Worship Evangelism

Rating:
Summary: Blending of Worship and Evangelism
Review: In Worship Evangelism, Sally Morgenthaler builds a framework of understanding the evangelical potential of worship. While many churches seek to separate worship and evangelism under the notion that unbelievers cannot know and experience the things of God, Morgenthaler argues for the blending of these two important faith areas. Unbelievers will be draw to faith through witnessing genuine worship (1999:9).

Morgenthaler takes exception with the current "seeker-friendly" service which supposedly attracts the unchurched without exposing them to "worship." Through extensive research Morgenthaler shows the steady decline of these churches and a generation hungry for worship that inspires and ultimately reaches the unchurched.

According to Morgenthaler, effective corporate worship needs four basic elements (essentials): (1) Nearness - a sense of God's presence; (2) Knowledge - worship centered on Christ; (3) Vulnerability - opening up to God; and (4) Interaction - participating in a relationship with God and others (1999:96-97).

While Morgenthaler gives some practical "hands-on" material, much of her work is devoted to building a solid theological and cultural foundation for worship evangelism.

Rating:
Summary: Making worship the priority of the worship service.
Review: In Worship Evangelism, Sally Morgenthaler writes a book that is doctrinaly sound, and informative. She arugues against watering down the worship experience to accomodate seekers, instead, she shows how seekers will come to Christ in the midst of a genuine worship experience. Morgenthaler gives several examples of churches that are reaching people through genuine worship. Those who are serious about reaching postmoderns must read this book. I'm glad I did.

Rating:
Summary: Worship is an effective tool for Evangelism
Review: Morgenthaler has done a masterful job of demonstrating how worship can be a highly effective tool for evangelism. Morgenthaler strongly disagrees that seekers and worshippers should not mix. She argues that when seekers experience the authenticity of Christians meaningfully worshipping God, that they are drawn to seek God themselves. This thoroughly documented book elucidates the key elements of dynamic and biblical worship. Morgenthaler argues that for churches to reach the unchurched, worship needs to be "real" (1999:30). The church needs to reclaim heartfelt worship as its first priority (1999:38-39). The church's goal must be God, not growth. The old rationalistic mindset is gone. People are seeking a more experiential spirituality. When seekers are exposed to authentic, biblical spirituality they are moved. Morgenthaler notes: "Worship is the most powerful tool for satisfying the hunger of famished, injured souls, for breaking down spiritual strongholds of pride and unbelief, and for ushering in the gift of true joy" (1999:84). Morgenthaler describes four essentials for worship evangelism: nearness, knowledge, vulnerability and interaction (1999:96-123). She argues, "cutting edge relevance matters less than being real" (1999:139). In discussing reaching out to "boomers", she notes that boomers are not all alike. She treats boomers in three separate groups; loyalists, dropouts and returnees (1999:148). Morgethaler gives practical suggestions on designing worship suitable for boomers. She also analyzes the needs of "busters". Morgenthaler supplies useful tools for evaluating whether music is maximally suitable for worship. Her "PASS" analysis is a highly practical evaluative tool. She closes with up close observation of selected congregations, which are doing effective worship evangelism. The book also features a study guide. This is an outstanding book for pastors and worship leaders!

Rating:
Summary: A Challenge to all Church Leaders
Review: Morgenthaler issues a challenge to all church leaders to recapture one of the greatest aspects of true worship that is often overlooked today - evangelism. While seeker-focused churches intentionally reduce worship time in main services and seeker-sensitive churches don't realize the evangelistic potential of in-depth worship, Morgenthaler introduces the reader to the new paradigm of Worship Evangelism. She includes chapters on retrieving biblical worship, rethinking cultural relevance, and the differences between boomer and buster worship preferences (for what that's worth). All in all, this is book every church leader should read, consider, and ponder for a while.

Rating:
Summary: good insights but unpleasant reading
Review: Ms. Morgenthaler obviously knows what she's talking about, but she seems to have an attitude that she's writing for a group of clueless morons whose only hope is to agree completely with her and do things her way. This poorly edited book is written in a rather sarcastic, condescending tone to the point of ridicule if anyone does not agree with her. I believe most worship leaders will have discovered for themselves through experience Ms. Morgenthaler's insights in worship planning, and her expansive passages on musical programming seem to assume her readers don't even have the musical expertise to find middle "C" on a piano. So I recommend this book if you have little formal musical training and have never led a contemporary worship service and need a crash course in worship direction. Otherwise, spend your time planning your next service.

