Better Gatherings

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  • If you only read one thing…

    1. The Heart of the Matter

    As you prepare that service remember what is it is all for.

    You are creating an occasion for the gathered people of God to have ‘the word of Christ dwell in them richly’, as Paul would put it (Colossians 3:16).

    As it is an occasion in an Anglican church, it should try and express the heart of Anglican theology gleaned from the Book of Common Prayer, which remains our foundation. Take some time to reflect on how Ashley Null, the international expert on Thomas Cranmer’s theology, explains what our services should try to be. ‘So at last we have arrived at the heart of Anglican Theology. Divine gracious love, constantly communicated by the Holy Spirit in the regular repetition of Scripture’s promises though Word and Sacrament, is to inspire human love, drawing believers towards God and their fellow human beings in the pursuit of lifelong godliness’

    2. Go with the Flow

    What elements you put in the service and how the occasion will flow are both important. Ask yourself ‘what is this for?’ about  every item you put in as you plan. And then think about how you expect the people participating in the service to be going at each point of the service. (We need to avoid whatever it was that visiting church leader Mark Discoll was describing when he said in 2008 that services in Sydney were ‘clunky’ and ‘starting and stopping like Sydney traffic’!)

    Be careful about where and how you place disruptive elements like announcements and the children leaving for Sunday school.

    3. Basic Shapes

    Every service should have an appropriate beginning, middle and end. The simplest structure is to begin with focusing on God by praise and prayer, then go on to hearing him speak to us by the reading of the Scriptures and their exposition, followed by our appropriate response in prayer and song.

    If you have another shape, that is alright as long as it helps us to really do business with our God in the presence of our fellow believers. When we come together, we need to focus on God and put our distractions aside. The point of the gathering is of course more than just to enjoy the company of fellow Christians! 

    Ashley Null, ‘The Classical Anglican Understanding of Salvation and its Decay’. Unpublished paper from GAFCON Jerusalem 2008 p.11s

  • BaptismLite

    Baptism Service

    God is the creator of all things, and he gives to parents the work and joy of bringing children to birth and nurturing them. Yet, Jesus tells us, those who are born of human parents need to be born anew. ‘What is born of flesh,’ he says, ‘is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ And again he says, ‘Unless one is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

    Because of our sinfulness, God calls us to a new birth and life in union with himself. Baptism is the sign and seal of this new birth. Jesus commanded his disciples to preach the gospel to all nations and to baptize those who believe.

    They obeyed this command, and we read of Saint Peter preaching in these words, ‘Repent, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ In obedience to that same command we ourselves were baptised and now bring this child to baptism.

    Lord, our merciful God,
    you have promised in Christ to be our God
    and the God and Father of our children.
    Fulfil your promise to us,
    and for Jesus Christ’s sake
    receive these children as members of your family.
    Grant that they may receive the fullness of your grace
    and the washing away of all their sins,
    for without these blessings no one can enter your kingdom.
    May your Spirit live and work in them,
    that they may be yours forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Those who present themselves for baptism must declare their allegiance to Christ and their rejection of all that is evil. So I ask:
    Do you turn away from your sins, the Devil and all evil?
    I turn away from them all.
    Do you turn to Christ?
    I turn to Christ.
    You have come here to be baptised. You must now profess the faith into which you are to be baptised, as we all confess together:
    I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.
    I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
    who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
    born of the Virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried;
    he descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose from the dead;
    he ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
    from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting. Amen.
    I ask you now
    Do you profess this faith?
    I do.
    Will you follow Jesus faithfully, and obey his commands throughout your life?
    With his help, I intend to do so.

    N, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

    N, I sign you with the sign of the cross to show that you are marked as Christ’s own for ever.
    Live as a disciple of Christ:
    fight the good fight,
    finish the race,
    keep the faith.
    Confess Christ crucified,
    proclaim his resurrection,
    look for his coming in glory.

    God has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
    Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.
    God has called you into his Church.
    We therefore receive and welcome you
    as a member with us of the body of Christ,
    as a child of the one heavenly Father,
    and as an inheritor of the kingdom of God.

