Rev. Andy Odom,  Rev. David Hays, Lilly Scholars

Kim Malcolm, Congregational Representative

 

Beginning in Advent, we plan to reintroduce the congregation to the spiritual movement of the church calendar as “Christ alive in us.” We believe that the best tool for enhancing the music life of the church is in the movement of the church year itself alongside our strong reformed heritage. Canyon Creek is a liturgy light church that does not always focus on the significance of the church calendar, which is why we believe this to be something that will help worshipers more fully understand the mystery of worship and their role in it.

The foundational element of our project will be a booklet we are producing to be mailed to every household of the congregation along with an explanation of the project itself. The intent is for it to be an educational tool individually, in classes and small groups, and in worship itself. We want this to be a slick, professional quality booklet that includes explanations of the elements of worship, the meaning of the liturgical colors of the year, the sacraments, a theological understanding of the church year as the full life of Christ lived in us, and the role music plays in the drama of worship.

Another component is in our planning for worship. We are already thinking creatively about how to more fully highlight different elements of worship like confession and the affirmation of faith so that worshipers will, in a sense, experience them again for the first time. Different ways of using music for this will be crucial for us. We also are looking to involve members in planning for special Sundays like Baptism of the Lord and Transfiguration Sunday, among others.

Finally, we would like to host a workshop speaker in 2019 to build on what we have learned and experienced in the previous months.

Throughout the project we expect to involve numerous groups, including:

• Worship Committee
• Staff Worship Planning Team
• Adult, Youth, and Children’s Vocal/Bell Choirs
• Worship Praise Team
• The congregation as part of the “Big Choir”
• A team of 3 from the committee have already begun working on the content and design of the booklet we will be using.

Canyon Creek is a congregation of spiritually vibrant people who are highly receptive to experiences that help them deepen their faith. It is also a musically alive church. Relying on these two character traits, we hope to heighten the church’s understanding of the mystery of the presence of God in worship. By more creatively implementing music and liturgy as complimentary components of worship, more clearly focusing on the life of Christ in the liturgical calendar, and more often encouraging people to participate in worship, our goal is to help worshipers gain a greater understanding of the role of music in worship as well as the connection between the movement of worship and their everyday lives. We want to foster a stronger awareness of the connection between the life of Christ and the life of those in worship that they may be more fully equipped to live in the world as people of faith.