Rainey Prays on Some Days

I'm reading the Daily Office Lectionary readings, a series of daily Bible readings in The Book of Common Prayer , this Advent, and am thinking I'll use it along with the Lectionary next year for my devotional readings. But I felt that I just received a warning in Isaiah 29:13, “their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote.” It seems that churches that use the Lectionary for the Scripture readings in their worship services and use a catechism to teach their confirmees are particularly prone to this rote kind of worship where the heart is detached. This was what Isaiah warns against. I have often thought that Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism , with all of their emphases on the Word, would benefit from using the Lectionary since I have observed that the amount of Scripture read in our worship services is quite paltry compared to Roman Catholic masses, for example. Since they use the lectionary, each mass will have a psalm, Old Testament reading, New Testament ep...

The General Idea For a special Thanksgiving service, set up flipchart stations around the sanctuary. Have a slide projected that instructs parishioners as they enter the sanctuary to think of something or someone they are thankful for and why they are thankful. They should then go write it on a flipchart.   During the service, these will be read. Materials Needed ·   Flipchart stands ·   Flipchart pages ·   Flipchart markers Set Up Set up several “Thanksgiving” stations around the sanctuary with a flipchart stands where people can write on a blank flipchart page. You might want to write something like “I am thankful for . . .” at the top of the page. Also, prior to the service, assign one person per station to monitor the station, make sure the flipchart pages are collected, and that person can then share the responses for their station later during the service. Instructions Either in the five minutes leading up to the service or during a ...

I recently taught through the book, The Prodigal God , by Tim Keller. When teaching chapter five on The True Elder Brother (“My son, everything I have is yours”), I opened by playing the song " Highway Patrolman " by Bruce Springsteen.  The song is about an older brother who is a highway patrolman that frequently bails his younger brother Frankie out of trouble. The song portrays well a moral older brother with a wild living younger brother, expressed with the chorus: Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good The older brother believes it is a moral obligation to look after family members in a way the elder brother in the biblical story does not, pointing out the need for a "true elder brother" tha...

The General Idea “99-seconds” is a special type of presentation format that features several speakers (usually 10 or more). Each speaker shares a brisk, self-contained testimony or informational presentation that lasts for up to 99 seconds. A 99-second timer will be counting from 99 to 0 on a screen behind the speakers. Set Up and Preparation Must be able to display a timer on a large screen. (The 99-second timer is available for free from http://www.thiagi.com/  or you may use some other software timer). Instructions When providing a special occasion for about 10 or more people in the congregation to speak, have a 99-second timer counting down to zero on the screen behind the speaker. This keeps the person from going too long and provides a fast-paced, energized series of presentations. Tips for This Activity (Organizer) Topics to consider for using this format: Congregational testimonies of God’s work. Missionaries at a missions convention or denominational eve...

       The Bergen Record recently reported another skirmish between a Korean church and a Bergen County community.   This time, it happened in Norwood .   If memory serves me correctly, it has also happened in recent years in Cliffside Park , Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, and Little Ferry.   It usually happens this way: the Korean congregation finds a property or an existing building in a community.   They make plans to convert or expand the property into a church building.   They submit plans to the borough, who then rejects the proposal, suggesting the proposed facility will “negatively affect the character of the borough” ( Norwood ), cause traffic problems, or some other reason.   In response, the Korean congregation cries “racism,” files a lawsuit, and off to court they go.   I personally think this issue is much deeper than one of anti-Korean sentiment.   As one who pastored a church that tried to find a suitable mee...

The General Idea This activity allows participants to share something unique or interesting they have done and lets them see if other people have done the same thing.  Materials Needed 3x5 cards Pens or pencils Instructions   Have participants write on a 3x5 index card, “Have you ever . . . “   Have each person think of something unique or interesting that they have done and have them write it on the card (e.g. “Have you ever . . . been on a trip to Bulgaria?” or . . . met [Famous Person]?”). It should be something they think few people have ever had a chance to do. Collect all of the cards and draw them out and read them one at a time. The person who wrote on the card and anyone else who has done what is listed on the card “confesses” by standing up. This gives people an opportunity to connect with each other who have had similar life experiences and allows people who have done some interesting things in life to share them.

