Worship Resources

Worship, whatever the style, is about a real encounter between the worshipper and God. Worship should create an environment in which worshippers can experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This page offers some resources to help create that environment.

“Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches” poses some questions churches can ask about whether worship is inspiring:

• How often do people express through changed behavior that they have experienced God's presence during worship?  When was it and why?
• How do you regularly plan, evaluate and improve your church's worship services?
• How can you include more people in planning your church's worship services?
• How does the worship music move people into a closer relationship with God?
• How do the preaching and liturgy serve God's purpose of connecting to all people?
• How are you using your best quality communication tools, technologies and resources in worship?

Gluten-free/dairy-free Communion bread recipes

Resources for planning inspiring worship

UMC resources

• Discipleship Ministries offers a tremendous range of music and worship resources for United Methodist churches. Learn more.
• Resource UMC.org is a UMC website for church leaders offering a variety of resources. 
• Visit our Conference  COVID-19 resources pages for information about digital worship

Helpful books:

• Taking Flight with Creativity: Worship Design Teams that Work by Len Wilson & Jason Moore
• How to Start a New Service by Charles Arn
• Where 20 or 30 Are Gathered: Leading Worship in the Small Church by Peter Bush & Christine O'Reilly

Lectionary resources

• Lectionary-organized worship and preaching – www.textweek.com
• Vanderbilt Divinity Library's Revised Common Lectionary site - https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

Licensing

Below are some licensing services. Find more information about copyright on this page under communications tools 

•  https://us.ccli.com — Christian Copyright Licensing for copying music or displaying lyrics in worship or church events. Also offers podcast and webcast licenses.
• https://us.cvli.com — Licensing for video use in worship or church events
• www.onelicense.net — music licensing for worship
• www.copyrightsolver.com — performance licenses for music outside of worship services, webcast/streaming licenses, copying or distributing music on cd/dvd or web sites

Worship Media Resources

Slides, videos, backgrounds, sermon illustrations, countdowns, and more ...

• http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/ 
• http://www.sermonspice.com/ 
• http://midnightoilproductions.com/
• http://simplystill.com/
• http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/

Marcia McFee Worship Design Studio

Marcia McFee’s Worship Design Studio offers resources on a subscription basis. Click the link to learn more.  

Global music for worship and special events

Nisha Purushotham is a multi-instrumental composer, performer and artist based in Cambridge, MA. She is a valuable resource person for local churches interested in cross-cultural community building and incorporating global music into their worship and ministries of outreach, education, spiritual formation and social justice. For more information or to contact Purushotham, visit www.nishapurushotham.com