· Contemporary worship is experiential.  It grows out of a living experience of the Christian tradition pushing you and the culture pulling you.  Linked to vision, it is not afraid of change, focuses on discipleship and spiritual growth, operates in the heart-language and music of the participants, has "flow" and movement, invites and supports others to experience the transforming power and grace of Jesus Christ, is hospitable and visitor-friendly, and is focused on fulfilling the congregation's Primary Task. 
  · Using the schema of 3 abstract or conceptual forms (Book of Common Worship, Book of Common Song, and Seeker Service), your congregation can make decisions about direction for change in present services and/or adding new services.  The actual service(s) you will develop will work together to balance worship and evangelism in unique ways, given the needs, gifts, and resources of your setting. 
  · As a leader in a missionary congregation, your learning to listen with growing sophistication and attentiveness to the differing cultural "tribes" and "clans" in  the church and in the community is crucial to an effective response.  In the business world it is called "segmenting customers."  While such segmenting can be abused, it does offer a way of focusing on needs, heart-language, and listening to understand. 
  · Another way of seeing people without lumping them all together is to see them in relationship to God and faith.  We have suggested a continuum of participation in worship and in the life of the congregation that includes three broad categories of persons: believers, seekers, and unbelievers. 
  · The potential for making worship contemporary for all persons is rooted in Jesus' assertion that God is transcultural and transtemporal (John 4:21-24) - "God is spirit, and those who worship him will worship in spirit and in truth."  Though the incarnation of God in Christ was particular in a time an place, the grace of Christ is accessible to every time and place by his death, resurrection, and ascension. 
  · A new mission frontier is now emerging.  The mission frontier has moved from the edges of the culture to the threshold of the congregation. 
  · Your effectiveness as a spiritual leader will be marked by vision, spirituality, commitment to the ministry of all Christians, as clear sense of identity as leader, continuous growth in professional and improvement knowledge, and sensitivity to gifts and creativity. 
  · A systems approach is critical to successful improvements in the ministry of your church.  In working toward change, spiritual leadership for the future will be required to take a systems approach.  Worship is part of your congregation's whole ministry system.  Pastors and the other leaders of the congregation must know how to improve worship within the whole system by focusing on the Primary Task. 
  · "At home" and "away" strategies allow the congregation to balance outreach and information (precatechesis) with sustenance and conversion (catechesis) in its ministry system.  The faithful worship of believers can be delightful, attractive, and transforming in its effect upon visitors and seekers.  This means that smaller congregations with only one service (e.g. a Book of Common Worship or Blended Service) can find ways to balance worship and evangelism in a single service.

Note: the end of the book has descriptions and examples of the 6 types of services covered in the book.

Music Links
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   • Acid Xpress (free software to make loops)
   • Using Loops in Worship {PDF}
   • Christian Guitar Resources
   • Rockin' with the Cross (subscription)
   • Christian Guitar Resources
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Technology Links
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Contemporary Churches
   • Sojourn - Louisville, KY
   • Solomon's Porch - Minneapolis, MN
   • Cornerstone Community - San Francisco, CA
   • Ecclesia - Houston, TX
   • Mosaic - Los Angeles, CA
   • WestWinds Church - Jackson, MI
   • Vintage Faith Church  - Santa Cruz, CA
   • Axis - South Barrington, IL
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   • The Ooze