©2002
Methodist Church in Ireland

'God is our audience'
The Project's Values

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the splendour of His holiness"
Psalm 29:2

The power, holiness, love and grace of God drive us to worship Him wholeheartedly, both as individuals and when we come together as churches. To worship is to take time to focus on God and on the blessings He gives us, and to respond in praise and thanksgiving. As we worship we have the privilege to join in a glorious tradition stretching back to the beginnings of humanity, a tradition we shall continue in Heaven.

Worship is an offering to God, but in His grace God grants that as we give to Him we may receive: receive inspiration, joy, encouragement, challenge, peace and a sense of closeness to the Godhead. As the prophet Micah discovered, God does not demand of us any particular kind of offering, but rather only a proper attitude. For each of us there are particular styles and activities which best lead us to that attitude of worship.

The Worship Development Project and Worship Development Leader seek to work alongside churches wishing to look afresh at their worship life and to seek God's guidance as to how it might develop. The Project will aim to resource a diversity of worship styles and to access all areas of worship. It will seek to facilitate a programme geared to the needs of the individual congregation, but it offers the following points as a general expression of its approach...

• Any change starts with prayer.
• As we worship, God is our audience - not the congregation. Any developments should spring from a desire to help people worship with a whole heart.
• In every church there are unused skills - perhaps skills in music, singing, worship leadership, public prayer, developing the skills of children and young people, presenting poetry, the creative arts and drama - which can be brought forth and used to glorify God.
• Development of worship life needs to be taken forward on the twin bases of respect for people's needs and backgrounds and of trust. A key part of worship development work is maintaining or restoring trust and affirming the role of those who already actively contribute to worship.
• As with any offering to God, in worship we seek to give of our best.
• Variety in worship helps keep our minds focussed, but often the most effective worship services, whilst offering variety, must present it in a co-ordinated way, with a common theme, in which each act in worship is integrated into the service.
• God may be worshipped in silence as well as in sound.
• The Project would want to seek to encourage collaboration in worship, where all those involved share a sense of unity and a common goal.
• In worship we do indeed come together in unity, and do not expect necessarily to receive from every activity and every service, but we continue nonetheless, because in doing so we celebrate the Lord's death until He comes.
• Change needs to be gentle, because even when a congregation is keen to change the unfamiliar can be confusing.
• Preparation and planning are key for all the participants in worship - including the congregation.