AESTHETIC WORSHIP DESIGN

A Paper

Submitted to Dr. Bobby Burt and Jason Waggoner

of the

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course

PATH 5300: Worship Leadership

In the Division of Pastoral Ministries and Music Ministries

Roy Israel Alva-Navarro

B.A., National University of San Marcos, 2012

July 23, 2017

 Aesthetic Worship Design

Prelude Organist

Call to Worship Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty

Invocation Pastor

Praise How Great is Our God

Responsive Reading Psalm 8

Offertory Hymn All That I Am

Offertory Prayer Elder

Tithes and Offering Pianist and Organist

Special Music (Choir) Now Thank We all Our God

Sermon Pastor

Invitation Coming Home

Benediction Pastor

Postlude Organist

A proper preparation for congregational worship style should include a mental

and spiritual preparation. This particular worship service will start with a prelude played

by the organist with a chosen soft song that make the congregation meditate with

solemnity and sobriety. This song embodies the preparation of the heart, mind, and spirit

for service.

After the time of meditation with the prelude son is The Call to Worship. The Call

to Worship is consider as the first movement of this particular worship style. The bilblical

basis for the congregation is in response to the example from Luke in Acts 2:1 (When the
day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place). Another reference comes

also from Acts 4:32 (Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and

soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they

had everything in common).

After the Call to Worship the pastor will move on to the invocation. The

Invocation is a reaffirmation to the congregation´s mind of the beginning of service and

the start of the Praising phase. The Praising phase covers a song and a responsive psalm

that will be read by an elder with responses by the congregation in general. The principal

purpose for the responsive reading is to make the congregation to be involve actively to

the reading and produce an active response to the reading of the Scripture.

Once the responsive reading is done, the worship order will continue with an

offertory hymn. The purpose of the hymn is to get the congregation with the mindset of

offering first of themselves to God, and then to offer of themselves by returning to God

some of the benefits they receive from Him. Before the actual monetary offering the

pastor will do an offertory prayer to encourage the congregation to prepare themselves

for the offering to God. During the tithes and offering the pianist and organist will be

playing a musical selection.

After the collection of the tithes the choir will stand up and get ready to do a

special music. This special music is a selection chosen to serve as a form of thanks to

God for allowing the members of the congregation to have received from God and being

able to offer back to God. The purpose is to maintain the attitude of thanking God, as a

different form of praise, a continuation of the praise that started earlier in the worship.
 As the choir finishes with the special music, the pastor makes his way to the

pulpit in preparation for the sermon. The pastor will begin the sermon with a prayer and

the reading of the passage of Scripture while the congregation follows along. After the

pastor finishes the sermon, a short time will be given for reflection, and after the brief

moment, the congregation will be invited to sing the song Coming Home.

Before the start of the song, the assistant pastors and the elders will move to the

front of the altar in preparation for the invitation to the altar. The pastor will begin the

invitation by mentioning the reason why this altar call is done. It is imperative to do this

for the benefit of those who are new or visiting the service. The explanation of the altar

call will give those who are moved by the Spirit to have an opportunity to respond

appropriately. A place will be prepared to take those who respond to the invitation so

they can be further helped in their decision.

After the invitation portion has been completed, the pastor will proceed with the

benediction of the congregation in preparation for dismissal. A song played the organist

will follow the dismissal and the conclusion of the worship service.