Resource will help create vibrant worship experiences Sept. 28, 2004 By Kathy L. Gilbert*
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A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose The Bering Memorial United Methodist Church Choir sings during morning worship at the 2004 General Conference.
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The Bering Memorial United Methodist Church Choir sings during morning worship at the 2004 General Conference. |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-Handbells or guitars? Robes or jeans? Traditional sermon or a theatrical production?How many ways are there to worship? That’s
the question being met head-on by the United Methodist Publishing
House’s new Worship Connection, a one-stop place to find the latest
worship-related resources. Worship Connection includes a Web site, www.worshipconnection.cokesbury.com, specialty catalogs and teaching conferences. The Publishing House developed the program after a survey conducted in 2003 found that one in three clergy cite major changes
in their worship services in the last five years-while half of the
pastors at large churches (more than 500 members) cite major changes,
said Susan Salley, a Publishing House executive and one of the
developers of Worship Connection. The
survey also showed half of clergy are dissatisfied with the variety in
their worship services, and one in three are dissatisfied with worship
quality, style or the resources available to help, she said. "Pastors
are looking for new ideas, new tools, help with change management and
dependable advice on new technology," she said. "We hope that through
access to help, we can make finding worship resources easier and more
inspiring." The
survey included 800 telephone interviews with pastors, more than half
of whom report hosting two or more services. Of those with multiple
services, 57 percent change worship styles for the services, which
greatly impacts resource needs and planning. One
in three are already able to project slides, video or PowerPoint. An
additional 20 to 30 percent would like to be able to project slides,
images or video.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBoseParticipants at the Central Jurisdiction reunion sing during opening worship. |
Participants
in the first reunion of the former Central Jurisdiction of the
Methodist Church in College Park, Ga. , sing during the opening worship.
From left are Betty Henderson, Lina McCord, Angella Current-Felder and
Marilyn Magee. The jurisdiction was a racially segregated structure for
black Methodists that existed from 1939 to 1968, when it was dissolved
into the five current geographic jurisdictions of the United Methodist
Church. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo number 04-366, 9/1/04. |
Regardless of the
current approach to worship, when asked, "What would you like to do that
you aren’t doing now?" the answers were similar in topic, Salley said.
Twenty-five percent would like to update, change or expand music
offerings, 25 to 30 percent want to add more media options, and 10 to 15
percent want to change or update worship style. "The biggest obstacle to using new worship offerings is (getting) access to and understanding equipment," Salley said. Since the site was launched May 1, visits have grown to 18,000 a month, she added. Worship
Connection Teaching Conferences will debut this fall, providing an
opportunity to visit congregations on the leading edge of dynamic
worship experiences, led by worship leaders who are using creative
styles in their churches. Scheduled events include: - Sept. 30-Oct. 2 - Indianapolis
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and The Garden - Nov. 4-6 - Shreveport, La.
Grace Community United Methodist Church - March 15-19 - South Carolina (details to come)
Worship-Focused Conference with Black Methodists for Church Renewal Annual Meeting - April 7-9 - Leawood, Kan. (greater Kansas City area)
Church of the Resurrection - May 5-7 - New York City
Christ Church
"We’ve
seen new customers for both traditional resources like the United
Methodist Worship and Music Planner and for new media resources like
video clips and other worship-related software," Salley said. Cokesbury
stores are partnering with conferences to demonstrate media options for
all styles of worship service. The first demonstration was hosted by
the Philadelphia store at the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional)
Conference this summer. "Through
our teaching conferences, we’ll connect phenomenal worship leaders,
musicians and pastors, writers and thinkers in a hands-on setting,"
Salley said. "The best help we can give is this opportunity for
conversation, exploration and sharing." More information and registration details for the teaching conferences are available at WorshipConnection.com. *Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer in Nashville, Tenn. News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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