Worship "Stations"

[DeanZF]

I got an email this morning from one of several lists to which I subscribe.



This came through WorshipIdeas.com, edited by Don Chapman.



Tell me what you think of the concept. Have you experienced such a thing? Do you think it would work with your congregation or not? Why? Inquiring minds and all that stuff.



DeanZF



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- WorshipIdea: Postmodern Stations

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A few weeks ago I talked about how Seacoast Church is doing the new postmodern stations thing [read "Postmodern Path" at my blogger site, link below.]



What's so new about Communion and prayer? Here's what: Seacoast's version is optional and interactive.



The modern service order is linear - announcements, music, offertory, sermon - insert whatever - all in a straight chronological line. Everyone is experiencing the same thing, together, simultaneously.



The postmodern mind is different. Think of a teenager listening to his iPod, doing homework and watching TRL [MTV's Total Request Live] all at the same time. This mindset can multitask, and in fact, would prefer to multitask. We live in an overstimulated age and a one-track mind can be boring.



While the Seacoast service is mainly linear, there is a portion that isn't. During this portion of the service, a person can choose to do one, none, some or all of the

following:



1. Participate in congregational singing.



2. Move to a station to receive Communion.



3. Move to a station to make an offering.



4. Move to a station and pray with leadership.



5. Move to a station, say a prayer and light a candle as a symbol of that prayer.



6. Move to a station, write a prayer concern [sin, healing, etc.] on a piece of paper and nail it to a cross.



Here's how the current service order looks:



>5 minute countdown video.

>2 upbeat worship songs.

>welcome, announcements.

>sermon.

>3-4 songs or hymns, during which you may participate in any or all of the 6 options above.

>benediction



Church. It's not just for sitting anymore.



See pics of the Seacoast Greenville stations at my new Flickr page:



<URL url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/worshipideas/sets/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/worshipideas/sets/



Postmodern Path blog entry:



<URL url="http://worshipideas.blogspot.com/2006/07/postmodern-path.html"><LINK_TEXT text="http://worshipideas.blogspot.com/2006/0 ... -path.html">http://worshipideas.blogspot.com/2006/07/p...odern-path.html</LINK_TEXT>