    Heavenly Father, we pray for the parents and godparents of these children.
    Give them the spirit of wisdom and love, that they may teach them by word and example to know you.
    Grant us in our homes the joy that comes from knowing you;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Click here to build your own version of a baptismal service

  • CommunionLite

    The Lord’s Supper

    When we share the cup of the Lord and break bread together, we express our common participation in the benefits of Jesus’ death for us. So we should examine ourselves before we eat the bread and drink the cup, confessing our sins to God, acknowledging the need to care for one another, and renewing our trust in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.

     

    Merciful Lord, we come here to your table
    trusting in your measureless grace and not in our own goodness.
    Even though we are not worthy to eat the crumbs under your table,
    you are always rich in mercy.
    Gracious Lord, enable us by faith
    to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ,
    and to drink his blood,
    so that we may be cleansed and forever dwell in him,
    and he is us. Amen.

    We thank you our heavenly Father that in your love and mercy
    you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save us.
    By this offering of himself once and for all time,
    Jesus made the perfect, complete sacrifice for the sins of the whole world,
    satisfying your just demands in full.
    Jesus commanded us to remember his death until his coming again.
    Hear us, merciful Father, and grant that we who eat and drink this bread and wine
    may remember his death and share in his body and blood.
    On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread in his hands.
    He gave you thanks and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples, saying,
    ‘Take and eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’
    In the same way after the meal, Jesus took the cup in his hands.
    He gave you thanks. Then he gave it to them, saying,
    ‘Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant,
    which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
    Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ Amen.

    Distribution of Bread and Wine

    Father, as we have received these gifts of bread and wine,
    you have fed us with the spiritual food of the body and blood
    of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
    Thank you for assuring us of your goodness and love,
    and that we are members of his body.
    Renew us by your Holy Spirit,
    unite us in the body of your Son,
    and bring us with all your people
    into the joy of your eternal kingdom;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord.

     

    Click here to build your own version of this

  • ServiceBuilder Help

    This page explains how to use the pre-defined Templates in ServiceBuilder. For information about how to create your own templates, please click here.

    • Start Servicebuilder
    • Select one of the pre-defined templates. There are three different types of templates

      Regular Services
      Occasional Services (like weddings, baptisms and funerals)
      Seasonal Services (like Christmas and Easter)

    • Select a service from one of the three drop-down lists.

    • Enter the Date of the service and press the “Next” buttton. Your selected template will now display on screen. For example, if you choose the “Morning Prayer” template, you will see something like this.

      MORNING PRAYER

      (AAPB p.18)

      Welcome
      Opening Hymn Song:
      If the Song is not in the list, please enter it in the box below
      introduction You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

      Revelation 4:11

    • The template above contains
      a text area (so that you can write your own welcome),
      a drop-down list (so that you can select the song)
      a rubric (instruction to the user) with a second text area for entering a song not on the default list, and
      static text (the text of Rev 4:11).

      To use the template, fill in the text areas and select an item from the drop down lists.

    • Once this process is complete, Click the “Build Service” button
      .

  • ServiceBuilder QuickStart

    ServiceBuilder is a tool that helps create God-honouring, meaningful and biblical gatherings. It allows you to arrange ‘resources’ (like confessions, creeds and prayers) into services that glorify God and edify the church.

    You can use predefined ‘templates’, or you can adapt the standard templates to create your own. Once you have built your service on-line, the service can be saved in MS Word format, ready for use in church.

    ServiceBuilder can output a “Detailed” and a “Summary” version of your service. The summary version might be useful (for exmaple) as the version that you provide to the congregation, which would contain only the congregational responses. The detailed version would be the version used by the service leader.

    Click here to start ServiceBuilder

    Click here for help to get started

    Click here for help to create your own templates

     

  • Sample Outlines for Contemporary Churches

    Please read Practical Guidelines for the principles involved in the process of planning good services and consult Resources, specifically Services of the Word, for a range of prayers, praises and confessions of faith you can add to your service outline. Note also that there are Contemporary Service Templates in ServiceBuilder that allow you to collect and arrange resources on a variety of structures.

