Worship Format

Sunday Morning Worship Format

The process began back in 2005. We studied a book called Natural Church Development. It returned percentage scores on seven aspects of our ministries. One of those scores was worship. In the spring of 2006, the Worship and Music InGathering Team put together a survey of a sampling of the church. Seventy people were asked to fill in a questionnaire covering five major topics about worship. In the fall, Mike took those results into a thorough process of listening and developed several plans for possible new services formats. In February of 2007, the Worship & Music Team presented the results of all this to the session and they approved a new worship format for Sundays at WHC.

Beginning August 26, 2007 we began the following worship formate:

8:15 a.m. Chapel Service

an intimate service in a small, warm setting

9:25 a.m.

a service of timeless hymns, our Chancel choir and today’s praise music, a wonderful worship time with a meaningful message

This hour will continue to have a full program of infant, child, youth and adult spiritual formation offerings.

10:55 a.m.

a fresh worship experience declaring God’s glory as it weaves the arts and powerful praise band music with the same meaningful message

This hour everyone in the family is encouraged to worship together, though this hour will also have the nursery available for pre-school and younger and the “Bible Diggings” class will now be at this hour.

What’s in a Name?

But before we go further, it is important to say one thing: at every service we will worship Jesus – AND - at every service the message will be the same! Centered in the Scripture, focused on Jesus and praising Him with all the means at our disposable – that’s what we’ve always tried to do. Only now we will separate the services by style. Why?

Our worshipping congregation covers the ages from new-born to people well into their 90’s! We can’t possibly keep this wide span of people engaged or even reasonably happy and worshipping together. In the past few years many people sing only the praise songs, others sing only the hymns. As a result, we’ve lost a bit of the momentum of the service at those points. So… now different styles at different services.

As we set to do different styles of worship can’t we explain them every time. We need a name that says it. The “Chapel Service” is easy – it is a smaller, intimate worship service in the chapel! But why did we choose names we did for the other services?

EXALT – a service of timeless hymns, our Chancel choir and today’s praise music, a wonderful worship time with a meaningful message. This name is direct as are most hymns. Hymns march the intellect forward as they declare our clear theology without apology: This service is a clear declaration - we lift God’s name and exalt Him.

ELEVATE – a fresh worship experience declaring His glory as it weaves the arts and powerful praise band music with the same meaningful message. While it means the same thing, the name is a bit more indirect, as is the style of worship that embraces the heart that often needs to repeat again and again as words of love for the God we adore and praise. We sing until we arrive where our hearts are filled with wonder for this great God.

Why These Times?

The worship format on Sunday morning is changing beginning August 26^th. The names selected for these new formats give hints at what will happen at each service. But why these times?

We made the decision many years ago that the services needed to end on time. People get fidgety toward the end of the service if they think it is going to go long: Kids are waiting, there are plans for the rest of the day, etc. It was clear we needed to add a few minutes if we were going to have a service with a time of worship, teaching and the Sharing of Joys and Concerns.

We decided to help people “Prepare their hearts for Worship” (in this world who of us doesn’t need help!) prior to the beginning of the hour. We’ve gotten lots of “feedback” (to use a positive term) about that. Some people like coming into the sanctuary with people already singing – it makes them feel like they are entering a wonderful place full of worship. Some don’t like it - it makes them feel late. Some have thought it should be listed in the paper as the starting time. Others get there even earlier so that they can be present with their hearts focused before any singing begins.

With this format, nothing has changed about needing a little more time AND we will have quite a transition to make between services where we are switching styles and support teams.

So… now we will be clear – worship starts at 8:15, 9:25 and 10:55. Not five minutes before that – it will start then. If you come at 9:30 or 11:00 (or later) of course, come on in and join the service, but it has already started! And it will be in the papers as starting at 8:15, 9:25 and 10:55. We will still have an occasional Sunday where there will be only one service. Times for these might vary, so each week be sure to check the time on this website or in the paper (a good habit every week)!

Which Choice best serves your family?

One of the things we learned in 2006, as Mike held his “conversations” about worship style, is that a lot of us are persnickety about worship style and times! God has touched our hearts through a wonderful hymn or through a praise song or we’ve worshipped nearly forever in a certain style and we can hardly imagine anyone not understanding what it has meant to us. And as for times: well, if 11:00 was good enough for Jesus and Paul, why should it be changed now!

It really is hard to predict what choices people will make as we change our Sunday morning format! But we can offer some simple principles and give you some options.

Principle 1: We believe it takes two hours every Sunday morning!

In a world frantically rushing after so many things, worship and discipleship are difficult. How can we be a growing disciple if we give only one hour to discipleship and corporate worship? Consider coming at 9:25 and staying both hours. Take an adult class at one of the hours, worship at the other. Youth and children can attend a class then worship with you as a family or with their friends. We will also have pre-school and younger in the nursery at 10:55 (and other slightly older children can come by special arrangement).

Principle 2: Do what works for you!

We hope that every member will find a call to do ministry and be in mission in the life of our church. For many of us that call is on Sunday mornings requiring us to be here both hours. But there is nothing wrong with someone choosing a style or a time of service and making Sundays work around that choice. That could mean one hour at 9:25, adults worshipping, kids in Sunday school, or every one worshipping together at 10:55. Pick what works for you!