Normal Order of Worship
The pattern for our Sunday community worship generally looks something like this:-
Opening Ritual
We acknowledge that we gather on the land of which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians from time immemorial. We honour this history and commit ourselves to care for the land with them. May our worship and our service be work for reconciliation with people and with our God.
(We say together…)
Jesus, light of the world, we confess that you are here. Shine your light into the hidden places of our lives, and bring warmth to the cold places of our hearts. Amen.
(silence while a candle is lit)
Call to Worship
Meditation or Song/s
Prayer of Confession
Scripture Reading and Sermon
Response
Communion (Brief) and Offering
Prayer of Thanks for Gifts.
Concerns of the Church
Prayers for Others
say…Lord hear us and we will respond,
Lord hear our prayer.
Song
Benediction…
we say to each other…
You are God’s servants, gifted with dreams and visions Upon you rests the grace of God like flames of fire.
Love and serve the Lord in the strength of the Spirit.
May the deep peace of Christ be with you, The strong arms of God sustain you, And the power of the Holy Spirit strengthen you in every way.
Amen. (Dianne Karray Tripp)
While we follow this pattern most Sundays, anyone can sign up to lead any segment. Creativity is encouraged and explanatory materials are available to guide those who lead. Each week the flow of the service and environment of worship is in the hands of a worship curator who maintains the flow between the segments of worship.
We celebrate Communion each week in a brief form. On the first Sunday of each month we dispense with some of our usual order of service and build the service around the Communion/ Lords Supper/ Eucharist. (These are names given to the ritualised use of the elements of a meal to remember and enter into the death of Jesus)
From time to time as a significant occasion in the Church Year comes around we may dispense with some or all of our usual order of service in order to focus more fully on a particular theme eg Pentecost or Lent.
There is no formal offering during the service. An urn is available for offerings and we suggest you make your offering during the communion part of our service if you wish to. Direct Debit is also available.
Urban Seed:church is associated with Urban Seed, a small Christian-based organization that has provided hospitality and friendship for marginalised people in Melbourne’s CBD for the last decade, but the church is funded independently. ie the general Urban Seed budget does not fund the church.
Any donations made via the church can be designated for the church or for Urban Seed. Undesignated donations go to the work of Urban Seed. All donations over $2 are tax deductible and will be receipted if you provide your name and address at the time of making the gift. Urban Seed is a registered charity with DGR status. www.urbanseed.org
Feel free to contact mark.pierson@urbanseed.org or marcus.curnow@urbanseed.org if there is anything you want to know about Urban Seed:church.
