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The following
information will help you understand the philosophy of worship at Front Street
Baptist Church. It will also help you get a "feel" for what
our worship services are like.
Also visit our worship ministry web site at
www.AudienceOfOne.org
Worship
- Our Greatest Privilege
 In
Matthew 22:37 - Jesus says that the most important command we can honor is
to . . .
LOVE the Lord your
God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your
mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
Because
of this command, we see worship as our highest priority at Front Street
Baptist Church. It is the one activity we do on earth that we will
continue to do forever in heaven. We seek to be passionate and vulnerable
worshipers who know and express God's heart, because we believe that
worship is the goal of salvation. We believe that experiencing the
presence and glory of Jesus Christ in worship is the most valuable and
priceless treasure on earth. It is in worship that we find the greatest
sense of fulfillment that life can offer.
Intimacy
We
do not worship an uninterested deity from afar. Rather, we experience the
very Presence of God as we worship Him. Jesus Christ is profoundly present
in the midst of worship through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is
truly with us as we worship and adore
Him. We experience intimacy with God as we pour out our hearts in worship.
Transformation
As
the Holy Spirit moves in the midst of our worship, we find healing, peace,
strength, and joy. Our lives are re-centered on Jesus Christ as we worship
Him, and as we gaze on His beauty and glory, we are changed to be more
like Him. Jesus came to give us abundant life, and as we worship we
receive this life.
Expressions
of Worship
Jesus
stated that the greatest commandment is that we are to love God with all
that we are. We were created whole beings, and thus we value worship that
incorporates a full expression of our humanity, including intellectual,
emotional, and physical aspects.
We
value worship that expresses itself physically: You may find p eople
clapping their hands, kneeling at the altar, raising their hands, or
simply being still and silent as we worship. We value all of these
physical expressions because God created our bodies (not just our minds)
to worship.
We
value worship that expresses itself emotionally: As we worship, you may
see people weeping, smiling, or laughing. God created our emotions, and
although we are not to be ruled by them, we are to express them in
worship. God is passionate about us and He is worthy of our most
passionate forms of emotional expression.
We
value worship that expresses itself intellectually: While we value the
expression of emotion in worship, we also value the expression of truth.
Some of the songs we sing are simple love songs to Jesus, but others
express theological truths that help us to worship with understanding and
assist us in spiritual growth. We also value worship that expresses itself
in holy living: We desire to be a people who live a life of worship,
rather than those who merely attend a service of worship once a week.
Worship is hypocrisy unless the substance of our lives lines up with the
words we sing. Worship is not just singing songs, praying, and listening
to a sermon, it is giving one's life over completely to Jesus. We desire
to be people who live every aspect of our lives as an act of worship to
God.
"Styles"
of Worship at Front Street
Today,
one hears many labels characterizing worship in churches, such as
"contemporary," "blended," "traditional,"
and "liturgical." A few years ago, Front Street offered two
distinctively different services–one "contemporary" and the
other "traditional." Our church now offers only one worship
service "style." This single service has grown out of seeking
God’s direction for this body of believers.
Front
Street is made up of young and old and has a rich tradition. Our worship
services may seem quite "contemporary" to people who grew up in
traditional churches in that we use drums, keyboards, etc. in addition to
piano and organ. Our 60-voice Celebration Choir has transitioned from a
performance choir to a worship leading choir that is passionate about
leading our people into the presence of God each week (see excerpts of
choir songs below). We sing praise and worship songs that are very
recently written as well as classic worship choruses written in the last
few decades. We also make use of the great hymns, although they are often
arranged with a "contemporary" accompaniment. We have seen God
greatly bless the worship services at Front Street as young and old alike
are drawn into His presence.
Front
Street also makes much use of drama, multimedia enhancements of songs and
sermons, interpretive movement, and other creative additions to help
engage our body, emotions, and mind in worship. Pastor Gerald
Bontrager, our senior pastor, is a passionate preacher and expositor of
the Bible. His messages are thoroughly biblical, practical, and address
the needs of people today.
We
invite you to join us for worship this Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Come,
prepared to encounter a living God who cares for you deeply.
Click
here for further comments from our worship pastor.
Hear the Sounds of
Worship at Front Street
"But an hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in
spirit and truth for such people the Father seeks to be His
worshipers."
