The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services

by Cherry, Constance M.

• ISBN13: 9780801038747
• ISBN10: 080103874X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-01
• Publisher: BAKER BOOKS

Summary

There are many books available in the topic of worship today, but few provide a comprehensive, practical method for worship design, Constance M. Cherry, a worship professor and practitioner, provides worship leaders with credible blueprint plans for successfully designing worship services that foster meaningful conversation with God and the gathered community. Readers will learn how to create services that are faithful to Scripture, historically conscious, relevant to God, Christ-centered, and engaging for worshipers of all ages in the twenty-first century. The book sets forth basic principles concerning worship design and demonstrates how these principles are conductive to virtually any style of worship practiced today in a myriad of Christian communities. It will also work well as a guide for worship-planning teams in local churches and provide insight for worship students, pastors, and church leaders involved in congregational worship.

Author Biography

Constance M. Cherry (DMin, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of worship and Christian ministries at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. She formerly taught at Winebrenner Theological Seminary and is a permanent part-time professor for the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. She has served local churches as a minister of music/worship and as a United Methodist pastor.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: Why a Book about Worship Design?	p. xi
Laying the Foundations for Worship	p. 1
Establishing the Foundation: Biblical Worship	p. 3
Setting the Cornerstone: Worship Is Centered in Jesus Christ	p. 19
Building the Structure for Worship	p. 35
Four Rooms for Encountering God: The General Order of Worship	p. 37
The First Load-Bearing Wall: The Gathering	p. 53
The Second Load-Bearing Wall: The Word	p. 67
The Third Load-Bearing Wall: The Table of the Lord	p. 85
The Third Load-Bearing Wall: The Alternative Response to the Word	p. 97
The Fourth Load-Bearing Wall: The Sending	p. 111
Creating Doors and Windows for Encountering God	p. 123
Encountering God in Prayer: Capturing the Heart of Worship	p. 125
Encountering God in Music: Singing the Church's Song	p. 151
Encountering God in Music: Offering "Sound" Musical Leadership	p. 179
Encountering God in the Christian Year: Remembering the Whole Narrative	p. 205
Adding Style to the Worship Event	p. 219
Principles of Worship Style: Expressing Your Corporate Identity	p. 221
A More Excellent Way: Exploring Convergence	p. 243
Nurturing Hospitality at the Worship Event	p. 259
The Hospitable Worship Leader: Engaging Worshipers as Participants	p. 261
Ten Basic Steps in Designing Vital Worship	p. 273
Checklist for Designing Vital Worship	p. 274
Notes	p. 276
Index	p. 297
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.