House Church Worship Guide
How to Prepare:
1. Encourage anyone who is feeling unwell to stay home. Think about how you can be caring for one another over these weeks.
2. Have a read through this Worship Guide to get the flow of it, see what parts you’ll use, and how you might do transitions. You can print a simple version of it here:
3. Get any kids resources you need. You can print lyrics for the songs here:
4. Think about whether your group could go smaller by planting another group, or go larger by inviting another family/person
Welcome to our Worship Guide to help you meet with God in community.
Use this Worship Guide flexibly, encourage others to participate, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading you.
1. CALL TO WORSHIP
God has reconciled us to himself through faith, by placing us IN CHRIST. Our lives are wrapped up in Him. He defines us, loves us, makes us secure:
From Colossians 1:
All things were created by Jesus and for Jesus, and he is reconciling all things to himself.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.
22 But now God has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—This is the gospel!
Ask someone to set this time apart for God, dedicating it to Him.
2. SING
Here’s some songs you could sing together – pick which ones you want. If someone has an instrument, maybe you could do your own?
3. CHURCH UPDATE AND PRAYER
Stream the following church update (Length: 4:30 mins)
The update gives you a few things to pray about. What else would you like to pray for?
Take some time to pray for the church of the week and missionary:
Church: Richmond Church of Christ, Minister Steve Rollo
Missionary: Kelly Eason
4. FAMILY CONNECTION
Click on this Family video and take part in the activity (Length: 6 mins)
Play this little choosing game that ties in with valuing things and the parable of the treasure in the field: (You could get people moving to different sides of the room to represent each choice).
Would you rather:
Have a 3 week holiday around the world OR fly to the moon by yourself for a day?
Have a swimming pool full of chocolate milk OR a pool full of chocolate MM's
Be able to pause time for 3 hours every day OR have a robot that would do whatever you wanted.
A Playstation 6 OR any mountain bike of your choice
A new big screen TV OR your insurance premiums paid for 3 years?
Have Jesus in your life OR have a life that is trouble free.
PARENTS: Click on the Family Resources button to find some colouring in activities and videos for preschool and school age children that you can use at any time:
Families, please note that you will need to prepare these colouring and Right Now Media resources ahead of time if you plan to use them.
5. SCRIPTURE READING: COLOSSIANS 1:24-29
Ask someone to read Colossians 1:21-23 and pray for God’s Word to touch our hearts, heal and equip us.
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
6. BIBLE MESSAGE
Stream this message from Mark on Colossians 1:24-29.
(Length: 22 mins)
7. RESPOND
Have a chat about the worship time today. Here are some possible questions you might ask:
What is your immediate heart response to today’s gathering?
If God was saying something to you personally today, what would it be?
What one thing do you feel like God is calling you to do, and how can the group support you?
8. BENEDICTION
Ask someone to pronounce this benediction as we finish our time:
In Christ:
May God’s love surround you, God’s Spirit guide you,
God’s whisper cheer you, God’s peace calm you,
God’s shield protect you, God’s wisdom arm you,
everywhere God leads you. Amen.
9. LEAVE A COMMENT
This step helps us to remember and encourage everyone else who is meeting around the region.
Leave a comment at the bottom of this page sharing a sentence or two about your House Church and what you go up to.
SELFIE TIME
Grab a selfie together and send the photo to lisa@hopechurch.org.nz
The whole service will stream live at 10am if you would prefer to watch it this way. Click on LIVE CHURCH at www.hopechurch.org.nz. Or from midday on, you can find it by clicking on PAST SERVICES.
Share a few sentences about your group and what you got up to. Let’s encourage each other as we meet in different locations.