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"I recently had a conversation about worship with my old friend Rense Miller whom many of you also know. The discussion centered, as usual, on how to sustain effective worship in the local church during changing times. Rense and I both realized that as we have gotten older, new, younger pastors and worship leaders have stepped in with fresh ideas and new music to fill the void created by us retirees. Along with that, however, old, important questions emerged as we spoke about how to retain the fundamentals of biblical worship in order to insure God’s purposes for this precious activity. Without presenting ourselves as know-it-alls, we thought a few comments based experience might be helpful in the ever-continuing effort to develop effective worship among our people. We hope this short article will address one of those issues."

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A Fundamental Guide to Effective Worship
#1 The Great Connection
Dr. Richard Oliver

"My purpose in the ministry for the past twenty-eight years has been to glorify God by preaching and teaching the Bible, lead others to faith in Jesus Christ, and prepare them for a life in his service. At the same time, I have encouraged, taught, and led the church to understand and be active in worship as an indispensible part of the Christian life. I firmly believe those emphases constitute the foundation for a strong church."
Dr. Richard Oliver

Full Article:
http://lakeandmendocinoworship.com/greatconnection.pdf

A Fundamental Guide to Effective Worship
#2 The Necessary Commintment
Dr. Richard Oliver

  Charles Spurgeon, the great prince of preachers, once said, “He who loves Jesus
consecrates to him all that he has, and feels it a delight that he may lay anything at the feet of
him who laid down his life for us.”1 In addressing the fundamental aspects of effective worship,
we must discuss commitment to the demands of this activity.
First, worship is the necessary work of the people (latreuo—Romans 12:1). By work we
mean the expenditure of spiritual energy in response to the greatness and goodness of God.
Initially, it is directed toward God for simply being who he is. Second, it is directed toward God
for the purity, integrity, and love he displays among his people and desires in return. Third, it is
not a periodic activity. It is a prevailing commitment that incorporates all of one’s life in spiritual
growth, progressive intimacy, and the radiation of our faith in public as well as private places.

Full Article:
http://lakeandmendocinoworship.com/commitment.pdf

A FUNDAMENTAL GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE WORSHIP
#3 Selfless Communication
Dr. Richard Oliver

 From all that I see in the Old and New Testaments, the objective in gathering together believers is to honor to God by an unceasing remembrance of his glory, a willing submission to his lordship, and a life of conscious spiritual service. This is a comprehensive statement that involves commitment, connection, and most of all, selfless communication.
 Putting aside all the personal and corporate impediments that tend to confuse this objective, an all-inclusive worship event prioritizes the goal of encountering God with all of the biblical tools at our disposal. The aim is to construct an environment whereby all of God’s people arrive at the conclusion of the service with a complete sense that they have been with God, glorified him and received teaching, reproof, and correction for training in righteousness.

Full Article:
http://lakeandmendocinoworship.com/communications.pdf

Worship Ministry