John 4:23
And we, who with
unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into
His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is
the Spirit.II Corinthians 3:18
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as
with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by
trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices in
praise to the Lord and sang: "He is good; his love endures
forever." Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and
the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the
glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.
II Chronicles 5:13-14
Comments
from Visitors on Front Street's Worship
... I will know
next time that I need to bring kleenex. That was the most powerful place
Sunday that I have been in. I truly enjoyed the service and Sunday School.
Everyone was so nice. Thanks again.
What a wonderful
time of worship we shared yesterday. I saw worship leaders who reflected
Christ on the platform...the focus wasn't on you...it was on our God. The
order flowed and followed a path, a journey into the Holy of Holies. Various
ages were included...soooo many involved! The choir had the freedom of
expression...most knew the music which freed them to sing to God rather than
rely on the score. It was a blessing to bring my worship and lift it up
alongside of yours to honor God and see lives changed for eternity!!!
Comments
from our Worship Pastor
The mission of the
Worship Ministry of Front Street Baptist Church is to lead people into the
presence of God through transformational worship. As worship leaders, our goal
is not to have people go away from Sunday worship at Front Street saying,
"Wow! The choir was awesome this morning," or "Aren't those
instrumentalists impressive?" While we do seek to be the very best
we can be to glorify God, striving for excellence in all we do for Him, our
utmost goal is that when people leave this place on Sunday mornings, they will
say, "Wow! Isn't God good?" or "Oh, how I felt His presence in
the service this morning."
Through the use of
congregational song, both old and n ew,
through the use of musical accompaniment, both traditional and contemporary
(and everything in between), through the use of multimedia, drama, and more,
we seek to make each Sunday a special time in God's house. God created us to
worship Him, and that should be a priority in each Christian's life.
In the weeks and
months ahead, the Worship Leadership Team and pastoral staff will continue to
seek God's direction for our worship services. We will continue to explore
ways to help each person who enters this holy place to encounter God in a
special way each Lord's day. This will involve continuing to stretch our
adult choir & instrumentalists musically and spiritually, challenging our
wonderful drama team to push beyond the heights they have already reached,
exploring new areas of multimedia usage to enhance worship, training up our
children and youth to develop a heart for worship and to be worship leaders of
tomorrow.
Front Street has
been blessed with people of tremendous talents. God expects much of us. We are
striving to be faithful in using the gifts God has given us to grow a
worshiping church that truly pleases God.
There is so much
ahead of us in the months to come. I look forward to what God has in store for
us in the coming year.
Kenny Lamm
Worship Pastor
Invitation
to Join the Worship Ministry at Front Street
There
are so many opportunities for service in the worship ministry at Front Street
Baptist Church. Here are some of the areas where you can serve the Lord:
-
Celebration
Choir - adult
choir that sings each Sunday morning in worship and presents several
special worship events each year. Rehearses each Wednesday in the
fellowship hall 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
-
Instrumentalists
- accompany worship each Sunday morning and several special worship events
each year. Rehearse in the sanctuary Wednesdays at 9:10 p.m. and
Sundays at 8:15 a.m. each week.
-
Youth Drama
Team - presents a
short drama most Sundays for worship as well as 1-2 larger productions
each year. Rehearses Sundays at 4:15 p.m.
-
Multimedia
Team - responsible for sound
reinforcement, lighting, and computer operation at each worship service.
-
Graded
Choirs - five age-divided choirs
for children from age 3 through sixth grade.
The choirs sing regularly for worship services and present two major
events each year. The choirs meet only September through May.
Children's choirs rehearse Wednesday evenings at 6:30.
-
Handbell/Handchime
Choirs - for children in the 2nd
through 6th grades. They rehearse each Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
-
Senior
Adult Choir - for adults 55 and older. The choir
regularly learns a musical and sings for various church and civic groups
throughout the year. This group is very active and rehearses each
Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall.
Contact
me with questions
If you are interested in getting involved in the worship ministry at Front
Street, please call me or e-mail me. I would be happy to help you
find a place of service. We are looking for people with a passion
for worship who want to use their God-given gifts to glorify God.
You may call me at (704) 872-7623 (ext. 207) or e-mail me at klamm@frontstreet.org.
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