A Passageway for the Spirit: Using Secular Music in Christian Worship
"It is good, right, and effective to use secular music as a means of worshipping a sacred God."

A Space for Experiment
Alternative Worship is really a place of experiment rather than a particular form of church. It's more about a methodology for dealing with a change of culture than any particular style or theology.

An Open Letter to Worship Songwriters
Many of us believe that we are entering (or well into) one of the most significant theological/cultural/spiritual transition periods in history. I request that the songwriters among us begin to explore and then lead us into some new lyrical/spiritual territory.

Art and Worship in the 21st Century
Incorporating the arts into worship is popular right now. But what is the interrelationship between art, the artist, and worship that speaks to our souls?

Art, Faith, and the Stewardship of Culture
Unless we contribute to the renewal of culture by participating in the life of art in our own time, we will find that the barbarians have entered through the gates that we ourselves have torn it down.

Blending Technology and Worship
Churches need to figure out what their strengths are and then consider how technology might enhance those strengths.

Building the Kingdom with Art
Believers who are involved in the arts help reveal God's glory.

But Isn’t Liturgical Worship Dead?
Most Christians have grave misunderstandings about liturgy, believing liturgical churches are dead, cold, and lifeless. Bennett explains why the opposite is actually true, and gives good reasons why we all are ritualists anyway.

Can the Church Reach Our Postmodern Culture?
As an expert in what she calls “worship evangelism,” Sally Morganthaler has witnessed a profound shift in culture. Here she discusses how our mission as Christians should and must change to meet the challenges of a postmodern generation.

Commission Impossible
In a postmodern era, we have young people starved for meaningful art and a church that often seems too insecure to produce it, respect it, or even enjoy it. If either is to recover, we must rethink our theology to include a biblical perspective of creativity that validates the importance and contributions of artists of faith.

Contemporary Worship: The New Frontier
Designing an alternative, service-friendly sanctuary doesn’t have to be rocket science—five tips bring it back to earth.

Do This In Memory of Me, But Do It Well
In this interview, Bishop Kenneth Untener discusses how liturgy and church leadership must bring people closer to God.

Eavesdropping on Emerging Conversations About Learning
The emerging generation is tired of ritual. They want to encounter God, not just hear a sermon. For the emerging church, worship does not begin and end with the pastor, but it is about meeting God in a significant, life-changing way.

Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations
Worship is certainly a popular word these days. But what does true “worship” look like for today’s emerging church?

God is Looking for Worshippers
This article offers a biblical rationale to fortify worship as your ultimate priority, and practical ways to help develop worshippers in your home, cell group, and church.

High-Tech Worship?: Using Presentational Technologies Wisely
Written by nationally known communications expert Quentin J. Schultze, High-Tech Worship? takes a careful look at these issues, giving readers practical guidance on the wise use of technology in their churches.

How Do We Multi-Track Our Worship?
Churches serious about real ministry must begin adapting and targeting their worship services according to the specific spiritual needs of the various people they serve. Here’s how to do it.

Icons in the Postmodern Church
Where do icons fit into the church of the 21st century and what is their meaning?

Making the Most of Your Choir
The choir must be more than a decoration on Sunday mornings. The choir exists foremost to enable and support the congregation's own praise. Instead of emphasizing anthems and concerts, choirs should concentrate on the liturgy and congregational hymns and psalms.

Moving Toward Unity in Worship
There is little agreement among Christians worldwide over the practice of church worship. Yet if the church pursued and followed the five foundational worship principles outlined here, we would move toward true unity in worship.

Once and Future Worship
The revival of ancient worship patterns is adding yet another wrinkle in the worship debate. Meet the “new liturgicals.”

The Place of Children in Adult Worship
Since biblical times, children have been included in adult worship. Only in the past few hunderd years have churches separated children from adult worshipers. In this article, Janice Leonard shares some biblical examples and practical ways of including children in worship.

The “Re-story-I-zation” of Worship
More and more people are getting sick of showbiz worship and are looking for more depth. They are asking for God-directed worship. But what does that mean?

Ritual Contract: What Does Your Congregation Expect From Worship
On Sunday morning, worshipers have an unspoken contract with worship leaders. The contract may be to sit back and watch the show or it may be an invitation to participate. True Christian worship always draws the worshiper to center stage. What does your contract look like?

So Much Depends: Reflections on a Labyrinth
A young mother in Austin, Texas, must choose whether to reveal an old, family secret. She prays the labyrinth and receives a vision that gradually changes her life.

Take Your Church to the Movies
Contermporary movies can often bring new understanding to issues facing our culture as well as new perspectives on faith. Some churches are even using film clips in their worhsip services. Check out these sites for ideas.

The Uncommon Lectionary
The bottom line, clergy, is don’t even think about alternative worship aimed at pagan people (the majority of the public, both beyond and within your congregation), unless you yourself are prepared to abandon the “common” lectionary.

What I Now See in Worship
I see four types of worship today: Spiritless Traditional, Spirited Traditional, Praise (mostly for Boomers), and Postmodern. No matter what type of worship a church uses, one thing is important: People must experience the transforming presence of God. Anything less isn't worship.

Why Drama?
Have you ever thought about incorporating drama into your worship? A youth minister offers some thoughts about why drama works and how you can create it.

Worship Evangelism: Finding a New Cultural Language
How can the church create a sacred space for unchurched people in our culture? Sally Morgenthaler, author of Worship Evangelism, explains how church worship must coincide with the language people speak, and create an experience where people have the opporunity to both think and feel.

Worship in the 21st Century
Sally Morganthaler, authority on worship in postmodern culture, talks about the secrets of sacred music, worship, and the arts.

Worship That Pleases God
As worship leader Bill Colle admits “I tried to figure out what the youth like, the senior adults like, the board likes, the pastor likes. Trying to please so many people became nearly impossible. I began a journey of finding out what God liked.”

Worship: The Next Generation
For the new generation, projected lyrics of worship choruses have been around “forever.” So what will worship in the next generation look like? Here are 10 trends that Keith Drury believes are taking shape on the worship horizon.

Writing an Illustrated Sermon
Drama can be a powerful vehicle to illustrate a sermon. Creating an effective drama, however, can be a challenge. Mike Wagman shares some ideas on how to coordinate your drama with the pastor, create a drama from a sermon, and prime your own drama “idea pump.”