Time: A test

I believe that you can see where a person puts their worth, by where they put their money and where they put their time.

We're being challenged as a church about how we plan and lead our Sunday services. Not so much what they're for but more about how we get there.

Currently a teaching series is decided upon by the LT. A Service Leader then brings together the required elements for the service and works with the Worship Leader to arrange their slots.

What we'd like to work on is how we take what we do for specials, like Christmas and Easter, where we work all of the elements together to a focused goal for each service, in to our weekly meetings.

One of the areas of challenge is that we think like Brits not Americans. It seems to me that in the US, Worship Pastors are not uncommon; UK churches as not very likely to have one on staff. Across most denominations the Priest/Vicar/Pastor controls what goes on. Another observational difference, especially noticeable in the larger US churches, is that Sunday services are a ministry in their own right, again, in the UK this is not very likely at all.

I guess this is why there is so much well thought out, creative and biblical material for services being produced in the US (and shipped around the world).

I'm really looking forward making this cultural shift but getting the amount of time invested right is going to be hard. Life is more like what Paul is talking about in Romans "I do want I don't want to and I don't do what I want to!"

A Christian example of this is prayer; we say our priority is to pray but we spend more time watching TV. It's an important point to note that what we often think of as our priorities, or want them to be, are often not (or is it just me?) That tension is only really relieved when God steps in and changes our Hearts and Minds.

I'm reminded of a scene from 'The Devil Wears Prada'. At the crux of a conversation on the crumbling state of their relationship, Andy's phone rings (the 'Devil' calling). What decision should Andy make? Does she keep fighting for her Job or her boyfriend? Those of you who know the film know she answers the phone may also remember the next line from Nate: "you're in a relationship with the person who's calls you take!" (paraphrase, I don't know it well enough to quote it!)


Back to that service planning.....I am very aware that what we do on a Sunday morning is just one part of what OG does. What the people in the church do. So I want to make sure that we don't spend a disproportionate amount of time working on it but enough to give it worth!