Here are ten practical ideas on the life of worship in a Whole Church.
Plan a time to teach the Whole Church about the purposes of worship (bowing and serving), but do so only after you have delved into and been inspired by the Scriptural texts that form the background.
Make worship planning a group process; bring truly creative thought into the process.
Make sure the person doing the sermon or message is integral to the worship planning process.
Review the responses and comments from people in the church with the worship planning team. Don’t take flattery too seriously, and don’t get blown out of the water by scathing criticism. But look for the kernel of truth in every critique.
Ask all worship participants to prepare carefully because they are stepping into a divine action.
Listen to the questions and responses of different kinds of people (age, gender, race and ethnic background, spiritual maturity). Ask people for specifics. Watch for those subjects which cut across the lines of the Whole Church.
Expect worship leaders to serve God to the best of their ability, while not being limited to any artificial definition of excellence.
Take the effort to find worship songs that a) are singable, and b) have real content.
If there is special lighting in the worship space, use it to bring all worshipers together. Don’t be enslaved to stage-lighting standards which intentionally isolate performers from audience.
Break down barriers between worship leaders and the congregation. Teach that God is the audience, and all worshipers (leaders and congregation) are before God in the act of worship.