How does your church service end?

[skyescraper]

I was wondering how everyone ends their Sunday morning service(s). At our church we have a closing song after the pastor's message. It's a different song each week. Recently we visited a church where the pastor ended his sermon by dismissing the people. It felt a bit abrupt to me, but apparently this church was accustomed to ending this way. Anyone have any thoughts to share about how you close, and how you like the way your church is currently doing it?

[inworship]

We change it around each week. The teacher might close and pray and dismiss. Sometimes we have a song and a response time. Sometimes we do our music portion of the service after the message and spend time in both worship and communion. It all depends on what response we want from the people attending that specific weekend.

[milepost13]

ours is different week to week as well. Usually it's either an energizing worship song or two, or a sermon-related challenge for the week from the pastor.

Nate

[Psalmist]

We change it up according to how the Spirit is leading. Usually though, we have a ministry time - an opportunity for people to reflect on the message and respond to the Holy Spirit. There can be time for meditation. Sometimes prayers lead by the Pastor. Sometimes opening the altar for people to kneel and pray. Just depends on how our Pastor is led.

Most of the time I will play quietly (keys) during this time and sing a song that ties into the message/provides a thought for people to reflect/respond. Most of the time, it's something off the cuff and in my memory bank, but familiar enough that it's recognizable.

Sometimes, though, our Pastor will give us a closing thought and end with a prayer. Kind of leaves the time open ended, but leaves room for us to continue seeking God about what He wants to speak directly to each of us. Can be quite powerful, if it's what God intends!

[Joseph]

After the Pastor preaches the Sermon and closes is prayer? its done like Duck Dinner.

[Mike Darley]

We will normally end with a time of response during a closing song. The pastor with then dismiss the congregation. Sometimes this will end slightly, but this is generally the way we do it.

[Psalmist]

Joseph,

Yes. :p Wow! You'd think prayer was a new concept!!! By the way...what's Duck Dinner?

[El Ben]

We sort of have the stereotypical charismatic setup at my church.

Pastor gives the nod to whoever's playing the keys or piano and they sneak around the back and up the side to the stage and begin playing soft 1-4-5 chord progression variations. It's almost like reflex now whenever I hear a pastor starting to wrap up his message to beeline it for the keyboard.

[russhutto]

We mix it up for the most part, but always offer some sort of "call to action" - be it a response in prayer, song, or commitment. Sometimes, we'll even give folks a specific "assignment" for the week.

And we are working in a "deeper" challenge weekly through our website. We have a link each week to more content that is relevant to the talk given that takes the topic a little deeper. We're working towards having volunteers/lay leaders work through and write that content.

[Joseph]

Prayer???? ya mean there are others that do it??? hahahaha just kidding.
Duck dinner??? ahhhh your not by chance a save the duck radical are ya??? hahahaha again! just kidding. Uhh No Our pastor delivers a Word that keeps you on the edge of your seat. He closes in Prayer, then its pack up the sound equipment shake a few hands, hand out in the back, then its home for lunch. (Not duck Dinner) but I`d be willing to try anything once!!!

[carguy1]

We almost always end in a song. Usually something slow and reflective. I like this because it gives people a chane to respond to God.

[inworship]

We almost always end in a song. Usually something slow and reflective. I like this because it gives people a chane to respond to God.


Please, Please, Please don't take offense at this, because it is not meant to criticize, only to start a discussion.

What does Responding to God mean? Does it actually happen in that 3 minutes between the message and leaving the building? Doesn't response take place when you leave the building and live the life you've been challenged to live?

We end our services this way at times, for different reasons, but I always have felt personally that an actual response from a person is one that is done outside the building.

What do you guys think?

[Joseph]

Yeah !! I`ve been there, outside the church talkin about the sermon that the Pastor just Preached and how it either has confirmed the week that I just experienced as well as the week thats coming. ( Inworship) ???? Good word! thanks.

[inworship]

Not sure I understand your response completely Joseph

I just want to be clear. I understand the reflection part of a service. Being able to soak in what you've just heard and I am sure that's what everyone means, but our response is carried out in everyday life when we take the challenge of God's Word and the fire of God's Spirit and be the people God desires us to be.

[skyescraper]

I think that when we (as church leaders) say "respond to God" at the end of the church service, we are referring to the work that God is beginning in the peoples' hearts as a result of hearing the message. For sure, the true response is carried out in our everyday life when we actually put into practice what has been spoken to our hearts.

[inworship]

I'm with you skyescraper. As I was reading through, that word stood out to me in our discussion and it was probably just word choice for me.

Just last week we spent an extra amount of time at the end of the service for people to pray and meditate and make commitments to God as I played in the background :)

[stephen_can_man]

A response time (with song or prayer) allows for people to make an emotional connection to the message. This is very important for a lot of people because it helps them to immediately connect the truth with action. Yes, life change occurs when we choose to apply God's word, but, allowing the time to reflect and connect can open your heart to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Some people (like myself) tend to be more cerebral about it. Life change occurs for me when I believe what I have heard and then make a conscious choice to change, usually long after the service. But, I don't discount how others feel the need for an emotional connection, we are all differently wired and the Holy Spirit moves differently in everyone.

We end our service with a song every week and, I am really sick of it. After awhile it feels forced and disconnected because we try to find a song that relates to the message every week. It's hard work and a lot of times it feels forced and unnatural. When it does work though, it is very powerful. It's hard to strike a good balance, but, I think the key is not the pattern but the quality of the content and the way it is presented that matters the most.

[inworship]

We end our service with a song every week and, I am really sick of it. After awhile it feels forced and disconnected because we try to find a song that relates to the message every week. It's hard work and a lot of times it feels forced and unnatural. When it does work though, it is very powerful. It's hard to strike a good balance, but, I think the key is not the pattern but the quality of the content and the way it is presented that matters the most.

