In what ways can we most clearly experience these dimensions? How important are the horizontal (or communal) dimensions of worship?.Is worship-to use a traditional Reformed metaphor-a time of dialogue between God and his people? If so, in what way is God present with his people when they worship?.The concept involves, first of all, an idea about what corporate worship is: Most decisions about what song to sing, what sermon to preach, and what style of worship to choose flow out of this guiding concept, whether or not it is ever clearly articulated.

Well-grounded advice on this topic is readily available in Elizabeth Achtemeier’s recent monograph, So You're Looking for a New Preacher (Eerdmans, 1991).Īll congregations and all pastors bring to their worship life various assumptions, theological premises, and spoken or unspoken preferences regarding worship. Questions about preaching, although also of highest importance, will be treated only tangentially here. The following paragraphs suggest an outline for part of the dialogue between a search committee and a prospective pastor, focusing on three areas for discussion regarding worship. But, given the importance of corporate worship, questions related to worship must not be neglected. Evangelism, pastoral care, church education, and other pastoral tasks need to be addressed, as does the nature of the given pastor's and congregation's spiritual journey, their respective passions for ministry, and their strengths and weaknesses. Pastoral candidate interviews need to include discussion on a whole variety of topics, of course. One pastor recently reported participating in an interview for a position entitled 'Minister of Preaching and Worship' that included only one question about preaching and none about worship! Yet surprisingly, worship is often a neglected area of discussion between search committees and prospective pastors. All other aspects of the church's life are helped or hindered by what happens in worship.

It's the time when the church fulfills its important scriptural mandates of both proclamation and prayer, the time when members of the congregation meet with each other and with visitors. Corporate worship is central to the life of the church. Many of those conversations and decisions should have to do with worship. Decisions that search committees, church councils, congregations, and prospective pastors make together set the pattern for their ministry for years to come.

No pastor or congregation should take lightly the interview and search process that often precedes a call. How can you tell if a minister's ideas of worship and leadership will match those of the congregation? What if the pastor you call doesn't feel comfortable with the style of worship and ministry that is so integral to your congregation? Witvliet Tags: worship Article posted on November 1, 2010Īny congregation who has recently called a new pastor knows how complicated finding the right person can be. Vital questions to ask about worship before calling a minister. Talk Before You Call: Questions about Worship for search committees and pastors

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