What Is the Role of Worship in Building Congregational Vitality?
As described in the book Love Worth Finding by Adrian Rogers, worship is what we do when we give our deepest affections and highest praise to something. It is what we do when we prize God above everything else and put him first in our hearts. Worship is the time when the people of God gather to be filled and inspired by the Holy Spirit so that we may go out into the world to serve. Theologian and author Louie Giglio says, “Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.”
The Office of Vital Congregations in the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the PC(USA) values seven marks that we believe spell vitality for churches. The seven marks are Lifelong Discipleship Formation, Intentional Authentic Evangelism, Outward Incarnational Focus, Empowering Servant Leadership, Spirit-Inspired Worship, Caring Relationships, and Ecclesial Health. All of these marks lead to the work the people of God must do in order to be faithful, relevant, and powerful in their communities.
Although it is not the first mark, Spirit-inspired worship (fifth mark) is a central indicator of faith that puts us in step with the movement of the Holy Spirit. Churches that bear this mark display the essence of congregational vitality. This mark functions as a nucleus to the other marks for service to God and to others. When the people of God gather to worship, they come prepared to give of themselves to worship the Lord. They come to worship the God who created, saves, and leads faithful people into mission and ministry in the world.
Worship is active. That means everyone who comes to worship is not going to a place, like one goes to the store, but is actively engaging in praising God, praying for people and circumstances, singing praises to God, and giving themselves fully, engaging with the Spirit as it moves in their hearts, minds, and spirits. This is what every individual should come to worship to do. The pastor comes to deliver the Word of God to the people, not to bring attention to herself. The musicians come to praise God through music. Everyone comes to actively worship God.
Worship is about giving ourselves to the worship and about receiving from God. In worship, we should have an encounter with the Lord. In inspired worship, we should expect to meet the Lord in unexpected ways. In inspired worship, we should be taught something new and refreshing. We should learn something new in Scripture or in the Word proclaimed. Spirit-inspired worship should be transformative. Spirit-inspired worship should change our hearts, minds, and ways of thinking and living. Spirit-inspired worship should transform us. Spirit-inspired worship should convict us. We should be convicted to love differently, more openly. We should be convicted to walk a different walk, talk a different talk, and live a life more devoted to life to God and others. In Spirit-inspired worship, we should never leave worship the same way we entered. If church worship seems stale or empty of meaning, we might want to consider finding a different place to worship. Why? Because when the Holy Spirit is moving, we are challenged and changed from the inside out. That is the working of the Holy Spirit. If our church is not Spirit-inspired, the Holy Spirit is not present in that place, and it is time to go where the Spirit of God is moving in and through people. I realize this may be upsetting to some, but if worship is devoid of the Spirit, there is no vitality.
Because coming to worship is one way to get our spiritual tanks filled, while people are there in the building is also a time to connect to other marks that pave the way to vital congregations. The first mark is lifelong discipleship formation. Congregations that display this mark work to build relationships with God and with one another. They share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone they encounter. Congregations that engage in lifelong discipleship formation share the good news through words, sometimes through deeds, and sometimes in the way they live their daily lives. Teaching people to become disciples of Christ is a lifelong venture. It begins when people enter into relationship with Christ and continues as they grow in Christ.
The fourth mark is empowering servant leadership. Congregations that live out this mark take note of everyone present and seek to encourage their God-given gifts and empower them to use those gifts to the glory of Almighty God. Empowering servant leaders means recognizing that all people are important, all voices matter, all individuals are encouraged, and everyone has something they can contribute to the body of Christ. All people who are willing to do so can serve and become leaders. Churches that engage this mark recognize that the work of the church belongs to everyone, not just a select few, and not to the pastor alone. Servant leaders take note of who is present and who is not. If someone is missing, they call. Members inquire about those people when they are absent. A servant leader might identify a pastoral need or a disgruntled member who needs to be heard. Congregations that empower servant leaders are vital.