The General Idea On weeks that the congregation has a communion service, the people in the congregation should also share meals together in each other’s homes following the worship service as an practical extension of the fellowship symbolized during Communion. Set Up and Instructions A coordinator can be assigned to oversee and organize the congregation with the various people who will host the meals. All people who attend the worship service should have an opportunity to participate. Thus the primary role of the coordinator is to ensure that this happens. The church might also consider using board members, elders, or ministry leaders to be the hosts initially. If the church has small groups, one of the monthly meetings could be held on Communion Sunday with an emphasis on sharing meals that week.

The General Idea A group of people can meet at a local nature center or wooded trail to have a “prayer hike” through the woods. This can be done as an alternate Sunday School class, midweek activity, or as a special alternate worship activity. Materials Needed --A well-marked, one-half to one-mile circular wooded trail --Group leader --Transportation to and from prayer location Set Up The leader should walk the course ahead of time to get a sense of the elapsed time of the prayer hike and plan stopping points for prayer. Instructions While walking the trail, the leader should select stopping points with various scripture and prayer themes. Tips for this Activity --Some stopping points can be focused on praying all together. Others can be focused on individual activities such as personal prayer, journaling, or making observations about nature. --Select different people to lead in prayer at each stopping point. --Incorporate silence or listening into an activity.

The General Idea At the end of a sermon or teaching, ask participants to complete the following three statements on a 3x5 card:  I will start … I will continue … I will stop ...   Figure: Sample 3x5 Start, Stop, and Continue Card Set Up and Preparation Distribute 3x5 cards and pens/pencils prior to the activity. Instructions Ask each person to write something they should start doing as a result of the sermon; what they will continue doing because it was affirmed in the sermon; and what they will stop doing as a result of the sermon. Then have a time of prayer about the things written on the card. Variations on This Activity Participants can share their start, stop, and continue phrases with a partner, in threes, or small group, and then pray together. Instead of start, stop, and continue, you can have participants respond to the statement: “One thing I can do this week in response to this sermon is . . . “ Participants can bring the...

The General Idea Instead of a pastor or worship leader praying, rotate people to pray publicly in the services each week to increase the level of participation in the worship services. Set Up and Preparation A coordinator will oversee and schedule people to participate in this ministry. Instructions During the worship service, a designated person will pray publicly as directed by the pastor or coordinator of this ministry. The pastor should work with the coordinator to ensure appropriate prayer needs and themes are addressed during the worship service. Tips for This Activity Train participants in this ministry to pray publicly. Make participants aware in advance of specific service themes, including various national holidays and/or denominational themes. Rationale For This Activity--The Power of Public Prayer “Jewish law prefers that Jews pray communally rather than privately.” Joseph Telushkin, “Minyan,” in Jewish Literacy, 719. After reading this quote, I get the impres...

The General Idea Project a timer/slide show that counts down the time until a worship service begins. In addition, you can also provide a series of messages on slides letting the congregation know what to do to prepare for the worship service. Benefits Builds anticipation as worship service time approache Can instruct congregation on how to prepare to worship God during the service. Can introduce the service theme ahead of time. Can provide thought provoking quotes or useful information.   Tips for This Activity   You may also use a slide show of quotes, verses, statistics, or other messages leading up to the service start time.

The General Idea A Baby Dedication is a special rite observed in a worship service where parents pledge to raise a child in the Christian faith. Because raising a child in the faith is not done independently, I recommend involving the parents, godparents (if applicable), and congregation in the charge to help each party recognize their responsibility in nurturing a child in the faith. I have provided a sample charge to the parents, godparents, and congregation below. Dedication Biblical Authority: Matthew 19:13-15 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Address to the Congregation The family is a divine institution ordained of God from the beginning of time. Children are...

The General Idea This opener introduces the theme of a worship service or teaching, involves the audience, gets them up and moving, and helps the audience members become better acquainted. Here is how. With everyone seated, read each question below one at a time (but do not explain it). All of the questions relate to the topic. Those who can answer “yes” to the question should stand up briefly, and then sit back down. Repeat this process until you have read all of the questions. When finished, go back and explain each question’s relevance to the topic. For example, you might introduce a series on the book of  Romans  with the following questions: Questions for Activity This is a sample of questions to introduce a study in the book of Romans. How many of you have visited the city of  Rome ,  Italy ? ( Rome  is the location of the recipients of Romans.) How many of you grew up attending a  Methodist  church? (The founder of Methodism, John Wesley...

