About Worship at SVCC
Worship principles
At ©árka Valley Community Church we approach worship as:
- An intentional transformational experience. Rather than being something we simply do as Christians.
- At SVCC worship is understood as a catalyst in which the Holy Spirit is able to transform the lives of individuals and the community.
- Each worship experience is united in theme. The worship plan identifies the theme and the preacher. Worship leaders and other participants design the worship experience to reflect the theme.
- Themes are worked out in advance, normally as the preaching rota is prepared (see rota elsewhere on this site for themes and preachers).
- We try to develop a consistent framework for worship (see later for this) which allows for spontaneity and change, but provides a structure to take people through a holistic worship experience.
- We follow the pattern of the Christian year in our liturgy.
- We encourage our children to participate as fully as possible in the worship until they are blessed and go to their own activities by using them to assist in music making and singing, to share in the times of prayer etc.
- As rule we do not embarrass guests by asking them to introduce themselves to the whole congregation. The primary worship leader will find other ways to make visitors feel welcome (our normal way of doing this is to have an informal time of greeting those around you near the beginning of worship or exchanging the Kiss of Peace at the Eucharist).
- We are not afraid or intimidated by planned periods of silence.
- We normally have a primary worship leader responsible for the overall conduct of worship. This person will, generally, not be the preacher.
Worship structure
Pre Worship
- We often have a preparatory Bible study at 09.00. This is announced in our bulletins.
- Generally a printed bulletin is available with details of the order of worship and any announcements regarding SVCC. There will not normally be announcements, or notices during the worship. Up to date information is provided on our web site.
- We do not take up an offering during our worship, but an Offering bowl is placed on a table in one of the aisles, together with Church information leaflets and other appropriate literature.
- Name cards and holders are available for members of the church and guests.
- Resources for congregational worship are drawn from throughout the Christian tradition and in a variety of languages. We use hymn books an overhead projector and a video beamer.
- The public reading of scripture is a ministry in itself. We seek to practice the following principles:
- The reading will be prepared ahead of time.
- Scripture will be read slowly and with expression.
- The reader will practice good phrasing. Certain words belong together and thought units should not be disconnected.
- The reader will emphasise words and phrases in the reading which help convey meaning.
- We uphold the baptist tradition of extempore or free prayer, together with prayer led from the front and great prayers of the church.
- We use different postures for singing, prayer, readings reflecting our multicultural community - standing, sitting, and kneeling.
Timing
- Our worship commences at 10.45 and normally concludes between 11.45 and 12.00. Light refreshments are served after the worship.
- We have Sunday School classes for children. They leave community worship between 11.00 and 11.10 and return normally by 12.00.
- We are anxious to have declared to us the whole counsel of God, so we will generally have more than one passage of Scripture read in worship. Typically, we might have at least a passage from the First/Old and Second/New Testaments. We will not find it excessive to have a Gospel and Epistle reading from the New Testament, an Old Testament passage and a Psalm.
- SVCC has a focus on the world and the map on our worship room wall acts as a focus, encourager of our intercessions for a world that will not pray for itself.
THE EUCHARIST/LORD'S SUPPER/COMMUNION
At ©árka Valley Community Church we approach worship as:
- By decision of the SVCC Church meeting the Eucharist/Lord's Supper/Communion (all three terms are used amongst us
as befits a community drawn from any different traditions) is celebrated once per month on the third Sunday. It can also
be celebrated at other times (festivals etc) by decision of the Moderator and Worship Team. Typical examples of such
additional celebrations are:
- Christmas Eve/Christmas Day
- Renewal of the covenant on the first Sunday of the year
- Palm Sunday
- Easter Day
- Pentecost
- at a Baptismal Service.
- The president at the table is normally the Moderator or an ordained Baptist pastor (male or female). This takes account of the sensibilities of many Baptists that only an ordained person should preside at the table.
- At SVCC we use a single round loaf which is broken and passed round and one or two chalices (more if a large number are present) containing red wine from Mikulov.
- In the distribution we normally form ourselves into a circle around the table drawing on the insights of the Anabaptists.
- We practice both drinking from the single cup and intinction (retaining the bread and dipping in the wine). This is made clear to participants at the beginning of the distribution.
- The accent of the meal is on both the death and resurrection of Jesus as we affirm Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.