On this episode of Three Guys Theologizing, Pastor Ed Blackwood of the Springs Reformed Church of Colorado Spring, CO, joins them to discuss a ministry he has developed called Worship Connected. Ed, who just completed a doctoral project on this subject at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, describes this unique approach of connecting family worship of people in a congregation to the weekly worship services.
The 3GTers first discuss with Ed the support for the concept of daily family worship found in the Scriptures and church history, particularly in the Reformed branch. Ed then discusses how congregations are to build their lives and ministries around the Lord’s Day and its worship. Taking these two concepts, he explains his approach to connecting them in his ministry program of Worship Connected.
Pastor Blackwood has his congregation build their family worship times for a week around reading and meditating on passages related to the text he will preach from on a given Lord’s Day. Members of the church are given booklets containing a series of daily readings with questions and worship guidance (see here for samples). Three days of the readings (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) prepare them for the sermon they will hear on the coming Lord’s Day, then another series of readings for three days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) reflect back the message they heard. As Ed says, “What pastor would not want his congregation meditating on his sermons throughout the week?”
Ed explains Worship Connected, gives guidance on how pastors could adopt it in their ministries, and shares the blessing it has been to his congregation. So, have a listen and see if your congregation and pastor might benefit from connecting family worship to corporate worship in this manner!
