Worship Symposium archive » worshipers

Christian Worship in 4th Century Jerusalem: Premodern Wisdom for Postmodern Times

wsymp10 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:14:13 +0000

What might an ancient church have to say for renewing our worship today? We’ll look at how Jerusalem in the 4th century worshiped, including descriptions and resources from that time, to think about new possibilities today.

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Worshiping the Trinity in Exile: The Prophetic Church with a Post-Era Mission

wsymp10 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:06:23 +0000

In a post-postmodern, high-tech, super-hyped, and anti-institutional world, how should we be Church and how should we be the Church at worship and in mission? How will our means match the ends so that worship is faithful to the Jesus of the cross?

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The Practice of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper in Calvin’s Geneva

wsymp10 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:00:57 +0000

One of the key transitions during the Reformation was the change from seven sacraments to two, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This session explored the challenges the Genevan church faced as it established new liturgies and practices to celebrate these sacraments and what we can learn from their experience.

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A Worship Leadership Dilemma: Are consumers still able to worship?

wsymp10 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:57:15 +0000

How do I as a pastor or worship leader engage a congregation in deep, rich worship when their hearts have been shaped by consumeristic spirits that tell them to be shallow and self-serving? And how do I lead in such a way without being negative or preachy? This workshop focused on (a) why such worship leadership is necessary, and (b) various ways in which it can be done.

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Worship and Civility

wsymp10 — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:44:07 +0000

In what ways can the church’s worshiping life equip people for the patterns of civility—“public politeness”—that make for good citizenship? Should we even care about the question? This workshop explored the ways in which the church can help shape the kind of character that promotes the common good of the larger human community.

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Faith Formation in Worship

wsymp10 — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:04:49 +0000

Faith formation is not just for children—all of us are shaped in our faith by the way we come to God in worship. This session considered what it might mean if we have a faith formation focus as we plan worship.

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The Practice and Theory of Sermon Illustrations

wsymp10 — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:00:25 +0000

Preachers know that illustrations (or a lack of them) can make or break a sermon. But how do illustrations actually function in a sermon? What types of illustrative material should preachers look for, and how can pastors craft that material in vivid and engaging language? We pondered different types of sermon illustrations and how best to weave them into the message.

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From Passive to Participative Worship

wsymp10 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:28:24 +0000

How engaged are the worshipers in your congregation? Do they tend to function as observers or active participants? This session explored how to design worship services that invite dynamic participation.

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Becoming a Worship-Centered Congregation: The Process of Cultural Change in Congregations

wsymp10 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:22:33 +0000

Becoming a worship-centered congregation is a profound cultural shift for some congregations and often takes as much as ten years. Using leadership theory and theories of transformational learning, this workshop explored the dynamics of congregational change, resistance to change, and the role of congregational leaders in always pointing toward the worship of God as the church’s highest calling.

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Worship in the Early Church

wsymp10 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:56:16 +0000

Some of the worship practices of early Christians (100-400 A.D.) were strikingly different but perhaps more biblical than ours today. What did worship according to Scripture look like in the first Christian centuries? How did the type of water used in baptism or the shape of the font, for example, proclaim biblical teaching? What was the celebration of the Lord’s Supper like? Why was a person’s posture during prayer so important?