    Here we simply offer some sample outlines that you could copy or use as a guide for constructing your own order. Local practices such as children’s talks, notices and times of informal fellowship would need to be added where appropriate.

    1 Contemporary Order 1
    2 Contemporary Order 2
    3 Contemporary Order 3

  • Contemporary Order 3

    Preparation to hear God’s word, with praise and prayer

    A song of praise followed by a song focussing on the reason for gathering together.

    A prayer for careful attention to the reading and teaching of the Bible:
    Thank you Father for making yourself known to us, showing us the way of salvation through faith in your Son. We ask you now to teach us through your word, so that we may be ready to serve you, for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

    Listening to the Bible being read and taught
    A song may be sung between the Bible readings or a portion of one of the Psalms said together, to enable a response to the first reading.

    Extended time of ministry in response to the reading and teaching of Scripture, involving prayer, praise and confession

    Depending on the message preached, it may be appropriate to have several songs on the theme, leading into a time of prayer about the message.

    Another alternative might be to have a time of questions to the preacher or discussion about the sermon in small groups, followed by prayer about the topic.

    Another alternative might be to call people to repentance and rededication of their lives to God, using this or another form of confession:
    Most merciful God,
    we humbly admit that we need your help.
    We confess that we have wandered from your way:
    we have done wrong, and we have failed to do what is right.
    You alone can save us.
    Have mercy on us:
    wipe out our sins and teach us to forgive others.
    Bring forth in us the fruit of the Spirit
    that we may live as disciples of Christ.
    This we ask in the name of Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

    If there is a confession of sins, it should be followed by some words of assurance from Scripture or a declaration like this:

    Our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ gave himself for us
    to redeem us from all wickedness
    and to purify for himself are people that are his very own,
    eager to do what is good.
    Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

    A song of praise for our salvation in Christ should follow.

    A time of general intercession might conclude with the Lord’s Prayer or the following:
    Lord Jesus Christ,
    send us out with confidence in your word,
    to tell the world of your saving acts,
    and bring glory to your name. Amen.

    Concluding song

  • Contemporary Order 2

    Praise and thanksgiving, with a prayer in preparation for hearing God’s word

    Several songs may be linked together by appropriate comments, biblical verses or prayers from the leader. The aim is to focus attention on God’s character and his will for us, preparing us to engage with him through the ministry of his word.

    This thanksgiving or a suitable alternative may be said by the leader alone or by everyone together:

    Almighty God, creator and redeemer,
    we praise you for the beauty of the world around us,
    and for every gift we enjoy.
    Thank you for creating us
    to know you, to love you and to obey you.
    Most of all we praise you
    for your amazing love
    in sending your Son,
    to restore your world,
    by dying for us
    and rising to give us new life.
    Accept our praise and thanksgiving,
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    The Bible warns us, ‘Today if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts’ (Ps. 95:7). Lets pray that, as Scripture is read and its meaning is explained, our hearts would be softened and we would respond with faith and obedience:

    Heavenly Father, give us faith to receive your word, understanding to know what it means, and the will to put it into practice; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Listening to the Bible being read, with a sermon either before or after a confession of faith

    A song may be sung between the Bible readings or a portion of one of the Psalms said together, to enable a response to the first reading.

    Another song or a confession of faith provides a means of responding to the sermon.

    Confession of sin and assurance of forgiveness, followed by the Lord’s Prayer, further petitions and thanksgiving

    A call to confession:
    God’s kindness should lead us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Knowing his love and mercy in Jesus Christ, we need to confess our sins, seek his forgiveness, and ask for the renewing power of his Spirit in our lives (especially through the ministry of the word we have been challenged about . . .). Lets bring those concerns to God now as we pray together:

    Heavenly Father,
    you have loved us with an everlasting love,
    but we have gone our own way,
    and rejected your will for our lives.
    We are sorry for our sins and turn away from them.
    For the sake of your Son who died for us,
    forgive us, cleanse us, and change us.
    By your Holy Spirit, enable us to live for you,
    and to please you in every way;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Assurance of forgiveness:
    God pardons those who humbly repent and truly believe the gospel. Since Jesus died for us, we have peace with God, to whom be praise and honour for ever. Amen.

