How would you lead a service?

Anonymous

Posted: 12.03.2005, 12:57

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Hi, I've recently become an elder and fairly regularly have to lead services. I haven't quite figured out what the best way of doing this is. So a couple of questions for you:

- What suggestions would you give about style and content for leading a service?

- What annoys you about services that you go to? What do you like, or wish there was more of?

You can type in the satisfaction that your suggestions will affect a little corner of the church in Scotland :)

Cheers,
DavidB

andy

Posted: 18.03.2005, 15:17

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What I like about one guy who does it at our church is that somehow his humility comes across - he presents thoughts that might be useful to you, but managed to remove himself from the equation. Probably a difficult thing to emulate.

andy

Posted: 18.03.2005, 15:18

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There are non-annoying ways of explaining songs, by talking about why we sing a particular line or song - how it relates to the theme of the service, or just what it means in plainer language.

How has it gone? Have you done any yet?

Wave

Posted: 21.03.2005, 14:56

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Personally I like real examples, ones I can relate to.
Maybe it is because when I was younger I used to love being read stories.
I also like things to keep my attention, such as visual slides or interaction or something other than speaking. It is also noticeable that I was read stories usually to help me go to sleep when I was younger. It still works now, only I do the reading!

davidb

Posted: 22.03.2005, 14:31

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Thanks for these suggestions, guys - keep them coming. I led the other week, and it wasn't too bad; my laptop presentation wouldn't work, which was embarrassing, but I don't think anybody noticed!

andy

Posted: 23.03.2005, 10:49

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I used our new projector last Sunday. A couple of disasters, but then we got it working ok.

Midge

Posted: 23.03.2005, 20:21

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>I don't think anybody noticed
How could they not notice?

How much of the services you're leading do you have control over? Basically everything - the sermon, the music etc? One question I have is how to make services friendly to 'outsiders' but also to regulars. A friend of mine managed to persuade her parents to join her at church once, but everyone was expected to get involved in simulating the parting of the Red Sea, and her parents refused to get involved, and just sat there. Apparently at a leaders' meeting afterwards, someone expressed surprise that there was a couple who just sat and didn't get involved. They don't seem very 'non-Christian friendly'.

Anonymous

Posted: 24.03.2005, 10:45

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> How could they not notice?

I hadn't told anyone that I was going to use the laptop - I just tried to get it to work before the service and failed, so then did the section (it was the prayer time) in a way that I was literally ad libbing - but nobody noticed. In fact, several people congratulated me on that part of the service. Perhaps this is God telling me that he works best through ill-preparedness after all... ;)

> How much of the services you're leading do you have control over?

Choosing the songs, how to introduce things, prayer time etc. If I'm leading (about once a month), the sermon is done by someone else. But I occasionally get asked to give a sermon.

That balance between outsiders and regulars is really tricky. I try to avoid blatant jargon, but still we're talking about something which a lot of outsiders have very little exposure to.