Rating:
Summary: God Connection
Review: Sally Morgenthaler began the "Preface" of Worship Evangelism with these words: "This is a book about worship paradigms . . . The central paradigm of this book is that our worship either affirms or contradicts our message about God." (9). Throughout the text Morgenthaler's provocative questions ask the reader to affirm the worship experience as one that is authentic not synthetic, life-changing not a quick fix, effective not just practical, of lasting value not merely a rapturous happening. Real worship is connecting with God.

The process of connecting with God is an individual experience. It also may happen in congregational settings. In the first one hundred pages, Morgenthaler offered several definitive statements. Five of them are: (1)"The true goal of evangelism is to produce more and better worshippers" (39). (2)"Spirit and truth must be fundamental building blocks of any valid worship experience" (47). (3)"Worship, in the final analysis, means change" (52). (4)"God sees every person as a potential worshiper" (83). (5)"Worship evangelism happens when we allow worship to be what it was meant to be - 'a resource for incomplete and broken mankind to find completion and wholeness in His Presence" (93).

No doubt, when anyone intentionally sets time aside to worship the next time, it is as though for the first time. However adept at communicating with God someone is, the next time is the first time for this time.

The experience of qualitative congregational worship is partially the result of familiarity with the mechanics of knowing what to expect to do. It is partially the result of joining with other worshippers with the intention to engage in public acts of prayer, singing, and active listening. It is partially the result of moving from spectator to communicant.

Morgenthaler identified four crucial elements for effective qualitative worship. They are: "nearness, knowledge, vulnerability, and interaction" (96). These keys ask the worshipper: (1) to sense and be sensitive to God's presence; (2) to center specifically on Christ ["Jesus Christ is how we know God" (103)]; (3) to be open to God; and (4) to witness to, for, and with others in the common struggle to deal with issues related to "self-esteem, fear of failure, acceptance and relationships, substance abuse, etc." (121). The type of worship envisioned: "impacts people at profound levels, provides contact with a holy and loving God, [is] nurturing, uplifting with those who are called in God's name" (123).

Practically speaking, Morgenthaler suggested a five-part guide for worship events. They are: esteem, expound, encounter, examine, enjoy (159-160). Love and honor God; tell the old, old story in dramatic ways; internalize the experience; look into one's own soul; and, savor God's benefits. The various diagrams illustrating alternative worship paradigms in Chapter 7, "When the Boomerang Doesn't Come Back: Designing Boomer Worship for Depth" (145-171) are helpful. In Chapters 8, 9 and 10, the experience of the four churches that met the challenge to change their worship styles from traditional to adventuresome is also helpful (See pages 178-209). The workbook technique permits the reader to interact with the author in critically and objectively analyzing what specific strategies to employ in developing tailor-made worship services.

In the final analysis, Morgenthaler returned to a rather traditional statement about worship evangelism. She wrote: "Worship evangelism is simply letting God do with us and through us what God intends. It happens when we allow ourselves to be the passionate, adoring people of God we were created to be, when we allow seekers to experience the wonder of true worship and, most importantly, when we allow God to be God" (280).

Worship Evangelism is a carefully constructed text that confronts the issue of the non-churched person in a direct way. Worship leaders are implored to break out of the box of their "darling" worship service, and are invited to employ the resources of sociologists and psychologists as well as theologians in creating dynamic worship services which communicate God's forgiveness, mercy and healing touch.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Destination, Poor Route Getting There
Review: This book is easily summarized in the following statement: True Christian worship is a powerful tool of evangelism, contrary to the common perception that seekers services are the only way to mass-evangelize in the 21st century.

Morgenthaler again and again emphasizes this point throughout her work. I agree wholeheartedly with her conclusion, but wish she had chosen a better means to support it. This volume draws heavily upon the sociological definitions of "boomer" and "buster." It interviews various worship leaders to get their perspectives on what is currently effective for them in ministry. It rambles in an almost endless explanation of what is required to reach "Seeker Bob" and "Shopper Bruce."

The bottom line here is that Morgenthaler's destination is commendable. Genuine worship CAN reach the unchurched for Christ. Her method of getting the reader to that destination however, is mediocre at best and could stand much improvement.

I would recommend that if anyone is interesting in learning more about this book, borrow, don't buy. Skim, don't read. The time and energy spent in covering every page would be better invested elsewhere.