Order of service?

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Wonderkins

Wonderkins

Puritan Board Freshman
I was wondering if folks would mind sharing their order of service. I'm in a non-reformed Baptist church with no other options and I'm just curious how the reformed churches are doing things?

I was thinking of this after a pastor mentioned the time of kneeling for confession at his church. I've never witnessed this and I'm particularly interested in how that goes.

Our services basically go like this:

Opening prayer,
Some scripture reading,
Two songs,
Announcements,
Another song,
Sermon,
Closing video song the pastor likes.

I watched a service at Phil Kayser's church and it really left me longing for that.

I'm not looking for a debate on what's right or what's wrong. Just want to know what I might be missing.
 
My preference is the simple plan my church has for the evening service where we follow generally the original Westminster Directory for Public worship: Call, prayer, Psalm, OT NT readings, usually chapters, pastoral prayer generally following the Lord's prayer though our new minister has varied from that, sermon, prayer, psalm, Benediction.
 
This is DRPC's from a few weeks ago. Everything is the worship service should be prescribed from Scripture. For example, announcements should explicitly be made outside of the actual worship service (before or after) as announcements are not part of worship.
 

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Here is what our worship looks like for this Lord's day. It is typical of what we do each week.

The Public Worship of God
Lord’s Day, October 30, 2022

Morning—10:30 a.m.
Call to Worship: Psalm 46
Hymn 81: A Mighty Fortress is Our God
New Testament Reading: Romans 1:1-17
Hymn 429: I'm Not Ashamed to Own My Lord
Tithes and Offerings
Pastoral Prayer & Lord's Prayer
Sermon: The Primacy of Their Devotion to Jesus—Matt. 10:34-39
Hymn 491: Jesus Calls Us: O'er the Tumult
Benediction

Afternoon—1:30 p.m.
Call to Worship: Psalm 67
Hymn 135: I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art
Old Testament Reading: Joshua 8:1-17
Hymn 479: Oft in Danger, Oft in Woe
Sermon: The Excellency of Their Ministry in Jesus—Matt. 10:40-42
Hymn 297: Revive thy Work, O Lord
Benediction
 
Our typical order:

Welcome, announcements
Call to worship
Hymn
Pastoral prayer
Sing Psalm, a cappella
Scripture readings
Sermon
Closing prayer
Hymn
Benediction/affirmation

Similar pattern for the second hour.
 
These are great, thank you. The call to worship and benediction seem to be the main staples everyone uses even when they differ in other areas. There is definitely more prayer and scripture involved.

This is interesting. When I read through these, the service just feels more full and weighty to me. They are great to look over though.
 
1. Puppets
2. Refreshments
3. Handshakes/Greetings (suspended during that very embarrassing devastating pandemic that killed every last one of us a few times over)
4. Arts & Crafts
5. Nap
6. Special
7. Dismissal
 
At the Free Reformed Church of Launceston in the AM:

Call to Worship
Votum -- Psalm 124:8
Salutation -- 1 Timothy 1:2b
Singing
The Law of God
Singing
Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon
Scripture Reading
Singing
Text for Sermon
Sermon
Singing
Prayer of Application and Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Singing
Benediction -- Numbers 6:24-26

This is fairly typical for Reformed churches from my tradition (CanRC/FRCA).
 
Guido's Brother said:
At the Free Reformed Church of Launceston in the AM:
Click to expand...
The liturgy of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand is very similar. We uphold the Regulative Principle of Worship and the Dialogical Principle of Worship - worship is a dialogue between God and his covenant people. The Reformed Church of Dunedin (South Island Presbytery) has a helpful article on this https://dunedin.rcnz.org.nz/worship-services/

I also found Wes' book "Aiming to Please" most helpful on this point. He nicely brings out a Reformed liturgy in a Reformed covenantal framework.

Wes, talking of the FRCA, I was delighted to hear that Cand. Anson vanDelden sustained his ordination exam and will be a minister in the Legana church. I'm sure he will be a blessing to the congregation there.
 
Wonderkins said:
I was wondering if folks would mind sharing their order of service. I'm in a non-reformed Baptist church with no other options and I'm just curious how the reformed churches are doing things?

