church plant
- Just realized I never gave you all any feedback on the first service at Imago Christi. It went pretty well - had 60 in attendance. Music was OK, though I starting singing the wrong verse of one hymn at one point, which threw everybody off. :-(
- Just started my new book list for 2008. You can find the link on the sidebar. Only one book on it so far.
- I have resolved to not get any more books from the library until I read through the pile that’s next to my bed. It has grown to where it won’t fit under the lip of the bedside table any more - must be 15 books there. They’re good things that I want to read, I just keep preempting them with newer stuff from the library. Gotta whittle that pile down.
- Just heard that Andrew Peterson will be doing a concert in Cedar Rapids the day after my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! Hey Andrew and Heather, when will you be back in the area for spring break? Want to come down to CR?
- Speaking of Andrew and Heather, we’ve been plotting (well, Becky’s been plotting) our trip to WA this summer for the wedding. It’s looking like fun.
- Next note on the wedding: I’m gonna have to buy a suit. I haven’t owned a suit in years. The blazer I wore during college hasn’t fit me through the shoulders since probably 2000.
- It’s harder than it should be to remember that the Saturday night service at Imago wasn’t a one-time event. I’ve got to plan music for this Saturday… should do that today.
- Worship leader & musicians
- Sound equipment
- Sound technician
- Recording gear to record sermon
- CD for playing before/after service
- Words for the songs (either song sheets, hymnals, or overhead projection)
- Lapel/wireless microphone for pastor
- Collection plates/buckets/box/whatever
- Ushers
- Counters
- Treasurer
- Budget
- Receipts (donors will want receipts!)
- Bulletin
- Communion service
- Nursery workers
- Children’s church workers (if you have it)
- Sunday school teachers (ditto)
- Security
- Clean-up crew
- Set-up crew (if you’re packing in/out)
Bullet points for a Wednesday
Creating the routine
The biggest adjustment this week in preparing for the Saturday night service is starting to think of it as a weekly routine. We’ve done other one-time events down there in the past, and it would be quite easy to think of last Saturday’s service as just another one-time event. Except that it’s not - I need to get music planned, get the worship team lined up and ready to go, get the lyrics prepared for the bulletin, all the usual tasks… again this week.
One thing I think would help in this regard is setting a regular schedule throughout the week for my planning and preparation. Something like this:
Saturday night: worship service.
Sunday: prepare sermon recording for website, listen to it again and evaluate.
Monday: make sure the website is updated for the week.
Tuesday: choose music for the following week and email to worship team.
Thursday: prepare bulletin.
Saturday: practice with the WT and do the service.
Repeat.
I think it might work. However it happens, I sure need a routine.
D-Day Timeline
Saturday was the big day - first service at Imago Christi! A timeline of the day:
7:30 am: Wake up after sleeping in. Feels good. Making mental lists of what I need to remember for the service.
9:45 am: Everyone is fed and dressed. Making a couple final tweaks to the bulletin.
9:55 am: Headed to Noelridge to print the bulletin and pick up the drums.
10:30 am: Setting out 2008 giving envelopes for Noelridge while the bulletins print.
10:50 am: Loading congas, microphones, mic stands, and a small podium into the van.
12:10 pm: Girls are taking a nap, Becky and I are watching Heroes. Almost done with Season One.
12:30 pm: Nate calls and wants to know when we can meet so he can drop off the sound equipment. Any time before 3:30 will work for him.
1:15 pm: Meet Nate at Imago. Set up speakers, amp, adjust the EQ.
1:45 pm: Heading back home.
3:15 pm: Leaving to pick up Andre and head to Imago for worship team practice.
3:30 pm: Made it to Imago, setting up microphones and the keyboard. How will we arrange all this stuff on the stage?
4:00 pm: Finally ready to practice the music. Getting a nasty hum from the passive pickup in Morgan’s guitar.
5:00 pm: We’re as practiced as we’re going to be. Plugging in the iPod. Andrew Peterson will provide background music until the service starts.
