Worship Innovations

In Worship Innovations: Easy Bible Drama, you will meet Bible persons just outside their recorded stories. Listen to Sarah and Isaac on the evening he returns from Mount Moriah; watch Joseph (in Potiphar's jail) confront Satan about whether integrity pays. Agonize with Anne (the mother of Mary) as she sends her daughter off to register for taxes in Bethlehem; hear the private conversation of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea following Nicodemus' secret meeting with Jesus. Each of these fifteen sketches raises issues and questions designed to take readers deeper into a study of the Bible story itself. They can form the heart of a dynamic worship service, inspire a sermon, brighten a Bible study, or energize a personal walk in the word of God. Also included is "Everything You Need To Know About Easy Bible Drama," a chapter of "how-to's" for any church that wants to initiate the use of drama in worship. Any worship leader who has ever looked for thoughtful and inspiring Bible drama will profit from Worship Innovations: Easy Bible Drama by Janet Burton. Yes, the drama is easy, but it is also wonderfully creative. The stories are short and the settings simple, but still thought-provoking for both actors and audience.... Burton tells you how to recruit actors, schedule rehearsals, make costumes, and build settings.... These simple dramas will make your worship and praise deep for the heart, and inspiring for the mind. Michael Schooler Educator, Musician, and Worship Leader Giddings, Texas Janet Burton has been a pastor's wife and Christian educator for 45 years. For 20 of those years she served as Minister of Education at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, where her husband was pastor. She has been a regular faculty leader in the area of adult ministries at Glorieta Baptist Conference Center, and in churches throughout Texas, New Mexico, and other midwest and southern states. Author of three books and a contributor to five others, Mrs. Burton's specialty is Sunday School Bible study curriculum. In addition, she has contributed weekly or monthly columns to three Christian newspapers. Burton studied Christian education at Wheaton College in Illinois, and at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She is also the author of Worship Innovations: Hanging The Greens For Christmas (CSS).

Dedicated to providing fresh ideas for busy ministers and worship planners in a variety of settings, the Worship Innovations series offers practical resources that will bring the Bible to life and brighten your worship services. The easy-to-produce dramas and programs can be used in any size church, yet are flexible enough to fit almost any worship style. And each user-friendly resource comes with detailed instructions, including a complete list of everything you need to prepare for. In this Worship Innovations volume, the focus is on the Lent and Easter season. Like the first two books, this is a rich storehouse that will supply you with many seasons worth of compelling, scripturally authentic material. Included are: - The Paths to Calvary -- a series of six short dramatic monologues for the weeks leading up to Easter in which biblical characters tell of their encounters with Jesus - Our Place at the Table -- a dramatic re-enactment of the events preceding the Last Supper, culminating in a congregational communion service - A Passover to Remember -- a complete Maundy Thursday service with a modified Passover seder as the centerpiece - A Growing Darkness -- a Good Friday tenebrae service featuring seven readings about the day's events, brought to life with several costumed monologues - Seven Words to Die By -- based on Christ's seven last words, this tenebrae service finds meaningful truths in the somber events of the crucifixion through monologues, scripture readings, music, and prayers - Surprise at Sunrise -- an Easter sunrise service depicting the resurrection discovery in four vignettes using child actors - The Week of Weeks -- a set of interactive scripture readings for each of the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost Other titles in the Worship Innovations series: Hanging The Greens For Christmas Easy Bible Drama Janet Burton is a pastor's wife, minister of education, and writer of Christian worship and education resources. The Burtons, who have served churches in Texas and New Mexico for almost fifty years, reside in Austin, Texas, where her husband Jack serves as an interim pastor for churches in transition. Author of four books and a contributor to five others, Mrs. Burton's specialty is Sunday school Bible study curriculum. In addition, she has contributed weekly or monthly columns to three Christian newspapers. Burton attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Worship in today's mainline churches is changing faster than many ministry leaders would like, yet not fast enough to satisfy many laypeople who want to experience something fresh when they attend worship. While older members may resist losing valued traditions, younger people often want things done in new ways. Worship Innovations: Hanging The Greens For Christmas finds a middle ground with new approaches to valued traditions of holiday worship. Beginning with a step-by-step guide for initiating a "Hanging the Greens" celebration, Janet Burton offers nine creative, easy-to-produce programs in which all ages of the church family can participate in the process of decorating worship areas for the Advent and Christmas seasons. She also includes five plans for breathing new life into using the Advent wreath. Best of all, these practical ideas are very flexible and easily adapted to fit the worship style of almost any congregation. It's a perfect way to usher in the holiday season and prepare for the birth of the Savior! In this sage book, Janet Burton gives an exhaustive study and ideas for any church to make Hanging of the Greens a worshipful, meaningful experience. It is chock-full of biblical insights. Dr. W.E. (Bill) Thorn Nationally known pastor, evangelist, speaker, and humorist The reader will be immediately caught up in Janet Burton's enthusiasm for her subject. You'll find yourself -- as I did -- caught up in Hanging The Greens For Christmas as an excellent option for innovative worship. I am impressed with the variety of approaches... each program is fresh and innovative. And in this day when our families need much nurturing, it's good to see that Janet Burton has used the opportunity to make a strong family emphasis in her presentations. Rev. J. Kenneth Robinson Writer and minister of music and education Janet Burton has been a pastor's wife and Christian educator for 45 years. For 20 of those years she served as Minister of Education at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, where her husband was pastor. She has been a regular faculty leader in the area of adult ministries at Glorieta Baptist Conference Center, and in churches throughout Texas, New Mexico, and other midwest and southern states. Author of three books and a contributor to five others, Mrs. Burton's specialty is Sunday School Bible study curriculum. She has 17 quarters of lessons and many articles to her credit. In addition, she has contributed weekly or monthly columns to three Christian newspapers. Burton studied Christian education at Wheaton College in Illinois, and at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

