Notes for the Leaders

- What are we aiming to achieve?

• Glorify God
• Develop gifts within the congregation
• Wider sharing of leadership
• Congregational participation
• Variety of content and style
• Balance between risk and quality
• Monthly communion

 

- How are we aiming to achieve it?

• Involve Housegroups
• Set up Teams to lead services
• Provide assistance to people preparing and leading services
• Provide feedback after services

 

- Organisation and structure

The Celebration Services will continue on the first Sunday of each month, and will continue to be planned and organised in the same way.

We will start again to celebrate communion on the third Sunday of each month, although these services will be somewhat different from those which were organised last year.

The evening services will all start at 6 pm, and we will plan for them all to finish around 7 pm. If people find this time inconvenient, please talk with Alan or Paul.

The fifth Sunday, when there is one, will be a joint service at Normandy.

This new structure is a temporary one, and the Elders will review it in the Autumn to see if it is working, if changes need to be made, or if it needs to be completely replaced by something different.

 

- Guidelines for Evening Services

We are aiming to achieve a healthy balance between continuity and variety. Most people will not come if it is the same every week and they get bored! They also will not come if it is totally different each week, and they do not know what to expect. The answer is to provide a reasonably consistent structure, and give the people leading it freedom to explore the ways in which God can use the different parts of the service.

Fundamentally, we want the evening services to be a place where people can come and expect to meet with God. We can meet with God in a variety of ways, and the emphasis can and should vary from week to week. But the basic desire needs to remain the same.

Each service will generally be the responsibility of a team of people, perhaps a Housegroup, or a group meeting specially to prepare for the service. You have been asked to prepare the service, but you are not alone!

• We - Alan and Paul - are always willing to help you prepare if requested.
• The Elders remain responsible for the proper conduct of worship at all services held at Westborough, so at least one Elder will always be present through the evening.
• If you want it, we will give you a list of people who are willing to play musical instruments in the service.
• If you want it, we will give you a list of people who are willing to share God’s word with the congregation, and who have the Elders’ blessing to do this. We are not planning to arrange outside preachers for the evening services, but if a good preacher is available and willing they will not be turned away.
• If it is a communion service, we will arrange for an authorised person to lead that part of the service. Please talk with them about your expectations for the service, and ask them if you want them to do anything more than simply preside at the communion!

 

- Minimum Content

We believe that each service should include as the absolute minimum the following features.

• Some time given to the worship of God through song and prayer. Remember we are allowed to sing hymns as well as choruses!
• Some time given to hearing and considering God’s Word. This does not have to be a formal sermon: there are many ways for people to hear and respond to God’s truth.
• The opportunity to give money to support God’s work at Westborough. Please present the offering at the front, and thank God for it. The amount may be small, but God treasures sacrificial giving no matter how much it is, and people need to see the church is grateful for everything people offer.

 

- Expected Content

In addition, we would normally expect each service to include the following features. Please include each of them unless God clearly leads you to do something different with the time.

• The opportunity for members of the congregation to share briefly what God has been doing for them, and any particular prayer needs they have at present. Provide a time for this so people will not feel the need to use the prayer times to share their news with the rest of the congregation.
• Some time given to prayer for the world outside Westborough, and for any particular events that have been in the news that need our prayer.
• Some time given to prayer for one another.

On a practical level, you will need to arrange the following.

• Someone at the door to greet people as they come in.
• Someone to lead the service.
• Some musicians, preferably a keyboard player and a guitarist.
• Someone to operate the OHP.
• Someone to share God’s Word.

Of course, people are allowed to do more than one job during a service, if you feel that is appropriate. While we want to offer something of high quality to God, we also need to be free to take risks. We are a family, and nobody will object to the occasional sincere mistake. We are allowed to do things that are less than perfect as long as they will be a blessing to God and the congregation.

 

- And Finally

We want the experience of involvement in an evening service to be one which helps people grow as people and in their faith. We therefore want to encourage the practice of helpful, specific feedback to enable people to learn from the way others respond to their contribution. Please let us know how this can be provided in the most helpful way.

And, finally, do enjoy the experience of leading the evening service. It is a tremendous privilege to be allowed to minister to God’s people in this way, so use and enjoy the opportunity! Many God bless you, and the rest of God’s people at Westborough, so we can all discover something more of His love and His wonderful plan for our lives.

 

Alan Ritchie and Paul Hazelden

May 1996

Response Sheet

(To be given to each member of the congregation.)

 

The United Reformed Church in Westborough Personal Response

You may find it helpful to write down your personal response to the service, to record what God said to you or did for you, or to record your response to Him.

 

 

You may wish to take this home with you, or to give it to one of the people leading the service so they can continue to pray for you.

You may wish to provide some feedback to the people leading the service, for their encouragement, and to help them understand what was happening during the service, what people found helpful and encouraging, or what people did not appreciate.

 

If you would appreciate further contact with someone from the church, for prayer or some other form of assistance, please give your name and address here.