Henderson Hills Baptist Church

What is happening to worship at Henderson Hills?

Worship is the greatest calling we have as believers but it is one of the hardest things to describe.  I’m going to offer some observations about the nature, importance, and practice of true Christian (biblical) worship in the next few posts in this blog.  However, before I start, I’d like to talk with you about the “worship revolution” that is happening at Henderson Hills.

Over the past months, a number of us have become increasingly aware that our worship services have seemed to become somewhat routine, tedious, and perhaps even indifferent.  Before I go on, let me explain that statement.  These are subjective conclusions based upon our observation of the discernible participation in elements of the worship services. 

For example, do our people seem to be singing passionately?  Some are but it seems that many are not.  This could be said about other aspects of corporate worship as well.  For example, a significant number of people come late and leave the worship center early.  Now, I’d rather that they do that than not come.  Yet, we don’t do that with other things.  How often do you go to a movie late and leave before the end?  If we are truly engaged, we’ll probably be anxious to start participating from the first of the service and be there to the end.  Again, these are not universal phenomena, but they are clearly recognizable. 

I'm convicted that we must take steps to encourage biblical, passionate (not necessarily emotional), and meaningful worship because that is the primary occupation of the church, our God deserves it, and we need to express it. 

After weeks of praying and planning, the Teaching Team, Worship and Arts Team, and others have arrived at the belief that we should lead in a radical revolution in our worship services.  Our guiding principles are that worship must be biblical, simpler, less “produced,” and deeply authentic.  Our goal is to move worship from the stage to every person in the congregation so that we all glorify God and enjoy Him together. 

For this revolution to take place, it must be a work of God.  More important than anything we change or innovation we create, this must be God’s work among people who are desperate for Him.  Let’s pray fervently for a worship revolution to bring us back to the heart of worship. 

This is a journey and we are just at the beginning.  Let’s be patient, prayerful, open, and committed to discovering how we can glorify God more and enjoy Him together.

Thanks for reading,

Dennis