I was thinking of this after a pastor mentioned the time of kneeling for confession at his church. I've never witnessed this and I'm particularly interested in how that goes.

Our services basically go like this:

Opening prayer,
Some scripture reading,
Two songs,
Announcements,
Another song,
Sermon,
Closing video song the pastor likes.

I watched a service at Phil Kayser's church and it really left me longing for that.

I'm not looking for a debate on what's right or what's wrong. Just want to know what I might be missing.
Click to expand...
The following might be helpful, I wrote/compiled it for our URCNA church bulletin, we run this explanation monthly. Note that the evening service substitutes the recitation of an ecumenical creed for the reading of the law.



Our Order of Worship​

Call to Worship: The service begins with the Triune God calling us with his Word to worship him with reverence and awe. A Biblical text, often a Psalm, is read as a summons to the people of God.

Silent Prayer: An opportunity for each person to come before the throne of grace, to ask God to bless the worship service, and to keep us from distraction.

Votum: Having heard God’s call to worship him, we rise to our feet and invoke (call upon) the name of God and confess our dependence on him.

Salutation: As a response to his people invoking his name, God announces his grace and peace to all who come to him in true faith through Jesus Christ.

Song of Praise: Having heard God’s blessing, we respond by lifting up our voices to him and singing a psalm or hymn, as we are commanded to “Come before His presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:2)

Reading of the Law: In the worship service, God’s law serves to show us his holiness and our sinfulness, and is also a guide to living a thankful Christian life.

Song of Confession: Having heard God speak to us in his law, we together in song confess our sins and plead for God’s mercy.

Assurance of Pardon: The Lord responds to our confession with joyful announcement of his promise of forgiveness in Christ.

Congregational Prayer: The whole congregation joins in prayer through the words of the minister, who ordinarily prays for a benediction on the preaching of the Word, for the spreading of the gospel throughout the world, for other congregations and mission works, for particular needs in the congregation, and for our nation and civil authorities.

Offering: We respond to God’s grace with our monetary giving of two offerings: first for the general church budget, and second for a special cause noted in the bulletin each week. We do this as an act of worship, knowing that “each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Song of Preparation: We sing in preparation for the meal God is about to serve for our souls in the preaching of his Word. We sing another psalm or hymn, saying to the Lord, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105)

Scripture Reading: Having asked God to open our ears and hearts to receive his Word, we listen to him speak as his Word is read.

Sermon: As the centre of the worship service, God continues to speak to us as his Word is explained and proclaimed. The minister gives a faithful exposition of the text, which ultimately calls us to repentance of sin and faith in Christ.

Prayer: We respond together in prayer through the words of the minister who asks that God would apply his Word to his people.

Song of Application: Having heard the word of Christ, we “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly,” by “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in [our] hearts to the Lord”. (Colossians 3:16)

Doxology: We celebrate in song the goodness, glory, wisdom, and supreme majesty of God.

Benediction: The triune God has both the first word and the last word in the worship service. With uplifted hands, the minister blesses the people of God from the Word of God, which is available to all who receive it through true faith.
 
pmachapman said:
Dick Vanderpyl's booklet Reformed Liturgy is also very good (and free):

https://web.archive.org/web/20180128192356/http://rcnz.org.nz/synodical/reformed-liturgy.doc

It used to be easily downloadable from the RCNZ website, but must have gotten lost when the new website was created.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that Peter. It is very good. Get the webmaster to put it on the RCNZ website?

The only minor point I would add is he could have brought out the Dialogical Principle of Worship a little more although it is certainly implied.

I'm sure you would enjoy Dr Bredenhof's book 'Aiming to Please' which I mentioned in my earlier post.

I see Peter, you are scheduled to preach here in Whanganui in a couple of weeks. Look forward to catching up DV.
 
Stephen L Smith said:
I'm sure you would enjoy Dr Bredenhof's book 'Aiming to Please' which I mentioned in my earlier post.
Click to expand...
Yes, it is a good book. Walter has read it, loves it, and shares extracts of it at session meetings when relevant.
Stephen L Smith said:
I see Peter, you are scheduled to preach here in Whanganui in a couple of weeks. Look forward to catching up DV.
Click to expand...
Yes, I am looking forward to it, too, and bringing my family down for both services. I will see you then, God willing!
 
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