On Sunday we are doing a Salsa service at The Journey. No, I’m not talking about the style of dance or the refreshment selections, I’m talking about the style of worship order.

If you’ve listed to my Worship Planning Seminar, then you know that we have three different types of worship orders that we use regularly to give variety to the service each week.  They are:

Simple Worship Order (most common)

Split Worship Order

Salsa Worship Order (Least used)

In the Salsa Worship Order, the control of the service goes back and forth at non-even points between the teaching pastor and the creative team.  In other words, my sermon is split in at least three parts and is surrounded by three or four elements designed to teach the previous point through a different medium.

Here’s the elements for this Sunday:

Worship Song

Sermon Intro and Part 1

Testimony

2 Worship Songs

Center Stage Screen Image Reflection

Message Part 2 (via video on-location in Pottery class)

Worship Song/Movie Clip

Message Part 3

Conclusion and Lords Supper

Worship thru Giving

Send Out

All of that in 65 minutes….now that is Salsa!

Because it’s so complicated and requires such detailed preparation, we only use this style of service about 5% of the time (or two or three Sundays a year).  We are doing it this Sunday as an ‘experiential’ worship service to wrap up our One Month to Live Series.

I like this style of service….it keeps people on their toes, it allows for a lot of creative elements. It also breaks the monotony of a ‘Simple’ service where the sermon is all together at the end of the service.

Have you fallen into a rut with your worship orders? Maybe it’s time for some salsa!

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.