Bringing new life to Sunday

services• Introductions

• Structure– What do we mean by creativity?

– The reading

– The typical service formula

– Why we need a more creative approach• Attention spans

• Learning styles

– Some examples

– Integrating with the prophetic

– Making it happen

– Issues

Creativity

• What is worship?

• What do we mean by creativity?

The Reading

• In groups brainstorm creative ways that

the reading could be delivered

The Formula

• Welcome

• The Sung Worship

• Liturgy

• Notices

• The Reading

• The Children’s Talk

• Prayers

• The Sermon

• The Altercall

Attention Spans

• Amusing ourselves to Death

• 12-minutes chunks

• 15 minute limits

Attention Spans

• Traditional lecture format - 15 to 20 minutes

Attention Spans

• “Most people can maintain an attention

span of eight minutes. Then the mind

begins to wander.”

http://researchmag.asu.edu/stories/grabsci

.html

Information Overlead

Attention Spans

• “They say that the

average American has

an attention span of

about 20 minutes, which

is decreasing every year.

With our decreasing

attention span comes a

decreasing ability to

retain what we have

learned.”

Honey and Mumford’s

Learning Styles

Suggested four learning styles:

•ACTIVIST: ‘I’ll try anything once’.

•REFLECTOR: ‘I need time to think about it’

•THEORIST: ‘If it’s logical it’s good’.

•PRAGMATIST: ‘If it works, it’s good’.

Activists

• Learns best from active involvement in the task, such as participating in business games and team competitions

• Philosophy - will try anything once

• Needs - experience, variety, excitement, activity and people

Reflectors• Learns best by reviewing upon what has happened, likes to

stand back and listen

• Philosophy - leave no stone unturned and be sure to look before leaping

• Needs - objective data, the chance to reflect, analyse and to reach their own conclusion

Theorists

• Learns best when new information can be linked to theoretical contexts, absorbs new ideas when they are distanced from real life

• Philosophy - if it’s logical then it must be good

• Needs - models and theories, complexity, perfection, rationality, objectivity and a clear understanding

Pragmatists

• Learns best when there is a link between new information and real life, such as case study and role play

• Philosophy - there is always a better way to do things

• Needs - the chance to experiment, new ideas and techniques, practical approaches and solutions to problems

Elsewhere• Mega churches in the US

• Emerging church (often radically different ways of doing church well beyond what we are considering here!)

Some Examples

• Advent

• God of Justice

• Risk

• Themed services

• Flatbread communion

• Song/poem: listen and discuss

Flash Paper

• Three tea lights

• Flash paper

• Write your confession on the paper

• Drop over the tea lights

• Learning: God doesn’t

remember these things

– they are gone

Write a Psalm

• Set some parameters:

– Thank God

– Ask God

– Praise God

– Questions for God

• Everyone writes a single line on post-its

• Read them one-by-one and have the response

“His love endures forever”

• Use the excerpts in future services as a call to

worship

External Resources

• EngageWorship.org – x200 worship Ideas

Some Practical Ideas• Groups discussing “our ideal church”

• Case studies including a spiritual or moral dilemma

• Stations of the Cross

• Exploring worship with other senses

• Bookclub style

• Prayer tent / contemplative space / poustinia

• Poetry

• Film clips

• Listen to a CD – contemporary/worship/taize

• Sources – the web, Google Images, You Tube, Nooma

• Using contemporary media/TV themes

Creating space for the Holy

Spirit• Creating space

• Responding to him

• The role of the prophetic in releasing creativity and vice versa

• Prophetic acts

• Using prophetic words in imagery

Practicalities

• A “creative team”

– Theme / Bible passage

– Content in terms of

children’s talk/game,

reading, prepared art,

film clips, special activities,

presentations, drama,

“testimony”, interviews, the preach itself

– Assign and delegate responsibilities

At the very least…..

• Break up your preaching into chunks

• Keep it short!

• Use visual aides

• Use Powerpoint / Media Shout etc

• Share the sermon

with someone else

• Ask questions

Issues

• The older generation often don’t like it – they are very happy with the ways its always been done

• Difficult to enable interaction in larger congregations

• One person monopolising activities

• Practical challenges like PA and seating

• Management and control

• Performance vs participation