If you have never attended a worship session in a Christian church, you probably have some reservations about what to expect. This guide will lead you through some of the most typical aspects you might encounter. Remember that every church is unique. Even within the same denomination, customs and practices vary greatly.
How Long Is a Typical Worship Service?
The average length of a church service is between one and two hours. Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Saturday evening worship services are common in many congregations. Calling ahead to confirm service times is a smart idea.
Praise
A period of praise and the singing of worship songs usually opens worship services. While some churches begin with one or two songs, others hold an hour-long service of worship. For the majority of churches, twenty to thirty minutes is common. A choral arrangement, a specific song by a soloist or guest performer, or both, may be performed during this period.
By concentrating on God, praise and worship serve to elevate him. Worshipers express their love, thanks, and appreciation for everything God has accomplished. When we worship the Lord, we turn our attention away from our personal issues. We are lifted up and given encouragement when we acknowledge God’s greatness.
Greeting
Worshipers are invited to meet and greet one another during the greeting. In some churches, there is a lengthy period of greeting during which members mingle and converse. Usually, this is just a quick opportunity to say hello to those closest to you. New guests are frequently welcomed during the welcoming.
Offering
Most religious services feature an opportunity for offering-taking. Another custom that varies greatly from church to church is the acceptance of gifts, tithes, and offerings.
Some churches invite you to bring your gift forward to the altar as an act of worship, while others pass around a “offering plate” or “offering basket.” Others still do not mention the offering, allowing participants to make their gifts and donations in secret and in private. The location of the offering boxes is typically described in writing.
Communion
While some churches offer Communion every Sunday, others only do so on specific days of the year. The Lord’s Table, also known as communion, is typically observed right before, right after, or during the sermon. Communion is served during praise and worship in several denominations. Churches without a set liturgy frequently change the time for Communion.
As a church, we intentionally consider what we do and how we conduct ourselves throughout services. We must be intentional and prepared if we want to make space for the Holy Spirit to move. Each and every one of our services over the weekend, held in any of our “rooms” around the world, is intentional about the four pillars that make up a Sunday service.
1. Worship
Usually, praise and worship last for around 20 minutes. We often sing four songs, which we choose on purpose. We begin with an energetic and passionate praise song to get people’s attention, and we end with a powerful, faith-inspiring worship song.
The songs you pick shouldn’t just be four catchy tunes; they should take the audience on a journey as soon as they enter the theatre, perhaps after a particularly trying week, so they can focus entirely on Jesus.
Establish a culture of excellence in worship. Making sure you and your team improve a little bit each week is more important than perfect performance. Step onto the platform with purpose; you’re not there to perform or to look good; you’re there to help.
2. Emcee
In this section of the service, we carry out a few tasks.
With our prayer requests and joyful congregational praise reports, we leave the worship service. This is crucial because it gives us the chance to both praise God for what He has done in our life and to pray for people’s actual needs.
We allow time during the service for the congregation to mingle with individuals sitting next to them, friends who are nearby, and new visitors who are attending for the first time.
We then get our weekly tithes and offerings to continue our worship. Around the offering, one of our team members will give a Bible passage and words of encouragement. This is a chance to share God’s message and promise about living a life of generosity and sowing; it is not about pleading with or pressuring others into giving.
Have fun at this part of the service! In the end, it’s a chance to have a lighthearted conversation with the congregation, inform them of upcoming events, welcome guests, and make them feel at home.
3. Message
We might sing a worship hymn before the Word is spoken, then stand to honor the person who will be delivering the message during that service.
When presenting the preacher, the emcee should make sure to position the preacher for success by raising anticipation as you do so.
The message should always be applicable and helpful. Our sermons should be appropriate to people’s lives throughout the week, as Pastor Brian mentions in his discussion about ministering to people’s Mondays rather than simply their Sundays.
Verify the preaching’s biblical foundation. It’s more important to share a message from God than it is to tell humorous jokes or use clever analogies.
4. Ministry
The culmination of the service toward which everything has been working is this. We are extremely deliberate about allowing the Holy Spirit to act during these final moments of a service and keeping this segment open to what God wants to do.
Other times, we could pray for various circumstances (such as healing or a breakthrough) and speak over people’s life. Sometimes, it might be a hymn of worship to affirm and reinforce the message.
As a church, we always extend an invitation to anybody in attendance to decide to commit their life to following Jesus. The emcee or the preacher may issue this invitation, and we will all recite a prayer aloud as a congregation.
The emcee will pray a blessing over attendees as the service comes to a close, and if there is time, we always like to end with a praise song (or two!).
Every Sunday service undergoes extensive purposeful planning, with the team working carefully throughout the week and weekend to make sure that each session offers a chance for the Holy Spirit to move, for God to be exalted, and for people to encounter Jesus.
