More than six months ago, FBC’s ministers were already thinking about t his Sunday’s worship service. The scope of the message and where it lands on our discipleship path was already being studied by the ministerial team. They were preparing their hearts to hear what God has in store for you. The contours of the music that would invite you to lay your burdens down at the door and enter holy ground were already taking shape. You have been on God’s mind all the while.
A worship service involves many movingparts. Naturally, we have grown to expectworship music and a sermon. However,groundwork must be laid in order forthese pieces to be implemented. Sheetmusic and licenses to perform that musicmust be acquired for preludes, musicalofferings, congregational singing, worshipsongs, and postludes. These are only thebeginning of the tasks tended in advance. Audio and video equipment must be working optimally on both sides of the church for our service to be received in the sanctuary and Morgan Hall, but also for our transmission to go out by streaming or on cable television—this includes servicing (or replacing) projectors and screens. Study materials must be procured for ministers’ preparations. The spaces in which we worship must be cleaned on a weekly basis. Flowers are brought in to place on the altar. Communion supplies must be kept in stock. The order of worship must be designed and ordered weekly for both services. Lights must be maintained. (Have you ever seen the light bulbs changed in the Sanctuary or the 32-foot ladder used to change the lights in Morgan Hall? Even the simple task of changing out bulbs becomes quite an interesting feat!) Air conditioning must be in good, working order (especially for these hot summer months) and heating must be turned on in the late fall to keep the chill away. Doors have to be opened and closed on time to ensure easy admission to the church buildings, but also to account for the safety of our congregation. This list is not exhaustive, but you can begin to see that a worship service does not simply materialize onSunday morning.
What, then, is your role in the creation of a worship service? Your primary role is to bring your full self into the worship experience ready to praise the Lord and to hear God’s Word for your life. You may also have a role in the service itself (as a member of the worship team or the technology team). Whether you are sitting in the congregation, performing on the stage, or working behind the scenes, each person who shows up for worship has a sustaining impact on that service and on every heart that is touched during a worship service. How? When we give to the regular budget at FBC Griffin, we become instrumental in sustaining and providing for worship to take place. In doing so, we can show up to the worship exerience with hearts and minds fully focused on the Lord. Thank you for supporting the regular budget at FBC.
This article originally appeared as a feature in the Your Giving in Action series. We invite you to read more articles in this series at Your Giving in Action. You can give to our regular budget online at fbcgriffin.org/give. You may also place your gift in the offering plate on Sunday morning, drop it by the church office, or mail it to: FBC Griffin, P.O. Box 908, Griffin, GA 30224.