What it takes to put together a worship service each week

As I was sitting in the Zuni gym-acafe-torium before the first service today, watching our various staff and volunteers putting the final touches on the service, I began to think through everything it takes to make worship happen. Worship is the most highly visible thing we do each week as a family of faith. A lot of time and energy go into ensuring a service in which we can experience the grace of Jesus. Here is a partial overview of the behind the scenes of worship:

*Planning starts months in advance when I create the sermon topics.

*The staff meets every Thursday to plan out the services. We talk though the theme for the day, we brainstorm possible creative ideas like videos or special songs, we choose the worship songs for the day, and put an order together. We usually plan a service 4 weeks in advance and constantly review it until it's ready to be experienced.

*Brian or I research the sermon and write the sermon for the week on Wednesday. The message is sent to Diane so she can create the visuals for it. From Wednesday to Sunday Brian or I internalize the message for presentation on Sunday.

*If a video is used it is probably being edited in the days leading up to Sunday. Diane is also busy creating all the graphics for the service.

*Tony sends out music to the band and vocals. The vocals rehearse every Thursday evening. The instrumentalists work on their parts during the week.

*Grace Adventure Club teachers prepare their activities for the children for Sunday morning.

*Friday or Saturday the signs directing people to Grace are set out on Williams.

*On Saturday, a group of us meet at Zuni to set up for worship. Floors are swept and mopped. Chairs are wheeled in and set up. Bathrooms are cleaned and stocked. Communion tables are put up. The sound system is put in place along with the instruments. Welcome folders are prepared. The hospitality tables are set up. And this, plus much more, is usually done without air-conditioning!

*On Sunday people start arriving around 7:15. The place is opened up. Gates are unlocked. Coffee is made. The hospitality table is prepared. Grape juice is poured into the communion cups and the wafers are put into the trays, and then set out on the tables. Various information is put out on the back tables. The parking lot crew set up their stuff. The band arrives to rehearse and do a sound check and the tech team rehearse as well. Ushers are recruited. Communion servers are recruited. The nursery is set up as are the Grace Adventure Club rooms. Name tags are created by Dave (some of which he does at home during the week).

*Then worship happens.

*After worship we clean up the place--putting away the chairs, the tables, the supplies, etc. Cleaning the floors and the bathrooms so all is well for school on Monday morning. Coffee pots are scrubbed. The communion trays are washed and put away. The Grace Adventure Club rooms are cleaned up. The doors are locked up as are the gates to the parking lots.

*On Monday morning a team heads over the Grace World Headquarters to count the offering. The totals are recorded. The worship folders are gone through, pulling out prayer requests, first time visitor names, new email addresses, questions, etc. and the information is farmed out to the appropriate people.

*On Tuesday I send out thank you emails to first time visitors. Our prayer team follow up with a phone call to our guests.

*Tuesday some of the staff meet to review the past Sunday.

*And it starts all over again.

Whew! And I've missed some important stuff I'm sure. It truly takes a community of faith to prepare worship for the community of faith.

Thanks to all of our staff and volunteers who make it happen every week, and make it happen in such a way that it seems effortless, allowing us to be caught up in the moment as we enter the throne room of God's grace through worship.