NFC Taskforce Principles on Worship

As we considered the Bible and Friends documents our groups collectively came up with the following principles. Though we did not take the time to synthesize these lists into one conglomerate list you will see that there is much synergy of the groups' responses. I invite you to consider these principles and make a list of principles that are important to you. Feel free to post your lists or ask questions about any of these lists.

Mark Ankeny

Most Important Worship Principles—group synthesis.

Group 1

• Worship calls us to God and calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Receiving God’s love—Giving God’s love
• There is a freedom of worship that comes from the spirit that leads to transformation.
• Worship is a privilege. God calls us by His grace. God desires our admiration.
• The community of believers benefits from worshipping together.
• Community members use their spiritual gifts to benefit others and the worshipping experience
• Authentic worship is consistent with the worship principles found in the scriptures.

Group 2

• God is present and active. God speaks—we can hear.
• It’s all about God and giving Him adoration.
• Worship is authentic—stories of change; redemption; faith; God in the past, present, and future.
• Worship brings personal and corporate renewal that results in obedience and action.
• Worship is relevant.

Group 3

• God is accessible—hope of glory; saving power; present teacher; God speaks we can listen.
• Adoration—living God.
• Leads to transformation, openness, honesty.
• Unity in the Spirit—gifts; age group diversity; corporate worship.
• Community/generational—cultures: age group, geographical, denomination, cultual

Group 4

• Worship is the adoring response of the heart and mind to the Spirit of the God—both individually and corporately.
• Our response to God is our whole-hearted obedience to God through Jesus which involves sacrifice and service.
• Out of our response and obedience to God we are changed to live holy lives to be rightly connected to God and others.
• At out NFC gatherings there is the affirmation and space for our value that God is present and accessible.
• As we gather we want to enhance and create space for the biblical freedom to worship, available to all, not dependent on knowing the rules.

Group 5

• What is the scope of the taskforce?
• What is the place of teaching in worship?
• What are the elements of worship? Does teaching belong?.
• In freedom: are there parameters and limits?
• What are the issues that we haven’t explicitly named—things that may be underlying the discussion?