5:15 pm: Changing into my ilikeandy.com t-shirt and a jacket.
5:30 pm: Service starting. Must be about 50 people here.
5:35 pm: We’re up. Music starts. People are clapping on the first song. Woohoo!
5:39 pm: This second song is a mess. Timing is off, and I messed up the lyrics to the second verse. Not my A game. Grrrr.
5:50 pm: Music set is done. Still pondering what song to use as the musical meditation at the end of the service.
6:40 pm: Richard has finally wrapped up the sermon. Taking mental notes to give him a review later. I’ve decided on a song.
6:50 pm: First service is over, and we survived. Thank God. Heading down for a fellowship time.
7:15 pm: Tearing down sound equipment. Fortunately we have a closet where we can store it there at the church.
7:45 pm: Everything is torn down and put away. Now to lug those congas back out to the car so we can use ‘em at Noelridge in the morning.
8:10 pm: Home. Exhausted. Putting the girls to bed.
8:30 pm: Watching the last three episodes of Season One of Heroes. Pretty good ending.
It's a big day
We’ve been working towards this for over a year now, and tonight it comes to pass: the first service at our downtown Cedar Rapids church plant, Imago Christi at Central Park. I think we’re to the point where we’ve planned about as much as we can; now we just have to go for it and trust God to see us through. This is the point where the butterflies set in.
Pray for us today that we would be effective, and above all else, that God would be glorified.
(5:30 pm if you’re in CR and want to come!)
Songs for the Inaugural Service
Imago Christi’s inaugural service is just over a week away - January 5, 2008. As I noted previously, it’s a bit of a challenge to pick the music - something appropriate for the first service of a new church, setting the tone for services to come, and having something accessible for those who are coming who may not be familiar with the songs.
I’ve settled on these four:
Blessed Be The Name of the Lord (Clinton Utterbach)
Praise to the Lord, The Almighty
My All In All (Dennis Jernigan)
Jesus, I Come (with new tune from RUF Hymnal)
I think this keeps things relatively simple, yet incorporates some new and old lyrics of praise of the Father, praise of the Son as the Lamb of God, and a beautiful expression of the Gospel in the final hymn. I pray it will be a blessing to those who attend.
Details to remember for your first worship service
Yes, the title is overly-long Google linkbait. But one thing I have been astonished with is just how many details there are that need remembered to plan for the first (or for that matter, any) worship service at a church plant. So, without any further ado, here’s my running list. I’ll update it as I remember more things.
Music-related
Giving-related
Service-related
Children’s ministries
Etc
What items do you have to add?
Selecting music for an inaugural service
We’re going to have our first worship team practice for Imago tonight, which means I need to have music selected for our first service. Selecting church music is normally a bit of a challenge, but selecting music to kick off a whole new church? Intimidating. I’ll need to pick a mix of old hymns and some more modern stuff; I’m thinking of some Chris Tomlin and maybe Praise to the Lord, the Almighty. Any ideas? Feel free to leave them in the comments. I’ll post the list when I get it finalized.
Building a worship team
One of my big initial tasks for Imago Christi is to figure out the worship team situation. Music is going to be an important part of our church “feel”. I had to select a word carefully there. Music won’t be the most important part of the church, not by a long shot. Nor will it be the most important part of the worship service. But music sets the tone, the “feel”, for the service and the congregation. Our music at Imago needs to draw from both ancient and modern, to be current musically while capturing the richness of two millenia of church tradition, wisdom, and teaching.
With that mental framework in place I start to look for musicians and vocalists. In the end I picture a small band; drums, a guitar or two, keyboard, bass, and a few vocals. But we’ll start smaller than that. It looks like our inaugural service will be keys, (conga) drums, and maybe an acoustic guitar. Three of us on vocals. We’ll see where it goes from there. I’m a lousy recruiter. I hate asking people to do things. I want people who are self-motivated and want to participate on the team. When God brings them, we’ll add them in. Am I being naive about this?
First practice is Thursday night. I can’t wait.