LOCATED AT 704 JOLIET STREET IN DYER

What is Elevate?

Many churches—especially smaller churches—often have no outlet for ongoing volunteer development. This is unfortunate since that stifles ministries' growth in scope and excellence when there's often so much potential in the people God has brought together in the local body.

Elevate is a new, experimental process of developing the worship ministry at Rise Church so that the Heart, Head, and Hands of volunteers can be tended to with intentionality and, in turn, serve the congregation better. During these monthly sessions, we'll spend time together in worship, study, and skill-development so that each of us can do our part better. Skills will include subjects like playing together better as a band, leveraging online resources like Planning Center Online for personal preparation, techniques for programming and designing for Sunday, and cross-training so volunteers understand better how to communicate and appreciate what each person contributes on a Sunday morning. The skill for a given week will generally benefit many, but sometimes it will be more focused in personal application (e.g. playing together better as a band).

Our hope is to enrich our worship lives by sharing and growing together as we elevate God, Community, and Skills. These sessions are open to worship ministries from any church in the area who wishes to attend, so please bring a friend!

Sessions List

Back to list

Elevate Session 1 — 06/18/22 (Watch it here)

HEART
Song: The Heart of Worship - Matt Redman

HEAD
Discussion:
  • Sessions will be called “Elevate Sessions”
    • Elevate God
    • Elevate community
    • Elevate knowledge/skills
  • Worship is a diverse subject
    • Behaviors
      • Some OT (Hebrew) words:
        • Šāḥâ (Shaw-Khaw’): To prostrate (as before a powerful figure, including a deity)
          • E.g. to kneel or bow (Gen. 37:9-10 - Joseph’s dreams)
        • ʿĀḇaḏ (Aw-Bad’): To serve; work as, become, or be made a servant
          • E.g. to labour for a master (Ex. 21:2-6 - piercing the ear)
      • Some NT (Greek) words:
        • Sebō (Seb’-O): To revere or be devout to another
          • E.g. to “claim the name” of Jesus as your Lord and Savior (Acts 17:16-17 - Paul reasons with God-fearing Gentiles)
        • Latreuō (Lat-Ryoo’-O): To serve for hire; to serve God or men in a religious capacity; to perform sacred rites
          • E.g. to pastor a church or lead communion (Acts 27:21-23 - Paul shipwrecked while prisoner)
      • “Gotta Serve Somebody” - Bob Dylan (1979)
        • “But you're gonna have to serve somebody / Yes indeed, you're gonna have to serve somebody / Well it may be the Devil / Or it may be the Lord / But you're gonna have to serve somebody”
  • Offerings
    • Money, skills, connections, privileges
  • People/Roles
    • Matt vs Ben vs Shaynee vs Josiah, etc.
    • All different skills, different jobs, different ways to engage the Church and God on Sunday mornings, but all is worship.
    • When serving in corporate worship, your personal worship (yes, there’s a difference) MUST be more intentional than those simply attending, because you miss out on certain aspects of corporate worship that others don’t. Daily/weekly routines need to be more robust to support a well-rounded relationship with God. Sundays for you is dominated by hands and head, but you need the heart to truly call God “Father.” The other 6 days are where your heart needs the most attention.

HANDS
Helpful habits:
  • Daily/weekly Bible study apps:
    • YouVersion
      • Study on your own with reminders, or even study with friends!
    • Blue Letter Bible
      • Word studies, commentaries, dictionaries, and loads more!
    • Pray First
      • Prayer plans, background prayer music (free, no ads), prayer teachings, and more!
  • Breath prayers
    • Pray for something you see in a single breath, not long sessions
      • Ambulance drives by, scroll by a sad Facebook post, etc.
      • Build the habit of mindfulness toward God in all things
  • Find how you best connect with God and leverage that
    • Nature walks, morning devotional, lyric studies, word studies, etc.
    • Do it with intentionality, not passively (e.g. pray while you walk in the woods, don’t just walk in the woods)
    • If it’s something you enjoy, it will encourage the habit of staying connected with God through the week.