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Los Angeles Worship Guide
Interesting Churches to Visit For pastors, worship leaders, instrumentalists, vacationers, people here on business.Experience first hand the cutting edge of Christian Worship in the Los Angeles, CA area! Visit a church on this list. Since I teach music at Biola University and write books on worship, I have made it my business to visit over 100 churches in the LA area (over 23 denominations). These are my picks for the most interesting, revealing places to visit. Use this list to find out what's happening, to get a different perspective, or to recharge your batteries. Perhaps you can even strike up a productive relationship with someone here and be used by God to enhance the worship in your own church. What's on this list? Service descriptions, names of key leaders and performers, phone & FAX & Email numbers, addresses of churches, and church web sites. How do I find (drive to) these places? Click on this link to the yahoo's driving directions service to get your computer to draw a map from where you are to the church you want to visit. This link also calculates the mileage distance and how long it will take to get there. Worship Service Categories You'll find several churches listed under each of these categories. Click on the category that interests you. Terminology Employed BUILDERS: church attenders born before 1946. BOOMERS: church attenders born after 1946. GENERATION X: church attenders in their teens and twenties. Seeker centered service: the Sunday service exists primarily for evangelism Seeker sensitive service: the Sunday service avoids terminology that non-churched guests can't understand; relevant-topic sermons with contemporary music Blended worship service: commitment to intergenerational worship; blends the music of different generations; employs choir and worship team; probably retains corporate prayer and corporate Scripture reading. Non-intergenerational service: a conscious decision is made to target a narrow age group, with the assumption that another age group will be excluded. For example, Generation X congregations may choose music which does not communicate to builders--or even be offensive to them. There is no attempt to bridge generational differences. It's a case of marketing techniques applied to worship--niche worship. Traditional Evangelical service: basic order of worship in bulletin; choir, organ, piano; generally one hymn/ chorus sung at a time; one special music number; thematic design (music linked to sermon). Liturgical service: adheres to Church Year; detailed, written, prescribed order of service; 2-3 corporate readings of Scripture; prayer of confession; weekly communion; worship as a dialogue (many short responses from the people). No Evaluation There are many significant issues facing the church in the area of worship today. In general, I'm not attempting to judge the validity of what is happening in the churches on this list. It's more intended to be a description, and an opportunity for you visit and make that determination yourself. I do want to say, however, that I have not seen much emphasis on corporate prayer or the corporate reading of Scripture in the churches I have visited. Tell your friends about this site I believe the Church is the most important institution in the world. I want to be a part of building it up. Tell your pastor, worship leader, keyboardists, guitarists, and instrumentalists about this list! Email me.
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