    The Lord’s Prayer introduces prayer and thanksgiving for various topics.

    This concluding prayer could be used as a form of re-dedication:

    Loving God, we thank you for hearing our prayers,
    feeding us with your word,
    and encouraging us in our meeting together.
    Take us and use us
    to love and serve you, and all people,
    in the power of your Spirit
    and in the name of your Son,
    Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    A final song picks up again the main emphases of the teaching given in the meeting.

  • Contemporary Order 1

    Preparation to hear God’s word, with a confession of sin, assurance of forgiveness, and praise

    A song of praise to God as Creator and Redeemer is sung, or a song reminding everyone of the reason for gathering together.

    Introduction:
    We can approach God with our prayers and praises because the Lord Jesus has opened the way for us in his death and resurrection. We do so, however, as those who continue to sin, and need to seek God’s forgiveness and help to serve him more faithfully. So, in the words of Hebrews 4:16, ‘Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help us in our time of need.’

    Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
    you are merciful and kind,
    but we have gone our own way,
    not loving you as we ought,
    nor loving our neighbours as ourselves.
    We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed
    and in what we have failed to do.
    We deserve your condemnation.
    Father, forgive us.
    Help us to love you and our neighbour,
    and to live for your honour and glory;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Assurance of forgiveness:
    God is slow to anger and full of compassion. He forgives all who humbly repent and trust in his Son as Saviour and Lord. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

    A song of praise, thanking God for the Lord Jesus and his saving work.

    Listening to the Bible being read, and responding with praise and a confession of faith

    As we come to hear the Bible read and taught, lets ask God to give us understanding and the will to obey him:

    We thank you, heavenly Father, for inspiring all Scripture by the Holy Spirit. Help us by your Spirit so to hear your holy word that we might be equipped for every good work, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    The Bible is read and taught. Perhaps a time of discussion and prayer could follow, based on the sermon.

    A song reinforcing the message of the sermon is sung and/or a creed is said together, to affirm our common faith in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

    Prayer and thanksgiving. Intercessions may begin or end with the Lord’s Prayer together.

    This responsive form of thanksgiving may be used:

    Gracious and generous God,
    thank you for providing all our needs.
    Make us truly grateful, Lord.
    For families and friends,
    we give you thanks.
    For enjoyment of all that is good,
    we give you thanks.
    For the love of Jesus our Saviour,
    we give you thanks.
    For his life poured out in sacrifice for us,
    we give you thanks.

    Other thanksgivings may be added here.

    Lord, keep us mindful of those in need,
    that as we pray for them,
    we may be generous to them,
    as you are to us.
    We ask this in the name of Jesus,
    who alone gives us life eternal. Amen.

    A concluding song encourages appropriate responses to the teaching conveyed in the service.

    Click here to use this template in ServiceBuilder

     

  • Copyright Information

    The original material on this website and texts quoted from Sunday Services (2001) are copyright. However, permission is given for reproduction, provided no commercial advantage is obtained. Notice of copyright must appear on any document reproducing such material as follows:
    © 2009 by The Archbishop of Sydney’s Liturgical Panel. Used by Permission.

    Material from An Australian Prayer Book (1978) copied from this website must be acknowledged as follows:
    © 1978 by The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation.

    Material from a Prayer Book for Australia (1995) copied from this website must be acknowledged as follows:
    © 1995 by The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. All rights reserved.

    Material from Common Worship (2000) copied from this website must be acknowledged as follows:
    © Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000, http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commonworship/). All rights reserved.

    Material from New Patterns for Worship (2002) copied from this website must be acknowledged as follows:
    © New Patterns for Worship (2002). All rights reserved.

    Most of the quotations from Scripture on this website are from the New International Version. The NIV text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of 500 verses, without express permission of the Publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for 25 per cent or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted.

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