Picture this: A pastor delivering his sermon while wearing an apron and a chef’s hat.
Behind him is a woman making chocolate chip cookie dough and a hot oven from which baking cookies emit their mouthwatering aroma.
It does not sound like a customary worship service. And yet it is exactly what transpired on Mother’s Day 2007 at Vaughn Forest Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association.
After the service, 1,600 chocolate chip cookies awaited the congregation.
The purpose of it all was an object lesson, using an everyday idea that would call to mind a biblical truth in years to come, noted Jonathan Green, Vaughn Forest Baptist’s worship pastor.
In this particular case, the worshipers may have come to associate chocolate chip cookies with Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
As teaching pastor Bryant Bush explained in the sermon, the flour or vanilla extract alone does not taste good. Nonetheless each works with other ingredients to create something delicious.
The same is true in the life of a Christian — events may happen that make no sense. But these things are working together toward a divine outcome, Bush continued.
Such is an example of planning worship, a movement in churches to coordinate the sermon, music, drama and other elements to create an indelible image for the congregation.
“We want to use … drama, music, audio and visual aids to enhance the message the pastor will be bringing,” said Deanna Buford, creative arts director and worship ministry assistant at NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville, in Birmingham Baptist Association.
Planning worship uses various means to emphasize the message of the pastor in an effort to connect with people on numerous levels so that they remember the biblical truth that was taught, she said.
Churches are seeing the importance of coordinating various elements in a worship service, according to Keith Hibbs, director of the office of worship leadership and church music with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
Planning worship does not have to be confined to contemporary services. No matter what the style of worship, “in-depth planning needs to happen,” Hibbs said.
He does, however, see the contemporary movement as a catalyst in that it has made churches more aware of the need to plan worship.
To be done effectively, though, several things should happen.
Planning ahead
One, for example, is knowing sermon topics well in advance. Buford’s team begins to work four to eight weeks ahead of time on different aspects of a worship service.
“You’ve got to have time to get it all together if you want it to be well done,” she said.
The second element is, well, planning.
Buford said her church’s planning worship team meets on a weekly basis.
A third element is encompassing laypeople in different ministry facets of the church, such as performing arts, video, music and the like.
The help of others is a very important component, Green said. “All these ideas, one person could not come up with … much less accomplish.”
With a team approach, though, church members make it happen by using their different gifts and following their passion.
“When they’re doing that, it’s not hard to get people to do something,” he said.
The results are encouraging, Green continued. Not only do more laypeople get involved in ministry but also congregants retain biblical truths better and have a new excitement about corporate worship.
He added that people want to go to church — and get there on time — so as not to miss anything.
To view “The Chocolate Chip Gospel” sermon, visit Vaughn Forest’s Web site at www.vfworship.com, click on “watch VF worship online” and select “5-13-07” in the video archive list.
For more information on planning worship, contact Hibbs at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 217.
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