Advent Worship Service (Mixture of 2)

These are elements that I have used over the past couple of years to push my fellow believers into a more authentic faith, especially in our commercialized season of Advent. It is a great time for non-believers or for those sitting on the fence. It gives a time and place to examine, discover, and rediscover a God that is anxiously waiting for our love and comittment.

A time and place to remember those that we will be celebrating Christmas without this year.

A time to sit and reflect on God's Word.

Art Worship

A prayer wall...wailing wall...same kinda thing.

A station celebrating the BABY Jesus. Feel the baby clothes, smell the baby smells, and remeber how our King arrived to save us.

Let go of your distractions. Take time, look in the mirror and see the things that are distracting you from Jesus. Write them on the mirror and leave them behind.

The Chrismon Tree...create something with the clay provided to represent your feelings of the season.

Worldless Worship Service

This was a service that I borrowed from http://www.creativeprayer.com/ and just altered it and mixed it up a bit to meet my needs. I am currently working on having a a First Friday Worship Service each month at Trinity UMC in Raleigh. I am hoping this way people can get their feet wet, see if helps them in their focus and worship of Christ before we get to crazy! I have sporadically done special worship events in the past, but this year we did and Advent Service (A Season of Hope) and this month we did "Wordless Worship" which was just a set of 7 prayer stations that folks traveled through at their convenience. Each station evoked a separate sense and then asked questions about how this element helped them to focus on Christ (or if it didn't, why not). I feel like it was well received by those that attended. Many were way out of their comfort zone. They gave been going to church for 60+ years, and to them worship is singing, praying and listening to a sermon. And there is nothing wrong with that--I worship that way as well. However, it was courageous of them to step out and try something new. I feel like they were grateful that they had tried something new. Here are some pictures of some of the stations. Ay questions? Comments? Can't wait to hear from you!

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Trying Something New

For quite awhile I have been on online kinda girl...I was on Myspace (until it was totally uncool anymore, sorry to those of you who are still myspacing!!). Currently I Facebook way too much and Twitter a little to keep family and friends on top of the situation at the Morgan household!

My name is Lara Morgan and by calling I am a youth minister. I am also a mother and wife, put that together with daughter, sister, volunteer, etc...and the lines start to get a little blurry. I am blessed in so many ways...God's riches are widely available to me everyday.

The purpose of this blog is to try and share dreams and ideas with others who share a passion for altenative worship. There are so many words for this...creative worship, emerging worship, contemplative, experiential...the list goes on and I think that they are all great words.

Do you ever feel like you are out there on your own?? That no one feels the same way as you or ever quite sees your vision and plan? I pray that this can be a restful place where you can come, share your thoughts, ideas and glean ideas from others. Creative, emerging and experiential prayer & worship are NOT just for youth...I have been blown away with the response that I have gotten from adults who have made the choice, stepped out of their comfort zone and experienced God in a whole new way.

Please be part of the conversation. Come here and rest--checkout the pictures and ideas, please let me know if you have some pics that you would like to upload, and let's move forward together as one church of Christ--regardless of denomination!!! We are one body, now let's worship like it!!