How Can We Link Worship and Evangelism: Ten Suggestions
How can we link worship with goring up and reaching out? This article offers ten practical suggestions to link worship and evangelism.
prepared by Rev. John Mc Nally, Kentville Baptist, NS, srpastor@ns.aliantzinc.ca
1. Link worship to church health & growth: How can we work with interdependence?
Inspiring worship is interdependent with need-oriented evangelism and also passionate spirituality, loving relationships, gift-oriented ministry, empowering leadership, functional structures, and holistic small groups. Most churches have the nouns, but the adjectives describe health that leads to growth. For more info., see www.ncd-international.org.
2. Express broad vision: How can we link worship with growing up & reaching out?
“Together, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
to grow in our faith in Jesus Christ and to sow seeds of God's love.”
A Vision for Facilitating Inspiring Worship in a Blended Style
“With the Spirit's guidance, as a means of grace for growth in our faith in Jesus Christ and for reaching out with God's love within and beyond the church, we come together for inspiring worship in a blended style.
- We come together to bring glory to God with expectancy for the Spirit to move and for Christ to meet us in transformational ways through every aspect of the worship service flow.
- We come together to facilitate unity amidst our diversity, not as a compromise position of accommodation for a particular group within our church, but with a vision for integration or “blending” of the best of the past, present, and future ways of worship that God has used, and is using, to touch lives and bring honour to God's name.
- We come together for worship that is primarily God-centred and Bible-based, more than self-centred and preference-oriented.
- We come together with respect for our rich Baptist heritage and with respect for the rich horizons of new people and possibilities God is opening up for us.
- We come together influenced by the resources, spiritual gifts and diverse mix of people that God has given to our church and our surrounding community.”
3. Welcome warmly: How can we get ready for company to greet guests in God's home?
4. Explain worship parts & flow: How can we coach seekers with verbal or bulletin cues?
5. Vary preaching styles: How can we creatively communicate the Way, the Truth, and the Life for various learning styles (loop, vignette, prop, interview, dramatic, technology, etc.)?
6. Make space for God to work: How can we help people listen & respond to God's Word (message notes, bookmarks, various forms of invitations, prayers, songs, etc.)?
7. Share “glimpses of God at work”: How can we get personal, start local & go global?
8. Open “special” windows: How can we tap into seasonal & occasional services?
9. Create community curiosity: How can we use “fan” promotion/invitation, flyers & signs?
10. Trust in God: How can we rest in Jesus Christ's guidance, the Holy Spirit's presence, and the Heavenly Father's providence?
“Worship focuses our attention on God, and the God of Jesus Christ is a God who reaches out in care and evangelism. Thus the closer we come to this God, the more we are drawn to share in the evangelistic heart of God.” [John Bowen, Evangelism for “Normal” People, p. 90]