AWE-some Wednesdays
Martin's Lutheran Church, Casselton
What does AWE-some Wednesdays stand for?
Alternative Worship
Experience
What is AWE-some Wednesday?
- an intergenerational, interactive worship and
education experience for the whole family
- the arts incorporated with the Biblical message in a
way that allows the entire family to learn about God and
to grow in discipleship together
- a new way to see, hear, touch, and taste the Gospel
message for people who are open to creative expression
and new ways of experiencing the Spirit of God
How does it work?
- we gather in a circle in the church fellowship hall,
not in the sanctuary
- the first 20 minutes are spent reflecting on a Psalm
or Scripture, in quiet meditation, guided reflections,
and use of relaxation techniques that lead to the
Communion Table for a chance to share the Meal each
week
- the next 20 minutes or so, a Biblical story focusing
on the theme is shared, and a variety of techniques, like
small group discussion, pairs, large group discussion or
journaling are employed to engage the participants in
responding to the story interactively
- the next 45 minutes are spent engaged in a creative
endeavor to make the story or theme come alive for the
participant and help them use all of their senses in
embracing the Biblical message
- the final minutes, the group re-gathers in a circle
for a time of shared prayer concerns and mutual
support
Who are you reaching with it?
- families who want an active way to worship together
(children under 6 go to a separate class if they wish
during the middle section, to help them incorporate the
story)
- people who have been turned off by organized religion
or who are merely seeking to give their children
"cultural Christianity" by bringing them to church
school
- people who are attending worship already, but who are
not being fully fed by the traditional or "contemporary"
model of worship
- individuals who want to use all of their senses in
worship and have more involvement in an interactive
worship experience
- teenagers who are seeking to find a voice in the
church
- anyone who believes they might be fed by an
experience that incorporates the arts and the Biblical
message in a dynamic worship and learning experience
What have you done so far?
We use thematic programming, working on a single theme
and art project for several weeks, to allow more time to
invest into the project and the learning process.
Themes include:
- the role of the Spirit in our lives and painting from
our Spirit fed center
- our brokenness and God's mending ways and
mosaics
- servanthood and creating gifts for other
- creating a new thing and collages
What are your hopes for the future?
- to continue to hone and improve our model and
eventually share it with others
- to share with others an exciting way of breaking the
mold of worship and yet remaining faithful to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ
- to share to our vision that worship isn't optional,
how we worship is
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