brings us back to study the scripture again.

Sermon notes may not be for everyone, but for those whose spiritual journey is enhanced by a sermon guide, we are excited to offer this opportunity.

Outline for Weekly Sermon Available Beginning September 11

Wendy Carmack, Administrative Assistant at Brighton First, said, "I write sermon notes on my bulletin." Like many who attend Brighton First worship services, Wendy writes notes on the edge of her bulletin, including scripture references, major points and sermon challenges for the week ahead.

Bob Fuchs, Director of Discipleship and regular preacher at Brighton First, suggested that we provide a more "user-friendly" resource for our note takers. Beginning Sunday, September 11, a sermon outline sheet will be available for worshipers. It will contain the week's primary scripture reading with room to write other Bible references. In addition there will be space to write thoughts, the challenge for the week, and prayer items that are introduced or come to mind during worship.

We are offering this worship aid because we know that not everyone takes in information the same way. Auditory learners do not necessarily feel the need to write everything down. For those who are more likely to retain information through visual and kinesthetic interaction, the sermon outline sheet may be of assistance.

In examining the literature on note taking during sermons, I have found mixed opinions. Some clergy see preaching as a worship event that should be experienced, not outlined. They believe that taking notes places a sermon in the same category as a lecture. Note taking blocks the full "proclamation event" of the message and may inhibit the work of the Holy Spirit. They question whether or not parishioners are truly participating in the message if their heads are bowed over notes.

For other clergy and worship leaders, sermon notes can be helpful for remembering and inspiration through the week. Jesse Eubanks in the blog article "What Should I Do with Sermon Notes I Take Every Week?" suggests that we keep our notes in our Bibles and transfer notes about the scripture to our Bibles during the following week. He believes that this reinforces what inspired us in a sermon and brings us back to study the scripture again.

Sermon notes may not be for everyone, but for those whose spiritual journey is enhanced by a sermon guide, we are excited to offer this opportunity.

Coming Back to the Heart of Worship-Growing in Discipleship

This week I am preparing for fall classes. In October, I will be joining Bob Fuchs in teaching "The Unquenchable Worshipper". The 6-week course is based on the devotional book The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship by songwriter and performer Matt Redman. Although Redman published his devotional in 2001, it still speaks to the attitudes that we bring to the worship of God.

We approach worship in different ways. We bring our experiences, our expectations and our burdens of the day. Our experience of Sunday morning worship can be influenced by the style and/or quality of the music, the tone of a speaker's voice or the child peeking over the back of a pew to take a look at us. The Holy Spirit might "move" for us in the midst of worship or we may find congregational worship disconnected and cold.

Because worship is a means of experiencing God's grace, this course is intended to point us toward the very heart of worship, improving our worship experiences.

Redman's goal is to lead the worshipper to be fully present and expectant, vulnerable and joyous in worship. He believes that worship of God happens in the gathering of fellow believers, but reaches out further. Redman begins his book this way, "Enter the unquenchable worshipper. This world is full of fragile loves--love that abandons, love that fades, love that divorces, love that is self-seeking. But the unquenchable worshipper is different. From a heart so amazed by God and his wonders burns a love that will not be extinguished. It survives any situation and lives through any circumstance. It will not allow itself to be quenched, for that would heap insult on the love it lives in response to."

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a disciple of Jesus Christ is the practice of worshiping with the body of Christ. Worship is a response to God. It is an act of prayer and an act of hope. The more of ourselves that we bring to worship, the more we will grow in love and awe of God.

This six-week study will challenge us to passion and vulnerability, to openness and resolve in worship. We will tell stories of our worship experiences and learn strategies to prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

If you are interested in taking the 6-week course "The Unquenchable Worshipper" it begins on Thursday evening, October 13 at 7:00. Sign up here. Enter group key: W1

Note: Many of our worship songs in our Band Led Worship @ 11 were written by Matt Redman. Here Redman performs "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)".

Coming Back to the Heart of Worship-Growing in Discipleship

This week I am preparing for fall classes. In October, I will be joining Bob Fuchs in teaching "The Unquenchable Worshipper". The 6-week course is based on the devotional book The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship by songwriter and performer Matt Redman. Although Redman published his devotional in 2001, it still speaks to the attitudes that we bring to the worship of God.

