Worship and Church Structure

“The concept of ministry is much more biblical than the idea of task, committee, job, or function. Unfortunately, we have organized many of our churches to fit the model of a corporation, and we expect excellence and efficiency from everyone. This secular language suggests that church involvement is merely doing work or performing a duty. We need to return to the biblical concept of ministry, recognizing the different callings people have in the body of Christ and releasing them to minister—not as efficient members of an institutional structure, but as members of a community of love. The church that cares about experiencing God in worship is a church that will seek to discern its people’s gifts and then set them free to do the work of the Lord in the context of God’s community, the church. Worship that grows out of such mutual ministry will not belong lonely to the clergy or be distant from the people. It will be a worship of the people and by the people.” (New Worship 81-82) CHURCH STRUCTURE

“Setting a time for worship, appropriating the Gospel, experiencing the church community, developing strong social relationships, and releasing members to their own ministries—these preconditions for worship renewal bring people to the full, conscious, and deliberate participation in worship.” (New Worship 82) CHURCH STRUCTURE

“music directors and worship leaders are caught within an organizational system in which a variety of desires and demands are pressed upon them.” (Marti 103) WORSHIP STRUCTURE

“Worship leaders are given broad, “visionary” imperatives without specific direction of how to fulfill them. Since lead pastors cannot expect the attendance of a congregation to further diversify overnight, the weight of evaluation comes in assessing the “sound” of the music. Mandated diversity through music coupled with unclear standards of assessment leaves worship pastors scrambling to clearly demonstrate diverse musical styles in a way that their lead pastors will recognize as legitimately diverse.” (Marti 104) CHURCH STRUCTURE

“Worship leaders emphasize the quality of the music; the lead pastor emphasize the connection and retention of people into the congregation as a recruiting and evangelizing mechanism.” (Marti 106) CHURCH STRUCTURE