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Worship Ends Policy
Biblical Basis:
John 4: 23-24 “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Background Information:
Faithful worship is about focusing on God, and requires much of the worshiping individual. In order to connect with God during worship, we must prepare to worship with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Great worship should inspire us toward God, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, transform us for lives lived for Christ.
Ends Policy:
1. Worshippers will be prepared for worship.
2. Worshippers will be actively engaged in God-centered worship.
3. Worshippers will experience God’s grace and love proclaimed through a Lutheran understanding of Word and Sacraments.
4. Worshippers will experience God’s presence in spirit and truth.
5. Worshippers will emerge from worship transformed for God’s purpose in the world.
6. Worshippers will experience Christian community.
Reasonable Interpretation:
1. Lord of Life worship will be a balance of intellect and emotion, head and heart, so that worshippers can experience God’s presence in their worship lives.
2. Lord of Life will create a communication plan as part of the 2020 vision and Faith Formation Ends Policy that will encourage individuals to prepare for worship including reading the lessons in advance of worship, arriving at worship early, and while sitting in the sanctuary prior to worship, praying for God’s inspiration and grace.
3. Lord of Life worship, whatever the setting, format or style, will always be Lutheran both in tradition and theology, focusing on Word and Sacrament.
4. Lord of Life will use lay person testimonials in worship to illustrate the transformational power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
5. Lord of Life will create more varieties of worship to meet the individual needs of members to praise God, receive God’s grace and to be transformed.
6. Lord of Life will judiciously use new media and technology to improve and enhance the worship experience and maintain an intentional and purposeful focus on worshipper participation.
7. Lord of Life worship will dynamically inspire worshippers through sermons, music and intentional experiences to create the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to enable the worshippers to live in grace.
Current Activities:
1. Worship offered on Saturday evenings, Sunday mornings, and Monday evenings in summer to accommodate all worshippers.
2. Service styles vary from contemporary on Saturday evenings to more traditional on most Sunday mornings.
3. Sermon messages vary in style with rotation of pastors preaching, and balance messages of assurance of God’s love and grace with calls to action.
4. Following the Lutheran tradition, worshippers actively participate in worship through singing of liturgy and hymns, and reading of prayers and creeds.
5. Music groups and worship teams allow many lay participants the opportunity to contribute to and participate in the worship experience.
6. Guest groups and individuals provide additional forms of music and ministry to enhance the worship experience.
7. Worship is personalized by celebrating the commissioning of missionaries and leaders and recognition of achievements during services.
8. Scripture reading assignments have been given in advance to facilitate worshippers coming prepared to worship.
9. A variety of media in the sanctuary present additional ways to personalize and experience the message. (Portrait of Mary and evergreen trees in December, candles on Christmas Eve, photos during the Exodus study, palm branches for all on Palm Sunday, draped cross during Holy Week, flowers on Easter Sunday, etc.)
10. Sharing of the Peace fosters community.
11. Worship experiences are available to all through the use of an accessible facility, large print bulletins and bibles, and assisted listening devices.
Next Steps:
1. Worship and Music Team, under Pastor Peter’s and Pastor Phil’s leadership will create a strategy, goals and objectives based on the reasonable interpretation.
2. Lord of Life pastors will review the ends policy and interpretation and create a plan that will clarify their leadership role in implementing this ends policy
3. An overall strategy and plan will be presented to the Congregational Council at the next review.