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Seven Biblical Values for Public Worship

1. Worship is preeminently about God. In an age where man's needs and opinions are often elevated as primary in worship, we strive to make sure that the knowledge of God and heartfelt response to God are primary.
   
   
   
   1. God is the only one worthy of praise. (Revelation 4:11, 22:9)
   
   
   2. The reason we worship is to bring God pleasure. (Romans 12:1; Revelation 5:11-13)
   
   


2. Worship is Christ-centered. We desire that Jesus Christ and His work on the cross be at the center of our services.
   
   
   
   1. Our worship is made acceptable to the Father through Jesus' continuing work as our Mediator. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
   
   
   2. Our worship should join the eternal heavenly chorus by remembering Jesus' death and resurrection. (Revelation 5:11-13)
   
   


3. Worship is Scripture-centered. God's Word is the only sure means to know and enjoy Him, thus it should drive our worship.
   
   
   
   1. We are committed to the public reading of Scripture. (1 Timothy 4:13)
   
   
   2. Our songs and prayers are designed to help us respond to and interact with the Scripture that we read. (Colossians 3:16)
   
   
   3. Our songs, in general, should be filled with Biblical truth that moves us to worship. (Colossians 3:16)
   
   
   4. God's Word must be preached with depth and power, being faithful to deliver the original message of the text with fresh insight and application for our lives today. (Nehemiah 8:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4)
   
   


4. Worship music should be stylistically diverse
   
   
   
   1. God has not revealed a specific style of music that we must use or avoid in worship. Modern man has unprecedented access to various styles of music thus our people have a wide variety of opinions and tastes regarding music. We will seek, as far as authentically possible, to have as wide a variety of music as our people enjoy.
   
   
   2. Music in worship is designed chiefly as an aid to congregational singing, thus the style and volume of music should not interfere with our people's voices.
   
   


5. Public worship should blend tradition and innovation
   
   
   
   1. We will fight against the tendency to settle into a comfortable tradition, whether it is one of our own making or a firmly established one, by incorporating ancient and modern songs, prayers, creeds, or other readings.
   
   


6. Public worship should be hospitable to outsiders
   
   
   
   1. Paul instructs the church to emphasize prophecy rather than tongues so that unbelievers might understand what is being communicated about God with the goal that they might "fall on [their faces] and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you." (1 Corinthians 14:25)
   
   
   2. We will strive to explain Christian terms, jargon, and Scripture readings in such a way that unbelievers or the biblically immature will understand them.
   
   
   3. While public worship is primarily a time for the edification of the church (1 Corinthians 14:26) we must not neglect to preach, teach, sing, and pray in such a way that lost sinners are called to saving faith in Jesus.
   
   


7. Worship should exist in private, in our families and homes, and in everyday life
   
   
   
   1. We will promote and hold our members accountable to the discipline of private worship (meeting with God through reading Scripture, prayer, and singing).
   
   
   2. We will equip men to lead their families in regular family worship.
   
   
   3. We will teach on worship so that our people might see opportunities to glorify God in every thought, word, and deed of everyday life. (Colossians 3:23)
   
   

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