How we worship at Walnut Hill Church…
Welcome/Prayers of the people
Setting the tone for the morning is vital for our hearts and minds to be directed on the right things. Announcements about how people can participate in various ministry endeavors, needs that must be made public, and prayer concerns take up this time.
Greeting
We welcome one another into this worshiping community.
Call to Worship
Calling one another to worship directs the people to know that our focus now is on God. A call to worship can be spoken by an individual, as part of a responsive reading, or sung.
Opening Song
This is typically a song/hymn of adoration declaring the glory of God, exalting His majesty about all things.
Invocation
“The initial prayer of the service should invoke the presence of the Triune God in the name of Christ.” (Leading in Worship 22)
Invoking includes inviting God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to meet us here. This prayer involves stating some of each of the Godhead’s unique attributes.
Confession of Sin
As we see God in his holiness and splendor, we then see our own state; we are sinners in constant need of His grace. This is why we confess our sins both corporately and individually. This prayer is typically spoken, but may also be sung.
Silent Confession of Sin gives opportunity for each person to speak of specific things to the Lord seeking His forgiveness.
Assurance of Forgiveness is the announcement of our forgiveness in Christ alone. It is the Gospel proclaimed in its fullness.
Songs of praise
Because of the freedom from guilt and sin we have in Christ, we can with boldness approach the throne with resounding joy.
Pastoral Prayer
The pastoral prayer is the time to pray about spiritual concerns of the congregation. Certainly this includes any real physical needs members have, but the focus is to pray about the deeper things that may not be spoken. We pray for the Spirit to work in exposing our motives in the midst of relational breakdowns, for His empowerment to help us to obey Him in forgiving others, repenting, bringing the Gospel to the nations, etc.
God’s Tithes and our gifts
Bringing to the Lord His tithes and our offerings is a response to the goodness God has bestowed upon us in tangible ways by providing us with jobs and careers to meet our physical needs. The tithe (tenth) is what God established in the OT and Jesus assumed in the NT is to be given with joyful hearts. Offerings/Gifts are those things given above the tithe as the Lord leads.
Prayers for illumination
Prayer 1: For the people: We seek God’s Spirit to soften our hearts and open our ears to hear what he has for us.
Prayer 2: For the speaker: We ask God’s Spirit to use this weak vessel to communicate clearly the message taken from the Word.
Preaching of the Word
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It is holy, inspired, inerrant in its original communication. We feed on God’s Word for us so that we can be renewed in His grace and submit to the Holy Spirit’s work in and through us.
The Sacraments
We celebrate two sacraments, The Lord’s Supper and Baptism. The Lord’s Supper is enjoyed every 4-6 weeks and is for those who trust Christ alone for salvation. Baptism by pouring or sprinkling with water is applied to believers and their children claiming the Covenant promises of God.
Benediction
This blessing on the people, similar to the Invocation, is typically pronounced in the name of the Triune God. Typically it is a pronouncement from one of these passages of Scripture: 2 Cor. 13:14; Num. 6:24-26; Heb. 13:20-21.
*The Elders Rotate responsibilities in the service each week so that each has the privilege of leading in these areas.
*We are an intergenerational church. This is who God has made us to be. We intentionally include musical elements that are also intergenerational. Sometimes lead by piano and organ and at other times, by a team of vocalists and instrumentalists, our goal is to lead God’s people as worshipers.