The role of worship in building congregational vitality begins with the members who come on a regular basis—those who come to worship, those who empower servant leaders, and those who make disciples for life. These are all inward-focused exercises of worship and the ministry of the church. These vital marks are necessary to build character and strong service for the church. But worship should never remain for the congregation alone. Vitality in a church should also be outward-facing. Thus, the remaining four marks are more outward-focused and begin with the people in the church who are now prepared to go out and serve others.
The sixth mark is caring relationships. The role that worship has in building congregational vitality through this mark stems from people genuinely showing care for one another, loving one another as Christ first loved us. We are not to pass judgment on one another, but to care for one another. Congregations can do this by welcoming all who come to their church. These vital congregations take the time to hear the stories of those who enter and help them if needed. They give themselves the opportunity to show the light of Christ to the community so that the community may encounter the Lord through them. They recognize it is the duty of everyone in the church to be welcoming. They offer to sit with newcomers, or invite newcomers to sit with them. They introduce themselves to the stranger in their midst. They share stories with one another, seek common uncommon ground, and cherish that in one another.
Vital congregations live out the second and third marks by focusing on neighbors and the issues that those communities are facing. The second mark, intentional authentic evangelism, and the third mark, outward incarnational focus, are outward-facing foci that help worshiping communities reflect on neighbors and their needs. This is congregational vitality at its best. The work of making lifelong disciples, of nurturing and encouraging the congregation’s God-giftedness, can now be useful in helping their neighbors. The third mark, outward incarnational focus, is the church concerned about getting to know their neighbors, hearing their stories, and discovering who they are, exhibiting a faith that seeks to understand those who live nearby. Churches bearing this mark center their attention on the community, standing with the marginalized, those who are suffering, and those who need the light of Christ to show up for them. Vital congregations that bear mark two, intentional authentic evangelism, will not only build relationships with their neighbors but will also stand with them as they fight issues of injustice, oppression, and suffering.
The church’s discipleship awakens not only to the awareness of their neighbors, but also to the need to reach out and help, to be present, to walk alongside their neighbors. These vital congregations do not fear their neighbors because they know them. They build caring relationships of trust and extend help to the needy.
The role of worship in building congregational vitality thrives in churches that practice transparency across the board. Transparency means that everyone in the church knows the mission of the church, understands the church’s core values, and seeks to use their gifts and passions to fulfill the call. This is a characteristic of church vitality in the seventh mark, ecclesial health. Churches that bear this mark are transparent about their budgets. They know how money is spent. They know who the decision-makers are, and they know who the stakeholders are. These congregations have budgets that reflect what is important to them: their mission, their vision, and their values. Healthy churches take care of their pastors. They love them and support them. No one wants a burned-out pastor.
Congregational vitality lives in the Beloved Community of Christ. Vital churches worship together to learn to be disciples of God, to nurture and encourage God’s gifts within, to care deeply for themselves and neighbors, to share their common uncommon stories, to find common ground. Vitality thrives when churches build relationships with their neighbors and gets to know and trust them. They allow the Holy Spirit to lead them outward to share the good news of the gospel, to stand with newfound friends who have needs the church can meet. This could mean simply being present with the community or standing in solidarity with them. It also means that the church is clear about who they are and what they are called to do and be. The church body takes care to step up and do their part. Vital churches do not leave the work of the church to the pastor, staff, or leaders of the church. Everyone takes part. The work these vital congregations do aligns with their passions. They work in the areas they love and can contribute most.
The role of worship in building congregational vitality is an important part of any body of Christ. Congregants come to worship God, they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and they go out to serve the body of Christ. In the PC(USA), the Office of Vital Congregations offers churches an opportunity to enter a time of discernment and prayer using the seven marks of vitality. In doing so, the Holy Spirit may lead churches to discern anew the ways in which they respond to God’s call upon them. We invite all churches to seek vitality and be a part of this movement of God. Feel free to contact Veronica Cannon at Veronica.cannon@pcusa.org if you are interested to know more about the Vital Congregations Initiative. The Vital Congregations Initiative is a one-year program that meets monthly via Zoom. We train, resource, and walk alongside churches that seek vitality as they do the faithful work of prayer and discernment to build relationships within the church and in the communities they serve through mission and ministry.
