Matthew 7:24-29 encourages us to build our faith on the “Rock”. I believe an important part of doing that is establishing a time and place where we can try to meet God without interruptions for a time of recharge of spiritual reflection. I define worship as an moment an individual or group comes together to focus on their faith and God’s presence. I believe there are some kep components to build a space for worship. Whether you are at a camp and retreat center or within your local community there are some common concerns to take into consideration when preparing to share a time together I have borken them out into bullet points below.
- Find the right location- There are some basics to finding the right spot to worship together. First I always start with prayer. Some other things you should consider as your prepare are weather, number of persons and type of mood you would like to create. One error that worship leaders often make is that they over committ to a place for worship. Be flexible and if a distraction occurs or you feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to change the venue don’t feel anchored.
- Create the space within the location- as you prepare for your time together look at what you would like to happen and set your space so that it encourages those things. This may mean paying attention to what symbols you might use, the placement of an altar, the use of ribbons or fabric to bring color and what type of interaction you want within the group. If you are looking for group discussion and sharing choosing an area that doesn’t allow people to turn and comfortably face each other wouldn’t be beneficial.
- Intentionally begin your time together- The first three minutes of your time with a group may be some of the most important moments you spend with them. As humans we judge and try to evaluate things. We develop expectations very quickly and it’s hard to turn public opinion around. I try to start every group time with a very non-threatening activity or fun discussion topic to break barriers and to start to build the group. Start on time and try to buy participants into what you are doing quickly.
- Don’t be afraid to break norms- For me the most significant spiritual experiences I’ve had are related to doing something new. It might be doing something I have done a thousand times in just a different way. Be creative with your material and look for ways to engage participants and have them be actively involved. The more they are doing during worship the more they will own the experience. This doesn’t mean that they need to do calisthenics and be consistenly moving, but that you need to keep their minds engaged.
I hope that you find some of these thoughts helpful. I just wanted to share some of the ways in which I prepare to be with groups. We are always praying for our guests and campers as they prepare to come, share their time with us and return to the communities they came from. If you have more specific questions or would like assistance with something please feel free to contact us.
