The document discusses challenges facing churches with declining attendance and changing cultural trends. It notes people have less time for church due to other commitments on weekends. Additionally, tastes in worship styles, music, and level of commitment vary between generations. The document explores how to make worship more authentic, engaging, interactive, and relevant to attract more people through practices like incorporating technology, drama, music from different genres, and interactive prayer stations.

2.  Less “bodies in the pews”
 A sense that something has to change, but
change worries us
 Time of Worship (Sports, Families)
 Differing tastes around style, music, etc.
 Cultural pushes—In all congregations
› Sundays are the #1 shopping day in the week in the
USA
› Sports/Activities
› Weekend Travel
› Busy, overcommitted people
› Different Generational Understandings of
Commitment, etc.

3.  Static content  Dynamically
 Enhancing generated content
knowledge  Enhancing creativity
 Information  Information sharing
download  Collaboration
 Little to no  Users are required to
interaction engage with
 Users are passive information, create
recipients of it
information  CREATING &
 FINDING SHARING

4.  Gathering (Call to Worship, Gathering
Song, Announcements, Welcome)
 Confession (and passing of the Peace)
 Word (Scripture, Sermon, Song)
 Responding to the Word
(Offering, Communion, Baptism, Sending
Song, and Benediction—a sending into
the world to respond to the Word until
the next time we gather)

5.  Worshipping God is an essential part of what makes
us human
 We do not make worship meaningful, it is already
meaningful because it is worship
 We though need to make it authentic so those we
serve can understand it
 Not everything is authentic
 “Worship is what happens when people become
aware that they are in the presence of the living
God.”
 This meets the area of practice—worship is one part
of the spiritual life, an outgrowth of it (holistic
understanding)

6.  Fellowship
 Community
 Sharing of Joys and Concerns
 Friendship
 Intergenerational
 Disjointed Community outside
 Celebration/Sorrow
 Renewing, Rejuvenation, Refreshment
 Others?

7.  Sarellen and I have been reading this
book as one way to prepare for our
conversations

8.  People as hungry for an experience of
God
 Where have you experienced mystery in
worship at WAPC? Other places?
 How might we engage people in
mystery, what sorts of practices might
interest us?

9.  People today want to know that someone
loves, accepts, and welcomes them
 Prayers of the people
 How do we reach out to strangers? How do
we invite others to worship with us? Do you
ever tell anyone about your faith or about
WAPC?
 Practical issues: set-up of
narthex, welcome, signage in front of/inside
the church
 Importance of greeters
 Allowing greater participation shows hospitality

10.  Not drama as in theatre, but drama as in
the drama of God’s story being
reenacted in every part of worship
 Flow in worship is very important
 Waking up all the senses in worship
 Joyful, engaging music
 What are ideas of dramatic expression in
worship for you?

11.  What sort of music do you like? What
sort of music do you think that people
out there who do not come to church in
our community like?
 Would we be willing to give up some of
our tastes?
 Music must be excellent but not create a
distance

12.  Tent—Early worship spaces as tents. Tents
were moveable, changed locations. (We
are constantly moving as the people of
God. Way station for pilgrims on the move.)
 Temple—Place for awe, wonder. Some
temples were large, some were house-
churches. (Awe and space for fellowship)
Tent: Follow me Temple: Take off your
shoes, you are on holy ground.

13.  Movement between areas (something we
need between the Sanctuary and the
Parish Hall)--FLOW
 Location of pews (do some come out?) Do
we configure them in a new way?
 Light, color, draping and paraments
 Choir as separated from worshipers
 Lectern/pulpit closer to the congregation
 Create intimacy in worship

18.  Prayers and testimony about local
mission in worship (something we have
started doing this year!)
 Doors to the church like saloon doors in
the West (swing both ways)
 Hymns that pick up missional themes
 I think this is one of the areas we can
really capitalize on at WAPC

20.  Expanding sing-able responses
 Expanding spoken responses
 Order of worship needs to stay
stable, but elements within it can
change. Tension between stability and
innovation.
 Bulletins are for visitors—not regular
congregational members
 Use of projection?

21.  Regular inclusion of Communion
› Importance type of music selected at
communion time
› How are the elements brought forward, how do
the people gather around the table?
 Sermon as an occasion for joy
› Does not mean there is no challenge in
sermon, but ending is joyful--invitational
 Music, dance, testimony
› Inviting members to share with
music, dance, testimony—focus on JOY

23.  Positive personal connection with
congregation
 Gather gifts of congregation
 Share leadership of worship with others
 Embody holy character of worship
 Strong lay leadership to worship changes
is essential

24.  What would we like to do?
 What time should worship best be at?
 What are our dreams?
 What are our hopes?
 What are our fears?
 Where would we like to be one year, two
years, five years from now?
 Others?????

25.  Slide #3 is from Adam Walker Cleaveland’s
presentation, How Technology is Changing
our Faith and Worship
 Info on Interactive Prayer Stations are from
Rev. Theresa Cho of St. John’s Presbyterian
(San Francisco)
 Photos are from St. John’s Presbyterian
(CA), New York Avenue Presbyterian
(DC), an unknown congregation, First
Presbyterian (OR)