The General Idea Instead of the pastor reading the text for the sermon each week or having no one read Scripture publicly in worship services, use rotating scripture readers to increase opportunities for participation and fulfill the biblical command to read the Scriptures publicly . Set Up and Preparation The pastor or a coordinator will oversee and schedule people to participate in this ministry. Instructions During the worship service, a designated person will read the text for the sermon or at other designated times in the worship services as directed by the coordinator.  The pastor should work with the coordinator to ensure appropriate Scriptures are read in each service. Tips for This Activity Train participants in this ministry to read aloud well . Determine other points in the services when Scripture could be read and other Scripture readers utilized, such as during a call to worship, Communion, baptism, special theme days, or to introduce songs or wors...

The General Idea You can open a sermon or teaching session with one of the lists from the Top Ten of Everything book series. Materials Needed A copy of one of Russel Ash’s The Top Ten of Everything books, an annual publication. Paper and pens/pencils Instructions Each person should have a pen/pencil and paper. Instruct audience that they will have three minutes to write down ten items they think will be on the Top Ten list that you are going to read. When time is up, call on members of the audience to guess entries that may be on the list. Tips for This Activity You may award prizes for those who got the most items correct. Use lists that are relevant for the theme of your teaching. Examples Top ten best selling books of all times (the Bible is number one) Top ten Mel Gibson movies (can use at Easter since it includes The Passion of the Christ )   Top ten tallest buildings in the world (e.g., to introduce the passage on the Tower of Babel )

The General Idea In a van or bus, a group of people will drive to spiritually significant locations in your town or city to pray about what they represent. People will stay in the vehicle and pray in what represents “drive-by praying.” Materials Needed Van or bus Qualified driver (different from prayer trip leader) Prayer trip leader Set Up Select locations that you will visit ahead of time and practice driving the route before taking the group. Instructions The prayer trip leader will plot out a course with spiritually significant locations in the town/city that the group will drive to. After stopping at the location, the prayer trip leader will introduce the significance of the location and instruct the group on how to pray. Select significant locations such as: Specific neighborhoods City hall or other government buildings Other churches Synagogues or mosques Buildings that were churches but have been converted to businesses Schools Crisis pregnancy...

The General Idea During the worship service, a prayer team will meet and provide prayer support for the various aspects of the worship service. This results in continuous prayer during the worship service and allows 5-7 people per week an opportunity to participate in ministry. Materials Needed An order of service that indicates what is happening in the worship service. A room set up where a small group of people can comfortably pray. Time Length of the worship service Set Up and Preparation A coordinator will oversee and schedule people to participate in this ministry. You will need teams of about 5-7 people who have volunteered to be absent from approximately one service per month or two. One member of each team must be spiritually mature and able to lead the group for a rather lengthy prayer and worship time. Instructions During the worship service, the prayer team will meet and provide prayer support for the worship service. They will follow the order of service, and p...

The General Idea This activity can be used in conjuction with a Bible study as a call to response or during a prayer emphasis. Spread cut-out slips of paper photocopied from the annual The Persecuted Church: Global Report at the altar area. Have people come forward and pick up a slip of paper. The paper will describe a Restricted Nation or Hostile Area . Allow 5-7 minutes for people to read the description of the country and pray for the country. Materials Needed Cut out slips of paper from country reports in The Persecuted Church: Global Report , available with the free monthly newsletter or purchase in bulk at 800.747.0085. For more information, go to http://www.persecution.com/ . Set Up Prior to session, copy the pages from the report with the descriptions of individual countries in which a country is classified as a Restricted Nation or Hostile Area. Then cut the pages into slips so that each slip of paper has information about one country. (You may also be able to print t...

Click on the link for a good guide for those who want to pray for Haiti .

The General Idea This works much like a fitness circuit or a trip through an art museum. Participants will move individually or in designated groups to “prayer stations” that are posted on the wall (or the floor, or both) around the sanctuary on printed or flipchart pages with instructions on how to pray at that particular station. I’ve led this type of prayer several times and it works well because it gives specific instructions for prayer at each station, keeps people moving and active (and less likely to get sleepy or bored), and is not driven by a leader holding a microphone and drowning out everyone else who is trying to pray. Materials Needed Prepared flipchart pages or printed pages Tape Using the instructions below, create several stations around the sanctuary with a specific prayer focus at each one by printing the instructions on the page and taping them to the wall or floor. Prior to the service, you will create “prayer stations” around the sanctuary by taping pag...