Good stuff. This statement from you is one of the reason I mentioned what I did on page 1. I think we can get into a routine with what we do in our churches. I am convinced that people will respond even when we have done the same thing over and over, but there is real wisdom in deciding how we want the people to respond instead of just relying on something we always do.

[skyescraper]

I know what you mean about feeling like you HAVE to choose a song to go with the message, and at times it just doesn't feel natural.

At our former church I had written a short song of dismissal that the congregation sang at the end of the service every time, to close. We had people join hands across the aisles as we sang it. I know that might sound cheesy, but in that particular church (Southern Baptist, small-town) it worked. :)

I have only been at my current church going on two months and am trying to discern if something like that woud fit here... I like the idea of having something consistent from week to week, but want to be careful not to overdo it, either.

[inworship]

At our former church I had written a short song of dismissal that the congregation sang at the end of the service every time, to close. We had people join hands across the aisles as we sang it. I know that might sound cheesy, but in that particular church (Southern Baptist, small-town) it worked. :)

Actually it kind of sounds cool. I like the idea of ending with a statement of action from the community. It's a good all church reminder to take what you've heard and be somebody with it.

[skyescraper]

At that church, after I wrote the song, it took me several weeks to muster up the courage to present it to the congregation... because I wasn't sure how it would go over. The first time I asked them to join hands across the aisles, they seemed a bit uncertain, but by the third week they were really into it and I heard a lot of good comments. They felt it bonded them a bit, like making a statement that we are united as a Body and going out into the world to make a difference.

[inworship]

Very Cool!

Dude, I just saw your in Oregon...where at? I'm in Medford.

[skyescraper]

Hood River. :)

[inworship]

We are definitely on opposite sides of the state. We'll have to catch up if I ever come north.

[skyescraper]

Sounds good. You never know.

[carguy1]

Inworship, I believe that when we accept salvation we are called to make a public profession of faith. That is what I mean by "responding to God". I completely agree that salvation should make a difference in our lives as we walk out the doors. But I also think that making your acceptance of salvation public is very important. This is why we end with a song. We do not do those long alter calls were the pastor brow beats the congregation until someone comes down, just a short song to give people time to do business with God before they leave and life gets in the way.

Do I think that every service should end with music and an alter call? No, I think that the Spirit should be free to move regardless of the "structure" that we have set up. Do I think that this kind of ending is important at times? Absoulutely!

[inworship]

Thanks for the response carguy1. I understand completely what you are saying. that was a different focus than I had been thinking. thanks for the clarification.

[Joseph]

well you sound pretty clear to me. whats The Problem then???? I was speaking in terms of relationship and fellowshipping with brothers and sisters after the service had ended.
how is that not understandable?

[inworship]

Joseph, I was confused by your response. It didn't line up with what I was talking about so I wasn't sure if you understoodf what I was saying. Plus you added (inWorship)???? I did not know what this meant. Were you asking me to clarify? I did this to be clear. Were you asking me my real name? If so, it is Brent. I wasn't sure, that's all.

It is hard in text to convery all emotions and intent and I was just trying to understand where you were coming from.

[Joseph]

Ohhh Hi! I`m Joe. I think you were pretty clear in what you said. Its just that it applied differently to me thats all. its nothing personal. Its just that, thats how I interpret what you said. Sometimes I dont hear what people are meaning, maybe I`m stupid. who knows. I do have brain Disease which causes immense problems for me especially when I`m leading a congregation into higher dimmensions of Worship. I suffer with short term memory loss, and sometimes an in ability to speak. and Its happened while singing. so Cool nice to meet you. If i offended you in anyway. I`m truly sorry. its all Good.

Blessings

[inworship]

No offense taken Joseph, it is nice to officially meet you as well. I just want to always be clear and not confusing when I type, so that was my hope.

[worshiptrench]

As sermon wraps with response time (which is usually a prayer or sometimes a song) the ushers are called forward and a non-preaching staff member prays. they start taking up the offering while the non-preaching staff member gives four or five opportunities to make a glocal impact or get connected (ex. plug into Haltom City Homemakeover, ten new Teams /small group/ starting, etc. NOT the carpet color committee will be meeting type stuff. Sometimes a couple of the announcements are video based.

1. offering is an act of worship so we prefer to do it as an act in our worship service instead of drop boxes (yes we have online giving, and yes I know it can an individual worship experience to drop it in a box, etc as you leave, but it appears to be a communal act when Paul takes up love offering for Jerusalem Church in famine).

2. announcements should be an opportunity for the congregation to carry out what they have heard in a message. the "who, what, when, why, how and where" of Isaiah's Here Am I Send Me statement. So we put them at the end so they better match the Isaiah 6 pattern. We try to match them to the sermon, so if it was on money, we'd announce launch of Crown Team as the first announcement afterwards. On communal connection, launch of new team. Etc. Most of our announcements are about opportunities to serve outside the walls (Homemakeover, Vietnam Water Filtration Team, Vietnam...the 1000 other projects we have their or our Haltom Inner City work or Mexico site). But that's just how we roll.

[blschreiner]

We generally have a closing song, generally different each week. Following the song, the pastor dismisses the congregation with a short prayer, benediction, or similar. As soon as he finishes, the praise team reprises generally the last chorus or so of the closing song while the congregation is exiting the worship space. We agree on the exact starting and ending points of this reprise before the service so that we can kick it off cleanly and everyone on the team knows what to expect.

[centerpointeworshipper]

well, the pastor says "lets pray" and the keyboardist goes to the keys and play keys and synth pad, and my pastor leads an invitation for salvation and like 15 people get saved and then we go home.:D