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Ten Service Plans for Contemporary Worship (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2002)
CICW Connection
These ten services plans are an expansion of the popular column "Notes from the LOFT," written by Ron Rienstra and published in the quarterly journal Reformed Worship. The LOFT—Living Our Faith Together—is a contemporary service with a sense of history to it, enthusiastically led every Sunday evening (during the school year) by a team of Calvin College students.
Read related story:
Planning Contemporary Worship Services
Description
This book provides complete plans for thematically integrated services, including theme, Scripture, outline, prayers, transition suggestions, and song notes. The themes include:
—Are You Listening? (1 Samuel 3; Psalm 95)
—Baptism: Called to Belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1-8)
—For All the Saints (Hebrews 12:1-3)
—Singing the Church Year (Matthew 28:1-6)
—Advent: A Time to Be Silent (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b)
—Epiphany: Luminescence (Philippians 2:12-18)
—Lent: Forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35)
—Easter (one of the gospel resurrection texts or 1 Corinthians 15)
—Unless You Become Like Little Children (Matthew 18:1-4; 1 Corinthians 13:11; various Scripture stories)
—Lord's Supper: Abiding and Feasting on Love (John 15:1-17)
Author
Ron Rienstra directed the LOFT, a student-planned and -led worship service, for a number of years at Calvin. Rienstra is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, is ordained in the Reformed Church in America, and is currently a doctoral student in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He continues to preach, write, and lead workshops about worship.
Endorsements
"Ten Service Plans helps worship planners assemble the crucial pieces of historic God-encounter into seamless, culturally compelling designs. Like worship Legos with detailed assembly instructions. What a concept!"
—Sally Morgenthaler, author, Worship Evangelism
"Ron Rienstra models a ferocious commitment to think carefully about God—thus, sturdy theology—and at the same time a fresh eagerness to explore things new and old as raw material for the worship of God."
—Dale Cooper, Chaplain, Calvin College
"These straightforward service plans speak to the dearth of adequate instruction in and modeling of how to make transitions to and from the various parts of worship service. Very helpful and very much needed."
—Scott Harrison Coil, Campus Ministries Worship Research Assistant, Seattle Pacific University
"The fruit of Ron's commitment to frankness and genuine community, his tenacity in asking tough questions of every facet of worship, and his thoughtful synthesis of the best of a wide variety of Christian traditions are evident in these services. They combine a high degree of artistic style with an uncompromising measure of theological substance."
—Gregg DeMey, Minister of Music, Granite Springs Christian Reformed Church
Book information and sample chapter from Faith Alive Resources
Also see Volume 2