1. A statement of worship philosophy

What does the team believe is the purpose of the gathering? This is the foundational question for any group of believers that wishes to gather corporately. Much has been written about the theology and philosophy of worship. We’d like to use our own rubric for understanding worship:

Is the purpose of worship at your church adoration, discipleship, community, and/or outreach?

Avoid the temptation to say, all of the above. Not because you don’t want to, but because you’re deceiving yourselves. While each of the approaches to worship outlined below may be valid expressions, worship at every congregation takes on a certain flavor, theologically, methodologically, and stylistically. As stated, this happens on accident or on purpose. Think to a worship service in which you have been involved. Would you say that it was stronger or weaker in certain ones of these areas? Was that merely reflection of the worship service’s leadership? If so, then that was “worship on accident.”

4 Philosophies of Worship

What do these four categories-adoration, discipleship, community, outreach-represent? Here is a brief description of each. Note they are not mutually exclusive. Also note that the purpose of this article, to use that word again, is not to debate the relative merit of these four approaches, but to identify them so that your congregation can begin to identify a collective vision.

1. Adoration

The praise and worship movement has seen the rise of many large, independent mega-churches with an emphasis on adoration in worship. Largely Pentecostal in heritage, many of these congregations have a focus on music as a means to glorify God. Churches with an emphasis on adoration might say, “Praise, worship and adoration of the Creator is the focus of worship music.” The theological/methodological implication is that the zenith of the worship experience is the corporate gathering of a body of believers to glorify God.

2. Community

Mosaic, the church led by Erwin McManus in Los Angeles, has become well-known for its emphasis on community. McManus took over a Southern Baptist church in East Los Angeles called The Church on Brady and has helped it grow partly through worship with a focus on community. The church eventually changed their name to capture this new identity-a mosaic representing the myriad of believers all coming together as one body of Christ. Unusual for a Southern Baptist congregation, Mosaic serves communion every week. The theological/methodological implication is that the zenith of the worship experience is the Eucharist.

3. Discipleship

Church of the Resurrection has become well known for its emphasis on discipleship. Pastor Adam Hamilton has led what has become the largest United Methodist Church in the United States. The church’s approach to worship is classic protestant, with an emphasis on teaching from the pulpit. Hamilton uses current events as a window to biblical truth in his sermons. The theological/methodological implication is that the zenith of the worship experience is the sermon, or the proclamation of the Word, which in the modern era shifted from story to expository.

One of the basic differences between Catholic and Protestant worship practice is the difference between the former’s emphasis on the Eucharist and the latter’s emphasis on the sermon. Whereas the Catholic tradition emphasizes unity of liturgy as a reflection of unity of faith (meaning, until Vatican II, change in worship occurred very slowly), the Protestant and especially evangelical tradition, emphasizing the message, has used worship as a means to proclaim the Word. Which leads us to…

4. Outreach

Willow Creek, one of the largest and most influential churches in North America, became well-known for its effectiveness in outreach through worship, with its focus on creating an experience for “unchurched Harry and Mary,” their imagined target, who are typical, upper-middle class suburban boomers in the Chicago area. Outreach in the context of worship is alternately constructed as evangelism or mission. The theological/methodological implication is to engage the culture in the church’s most visible time using everyday language and methods as Jesus modeled through his own ministry and is an extension of the sermon-centered approach to worship, as stated.

Churches with effective ministries often arise out of strength in one or two of these philosophies of worship. One real-life sample philosophy statement then, from a church who ranks Adoration and Discipleship as the highest priorities:

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