We approach worship in different ways. We bring our experiences, our expectations and our burdens of the day. Our experience of Sunday morning worship can be influenced by the style and/or quality of the music, the tone of a speaker's voice or the child peeking over the back of a pew to take a look at us. The Holy Spirit might "move" for us in the midst of worship or we may find congregational worship disconnected and cold.

Because worship is a means of experiencing God's grace, this course is intended to point us toward the very heart of worship, improving our worship experiences.

Redman's goal is to lead the worshipper to be fully present and expectant, vulnerable and joyous in worship. He believes that worship of God happens in the gathering of fellow believers, but reaches out further. Redman begins his book this way, "Enter the unquenchable worshipper. This world is full of fragile loves--love that abandons, love that fades, love that divorces, love that is self-seeking. But the unquenchable worshipper is different. From a heart so amazed by God and his wonders burns a love that will not be extinguished. It survives any situation and lives through any circumstance. It will not allow itself to be quenched, for that would heap insult on the love it lives in response to."

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a disciple of Jesus Christ is the practice of worshiping with the body of Christ. Worship is a response to God. It is an act of prayer and an act of hope. The more of ourselves that we bring to worship, the more we will grow in love and awe of God.

This six-week study will challenge us to passion and vulnerability, to openness and resolve in worship. We will tell stories of our worship experiences and learn strategies to prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

If you are interested in taking the 6-week course "The Unquenchable Worshipper" it begins on Thursday evening, October 13 at 7:00. Sign up here. Enter group key: W1

Note: Many of our worship songs in our Band Led Worship @ 11 were written by Matt Redman. Here Redman performs "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)".

Owning the Vision of Brighton First

The mission of Brighton First is to be a faith community where people know, love and serve God. When we are accomplishing our mission, we are making disciples for Jesus Christ. We also have an "official" vision statement that offers the "big ideas" for how we accomplish our mission.

In recent weeks, I've been working to internalize the vision for our church, so I can pull it up from memory. My theory is that if I am asking myself whether or not a program or event fits our vision, I need to have clarity about what I'm looking for. In addition, being clear about our vision will help me to prayerfully discern what needs to be done to move us forward.

My summary of our vision (This is how we are and will continue to help people know, love and serve God.)

• WORSHIP. Offer worship services that are relevant (connect to life), inspiring (connect to God) and life-changing (transformative).

• DISCIPLESHIP. Excellent programming (classes, groups) for all ages that intentionally shapes disciples for Jesus Christ. (The marks of a Disciple are: being part of the body of Christ, becoming more like Jesus and joining Jesus in ministry.)

• SERVICE. Participate in service that is relational and transformation for all involved

• FELLOWSHIP. In all we do as a body of believers, cultivate relationships that are authentic.

Now, this is my current condensed version of our vision. It is a work in progress. I invite all readers to study Brighton First's Vision Statement below and try my exercise. How would you state the major points of our vision in your own words? If you do this work, please email me the results. I'm curious and I know that I will grow in insight from your thoughts.

Bright First's Vision Statement:

We are followers of Jesus Christ who strive to know God, love God and serve God by serving others. 

Worship: Our worship services are meaningful and relevant. Insightful sermons, heartfelt prayer and inspiring music leave worshippers feeling refreshed, renewed and recommitted to their faith.

Discipleship: We provide learning opportunities for people of all ages to enrich their lives and help them grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. We nurture the young, teaching them of God’s awesome power and abiding love, the life and teachings of Jesus and the rich history of God’s people. We offer stimulating classes for adult enrichment as well, including Bible study and discussion groups.

Service: We serve as the hands and feet of Christ, going where there is need and doing God’s work. We build relationships with the people we serve. We find transformational experiences often occur for those who serve as well as those who are served.  Our church provides many opportunities to help individuals identify, develop and use their gifts for the glory of God and service to others.

Fellowship: Our church community offers a wide variety of activities and events that bring people together for fellowship. Participants build authentic relationships and find a sense of belonging. We work and worship together. We serve and celebrate together. We sing and pray and learn and laugh, all of us on life’s journey together.