Going from good enough to great in church revitalization

This podcast was recorded at the Disciple-making conference breakout session training and focuses on worship. Corporate worship is not a passive entertainment, but a formative event in the process of making disciples. And worship leaders must take care what they imprint into the minds and hearts of worshipers. Kenny Lamm focuses particularly on the musical aspects of worship: are the songs gospel-oriented on the glory of God, the gravity of sin, the grandeur of grace? Do they engage the congregation into greater participation? Lamm also discusses ways leaders can intentionally make disciples in small and large groups through the worship ministry of the church.

Here is an excerpt from this podcast:

Oftentimes when we think of real discipleship, it seems like we think about things like small group situations, maybe triads, which are real popular today in disciple-making, one-on-one mentoring, or even the more traditional discipleship classes. Truly those are all important components of discipleship. But we also think about in the church how we often think of worship and we think of discipleship; it’s almost a dichotomy. It’s two different things; we don’t see that those things go together. When we think of the Great Commission, what are the two things that Jesus tells us to do to make disciples? Baptizing and teaching, and these find their principle expression in worship. When we think about worship, we need to think of it as formative, not entertainment, as sometimes churches get caught up in. We’re not primarily an attractional event, but truly a formative event to disciple people. In James K. A. Smith’s book, Desiring the Kingdom, he expands on this concept of worship as formation. He argues for a change of our understanding of the wiring of human beings. His contention is that we’re essentially creatures that are driven by what our hearts truly love, our affections, rather than fundamentally thinking creatures who are driven by information, ideas and arguments. If we’re trying to disciple a person, that centers more on rightly ordered love, not because belief is unimportant but because our desires sit much more at the core of who we are, how we’re persuaded and changed. Think about what motivates you. Is it more what you know, or more what you’re passionate about and what your heart desires?

by Kenny Lamm  /  Worship and Music  /  Baptist State Convention of North Carolina