Worship on Purpose

As we grow in faith, we find ourselves wanting to go deeper in worship.  Worship on Purpose invites us to do just that. Offered every spring, people desiring to go deeper in worship gather on Sunday evenings to explore ways to make Sunday morning worship really matter in their lives, as well as how that worship might affect their everyday lives.

The Study

Each week we look at a different aspect of corporate worship.  Here's an overview:

• Introduction. Worship on Purpose is about that part of the week when we join our family and friends in a specific place to worship God. In this study, we'll be exploring the purpose of worship and how we can more fully engage in it. We'll also be looking at how we can be more intentional -- purposeful -- about our worship. Worship doesn't happen accidentally. Worship on Purpose.
• Talking about Worship. When we talk about worship as a community, there are many things we can say that are true. But how do they point us to God and a biblical view of worship that offers us a point of application? In this session, we'll begin a conversation about the ways we talk about worship, and how we might view corporate worship in a fuller way.
• Yes and No. When Sunday morning arrives, we come together to say "yes" to God. "Yes" to God using us. "Yes" to God's presence. "Yes" to God's worth. Yet, even as we are saying "yes" to some things, we are also saying "no" to other things. In this session, we'll explore how worship helps us get our priorities straight.
• Worship for All of God. Our picture of the God we worship is so often influenced by happenstance, rather than by sacred scripture. In this session, we'll look at how worshipping our Triune God -- Father, Son, and Spirit -- opens us to a fuller perspective on God's work in us, and God's work in the world. We'll also engage in the Holy Spirit's work in worship, and what that means for us as worshippers.
• Talking Back. Worship is modeled for us throughout scripture, and in many ways, worship is a conversation. However, we often get stuck on one part of that conversation, and fail to find our place in the fullness of the dialogue. In this session, we'll delve more deeply into the dialogue of worship, and look at the elements of that dialogue that make our worship biblical and distinctly Christian.
• More Than the Day After Yesterday. Worship is more than just showing up for the right now; it is remembering what the Creator has done, and what we pray will come in the future. In this session, we'll open ourselves to memory and anticipation in worship, and talk about how we as worshippers celebrate the connection between testimony and petition. We'll also look at how we might re-orient our personal calendars to better engage with the gospel of Christ.
• The Gift and the Giver. How do we show up for worship? What is our emotion, or disposition when we approach the sanctuary to worship our Redeemer? In this session, we'll experience the biblical models for worship as found in the parables and the Psalms.
• Growing into Faith. As followers of Christ, worship does something to us. During our time together as a community, we offer each other -- and God -- words to grow into. As we sing and read and pray, how can we be intentional about giving people's faith the language that will carry them through the ups and downs of life. In this session, we'll look at worship as formative for the Christian.
• Come Together. What if we took God seriously when we heard the invitation for all people to come together and worship God? What could a church that puts priority on all ages and tastes worshipping together look like? How can we make worship a place that all people, no matter their age, family type, gender, or status feel at home in? In this session, we'll share ideas on reaffirming multi-generational worship as a priority of the Church.
• What's the Point? Prayer and scripture in worship are two of the most universal components of Christian worship. In many ways, they jump-start our conversation with God in the hour we join together each week. In this session, we'll talk about how prayer and scripture might be renewed in worship, as well as distinctions between personal and public prayer.
• Humming Along. The church father Augustine is quoted as saying, "Singing is praying twice." Music has always been a large and foundational part of worship, and when Christians gather around the world, song is often a part of that assembly. With all the musical options and expressions out there, how might our perspectives need to change about the music of our faith. In this session, we'll look at ways to have conversations about music in worship that go beyond like or dislike.
• That's a Wrap. Looking back over these sessions, what has God done in us? What should we do with our new perspective? In this session, we'll recap Worship on Purpose and talk about next steps in our calling as worshippers. 

Get Involved

For more information, or to sign up for Worship on Purpose, contact the pastor of music & worship, John Woods.