Enhancing our worship

Posted by Pastor Brown on April 23, 2009

We’re trying a few new things at Praise.  Hopefully some of the changes we’re making are received as enhancements to your worship experience and not a hindrance.  Please know that much thought and prayer has gone into these new efforts.  The following are a few items you may have noticed recently or will no doubt notice in the near future:

 

Worship cart – We are in the process of obtaining a worship cart for us to use during worship.  In the near future this cart will be conveniently available just behind the chairs as you enter the sanctuary area and will hold the following items:

• Prayer cards – a convenient way to submit your prayer requests to the pastors
• Envelopes – to use for offerings (for visitors or those who forget their regular offering envelops)
• Pencils/pens
• Visitor gifts – a way to welcome first time visitors.
• Busy bags – filled with items for young children during worship.
• Bibles – available for those who forget their own Bible.
• Yellow visitor information cards – collecting information not available on our friendship pads.

 

Kiddie Busy Bags – In March Allene Tew, a dedicated participant of the THUMBS group, fashioned a large number of bags for Praise.  This was, of course, before she went home to be with her Lord just a short time ago.  These bags will be a wonderful reminder of all the many ways in which Allene served God’s kingdom.  These bags, being filled by the THUMBS group, contain a variety of items to keep kids busy during the worship services.  If you have a child that would enjoy one of these “busy bags,” please see a Spiritual Care member during any service.  The bags are located in the back of the worship area for now, but will soon be located on the worship cart once it is built.

 

Friendship pads / visitor cards – Yellow visitor information cards are a good way for us to obtain a lot of information from folks that is not asked of them when filling out our red friendship pads.  We’ve already been using these yellow visitor information cards for the last month.  Please try and notice the people next to you who fill out one of these yellow cards.  It’s a good way for you to observe that someone is a visitor and needs a little extra special attention from our members.

 

Gifts for visitors – Thanks to our Outreach Board, who is working very hard to connect with those who are not yet members of Praise.  They have put together gift bags which are filled with our new church brochures, magnets that have a picture of our church, pens, and a Praise coffee mug.  Visitors can receive a gift bag either at the new Praise Welcome Center or when we distribute them before each service.  Looking for those carrying these gift bags is another great way to identify visitors so you can make a connection.

 

Bibles – We cannot stress enough the importance of centering our lives around Holy Scripture.  The Bible, God’s Word, needs to be an integral part of our everyday lives.  How much more then should it be a central part of our worship?!  Therefore, starting in June, we are encouraging our members to come to church with their Bibles in hand (we recommend New International Versions).  Also, we want to try and cut down a bit on the amount of paper we use in the bulletins.  Starting in June we will not print the Bible readings in the bulletin, but only show them on the overhead projector and read them directly from our Bibles.  Of course we want to provide Bibles for visitors and those who may occasionally forget their Bibles at home.  Bibles will be available on our new worship cart beginning in June.

 

Again, our purpose is to enhance your worship at Praise.  All of these new items have gone through Spiritual Care and the church council.  If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact one of your pastors or a Spiritual Care member.