Gottesdienst-Projekt

Duration / Time / Effort
The practical preparations begin about 2. weeks before the planned Sunday service of the congregation (too early scheduled preparations like to make the whole thing a long threaded, bland thing!) With advantage you bring the teens aware of the whole project earlier.

In church, we also announce our special celebration service in advance. We call attention to the fact that it will be a "teen-like service."

The specific preparations with the teens take up the time of an evening or afternoon program (about 1 ½ - 2 hrs).

If this method is used during a vacation week, the preparations should be scheduled immediately before the "camp service" so that a "certain amount of time pressure" will encourage creative work.

Suitable for:
This form can be implemented very well with teen groups. But also in camps (church holiday weeks, teen camps, etc.) this project-like work has often been used successfully.

Materials needed:
Depending on the chosen theme and creative work

Auxiliaries:
Bible commentaries, study series, lexicons, etc. to prepare for the sermon portion are to be borrowed from the preacher/pastor, or from the church library.

Costs:
Decoration or other craft materials

Execution of the project:
In consultation with the church leadership, we will set the date for "our service." Also be brave for once and take responsibility for the whole service as a teen group. For example, the sermon can be preached by someone from the teen leadership team as a lay preacher

When implementing this project idea, the preacher/pastor will deliver the message, he must take the time to incorporate the ideas that have arisen in the preparation phase with the teens and act accordingly. Intensive consultation is needed if he would not be present on the preparation date with the teens.

Service Preparation Lesson Outline

Thematic Pre-Reflection and Attunement Project

We think with the teens about some basic things like:

What is worship?

• God serves us
• Principle of life (Rom. 12:1)
• We serve God and one another with it

Why do we celebrate worship?
The purpose and goal of all worship is the fellowship of God with His church/His people. The church is to be renewed and preserved in worship so that the will of God can be done on earth through people to the praise of His glory (Mat. 6:9,10)

What elements (might) be part of worship? (Brainstorm)

• Prayer: Worship, thanksgiving, intercession, petition
• Sermon
• Adoration
• Joy
• Reading the Bible, getting to know God
• Baptism
• Blessing
• Collection, sacrifice
• Our life
• Theatre, play, film, slide
• Church coffee
• Sharing prayer requests
• Welcome
• Moderation
• Music/Singing (Psalms)
• Dinner
• Anointing
• Testimony (Pauslus)
• Framework, atmosphere, decoration
• Room, church usher, doorkeeper
• Silence
• etc.

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Introduce project and form interest groups

As a leadership team, we give the teens a worship theme as a working title and the appropriate Bible text. A theme that has been successful several times would be "Encouragement", the bible text for this Joshua 1, 1-9. I try to explain the whole thing a bit more in this article based on this idea.

Now it is discussed which elements one chooses for the service. Then you form working groups, which prepare the individual elements based on the given theme and Bible text.

Possible areas of responsibility:

• Coordinating, putting together the program schedule, responsible for facilitating and keeping the schedule (2 pers.); advantageously a leader with experience and a teen)
• Make announcements encouraging (1 pers.)
• Welcome, take up theme, explain worship idea (1 pers.)
• Room design, decoration (4-8 pers.)
  A basic stock of craft materials (paint, paper, glue, balloons, string, etc.) has already been organized by the leadership team and is ready!
• Collection (introduce for what?, collect how?) (1 pers.)
• Play, theater or draw slides on the topic, possibly Bible text transferred to modern times (6-8 pers.)
• Singing and music group (selection of songs and accompaniment) (5-6 pers.)
• Testimony: this is how I was encouraged by God! (1-2pers.)
• Prayer (1 pers.)
• Craft a surprise/memory to take home (4-8 pers.), have enough craft materials ready!
• Collage paste or paint on the theme (2-3 pers.)
• Sermon (leader or preacher) example see appendix

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Organization

After the "creative phase," there needs to be another orientation about the organizational process.

• Are all the tasks assigned for Sunday's service? Who greets people at the door and how? etc.
• Important: Fill in gaps that the teens don't fill, only at short notice by leaders.
• Who will assemble the decorations and when?
• When and where is the prayer meeting place before the service?
• Does a common song still need to be practiced and sung?
• Do we still need props, items for prelude, etc.?, who brings what?
• etc.

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Prayer for the project

We will close the evening/afternoon with a community of prayer for the service.

This point seems to be one of the deciding factors in the success of the venture! The teens gain courage through prayer to carry out the tasks they have taken on. Encourage them to pray daily for the service that they will create in about 2 weeks.

This point seems to be one of the most important ones

set up a prayer meeting on Sunday before the service!

Sermon disposition on

Text: Joshua 1:1-9

Introduction:

• Read cautionary examples from the daily newspaper
• Shouldn't we give worship the theme of ENCOURAGEMENT when we hear such?
• Contrast statement: our God is a God of ENCOURAGEMENT!

How does God encourage?
God encourages through a clear commission

• Rise up and cross the Jordan (v29)
• Take the land (v3)

God encourages by His promises

• No enemy will be able to stand against you(V5)
• Never will God withdraw his help!
• Never will God forsake thee!

God encourages through precise encouragements

• Be brave and determined!
• Keep yourself brave and unwavering

God encourages by demonstrated conduct

• Obey the law (v7)
• Read to the people (v8)
• Think about it (yourself) (8)

God encourages through patient repetition

V9

• Be brave and determined
• Don't be frightened!
• Never lose heart!
• I am with you!

Disposition by Heinz Kernwein, BLB
Copyright of the drawings by BLB

Important Notes:

A time limit for preparation of about 45 - 60 mins is necessary for creative work to occur. We as leaders mingle with the different groups where necessary. In the areas where there is no leader, we clearly delegate the responsibility for this task to a teen. This helps the teens stay on task.

We should give our teens enough freedom to come up with something unfamiliar.

If possible, give the initiative for all preparations to the teens. We leaders are "only" motivating and in an accompanying function. It should be the worship of the teens and not that of the leadership team!

Application:

I strongly encourage you as a teen group to make this contribution to your church. This project also gives the more "unchurched" teens an insight into the wider activities of the local church. A project like this encourages prayer support from your church for the teen group!

Source reference

Content: Teenie working group, Margrit Hugentobler

copyright: BESJ Fällanden www.besj.ch

image: Juropa.net www.juropa.net