CHICAGO (December, 1999) – The Book of Worship Commission of the Evangelical Covenant Church is asking pastors to submit material to be considered for use in a revised Book of Worship now in the writing stage.
It has been some twenty years since the Book of Worship was last revised. It is hoped that new, fresh material can be included in each of the various sections of the book, an important tool used by pastors to help guide worship and conduct special services throughout the year.
The commission envisions creation of an ongoing process of resource development, rather than producing only an updated book. The revised book will be one of four major components in a new resource package, which will also include a CD-ROM product, a loose-leaf library, and an active Internet site where new material can be regularly added without waiting for formal revisions.
“The immediate need is for new, fresh material,” said Bill Notehelfer, commission chair. Notehelfer stressed the importance of noting the source of submitted material, if not the original work of the person submitting it, so that copyright infringement issues can be avoided.
All printed submissions should be addressed to Donald Njaa in care of the Department of Communication, Evangelical Covenant Church, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60625. Make certain to include Njaa’s name on the envelope.
New content is especially requested for the following areas:
- Service of healing – something particularly suitable for hospital use or for situations other than regular worship services
- Special services – Holy Week, Advent, etc.
- Calls to Worship – pastors are asked to “send a few of your best”
- Prayers – invocations, benedictions, other special prayers
- Funerals
- Weddings
- Confirmation
- Installations – Sunday school teachers, other lay leaders, etc.
- Services from the praise and worship tradition, in particular, how to do communion in that kind of tradition
- General suggestions – items that are missing in the present book
The commission will meet in November, at which time submissions will be reviewed. “This means that material should be mailed at one’s earliest possible convenience,” Notehelfer said, as time will be needed to copy and collate.
Another important area of need falls in the category of worship service outlines. Examples of service outlines are requested in each of the four following categories:
- Traditional
- Convergence/four-fold/blended
- Praise and Worship
- Story
“We are also asking pastors to assist by providing us with copies of their May 23 Pentecost Sunday worship bulletins,” Notehelfer said. The bulletins should not be sent to Njaa in Chicago, however. Bulletins should be mailed to Doug Vetvick at Covenant Bible College, 675 Southwood Lane, Windsor, Colorado, 80550.
It is further requested that pastors submit samples of bulletins they use for worship services where communion is served, and copies of service bulletins where communion is not served.
If a church employs more than one style of worship in different kinds of services, then copies of those services are requested as well.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.