A historical and philosophical study of how evangelical worship styles have changed with each great spiritual awakening from the Early Church era to the modern Praise and Worship movement.

"Wayne Arnason and Kathleen Rolenz ... embarked on an eighteen-month sabbatical road trip in search of the cutting edge of innovation in worship culture. They attended services and interviewed worship leaders at thirty congregations of diverse sizes and traditions. ... Worship that Works provides practical, spiritual resonance of worship through symbols, music, cultural sensitivity, inclusion and more."--Pbk. cover.

Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (History & Biography) New forms of worship have transformed the face of the American church over the past fifty years. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, including interviews with dozens of important stakeholders and key players, this volume by two worship experts offers the first comprehensive history of Contemporary Praise & Worship. The authors provide insight into where this phenomenon began and how it reshaped the Protestant church. They also emphasize the span of denominational, regional, and ethnic expressions of contemporary worship.

Presbyterian Worship in America is the first fully documented historical survey of its theme in the United States. Its value is to be found in a combination of broad painting of the major trends with delightfully detailed vignettes of city and country congregations at worship. Horton Davies Melton exposes the tension between freedom and order which has always existed among American Presbyterians.... This concise, well-researched and well-written book will be valuable for students of American religious history as well as for pastors and laymen responsible for guiding the worship of their congregations. James H. Smylie Dr. Melton...surveys discussions of [worship] in the church press and in books, arranged loosely according to New School evangelism and Old School formalism. Particularly valuable are the sketches of such colorful individuals as Charles Baird, Charles Shields, Levi Ward, Benjamin Comegys, and Henry van Dyke. James H. Nichols

An Essential Guide to Understanding and Leading Worship Worship leaders are adrift in a sea of worship resources, but, incredibly, no single book provides a simple introduction to worship and worship leading. Essential Worship is a concise, easy-to-read primer on the basics of worship theology and practice. Each concept is introduced clearly and concisely. Diagrams, charts, and bulleted lists make the information easy to digest. And preparation and reflection questions help readers apply the material to their own church context. Whether one is a beginner or an experienced worship leader, readers from all traditions will find in this resource a solid foundation for future success. It is particularly well-suited for the first-time worship or praise band leader, as well as for pastors who want to be more intentional about the music in their services.