Why Are We Switching to Worship Guides?

Hey Church Family,

I thought it would be helpful to write a quick post, explaining why we are making the switch from our worship gatherings being guided by a projector to being guided by a paper booklet… aka, a “worship guide.” We’ll make this switch when we begin our weekly worship gatherings at Manor Hill Elementary on November 1st. We’ve used worship guides before at our monthly gatherings at the school in 2024 and 2025. But now, for a number of reasons, the pastors and I deemed it best to stick with worship guides moving forward. I’m excited to share a few of those reasons with you now, and I hope this short post will encourage you to enjoy this change.

You will notice the order of service

Almost every week, as I wrap up planning the order of service, a small part of me laments. Why? Because most who will attend the upcoming Sunday won’t get to see what I see: a big-picture snapshot of what we’re doing. What are we doing? We’re rehearsing the gospel, and we’re singing, praying, reading, and preaching the Bible, and you can’t help but see the whole thing with a worship guide. The journey just gets lost when using a projector. It’s like starting an important book without a table of contents. Or another illustration: We are so accustomed to GPS on our phones just telling us where to go in real time. But what about the days before instant-gratification GPS when families got to spread a map out,  slow down, and ponder the journey ahead? Trip planning used to be more adventurous and meaningful. I think, in a similar way, our order of service might become more meaningful with worship guides, helping us to see how we’re worshipping our God according to his Word. 

You will see the whole song

In a similar way, we miss slowing down with a song and seeing its verses in their context of a song when we are only able to view one phrase at a time. With lyrics on a page, however, or with actual sheet music, we’re able to see where the song is going. Oftentimes, there’s a narrative or poetic arc in the song we couldn’t see otherwise. It can aid our worship. It can stir up excitement to get to the climactic verse of that one beloved song because of its lyrics on the resurrection. It helps build anticipation. And, especially when actual sheet music is available, seeing the whole song helps us sing dynamically and musically, as those who are musically inclined can even pick out parts and fill the room with harmony.

You can take worship guides home

As we teach often at LBC, our worship doesn’t end when we depart on Sunday, but it continues among our body throughout the week as families and individuals. One simple, practical benefit of having worship guides is that you can take them home, if you choose, to review Scripture readings, build up an arsenal of sheet music, or to simply remind yourself of important updates and events in the days ahead. Guests in particular are greatly helped by this, as they’re able to review and think on what they just witnessed. It’s tangible, and it’s intentional. That means something in today’s intangible and ambiguous culture.

You’ll have space for sermon notes

These next three are uber-practical, but I think they’re helpful for our church to know.

As we gather at the Manor Hill gymnasium, we won’t have pockets in the seats to hold cards for sermon notes. And, arguably more important, we won’t have anything for our children to scribble on!! But seriously, space to take sermon notes is helpful for many, so we want to provide that. Worship guides just make sense for this.

Guests will receive info about LBC and a way to connect

Similarly, a lack of seat pockets means an inability to provide vital information about our church. We typically put cards in the pockets in our current worship space about the gospel, our worship, and the ways we gather, along with a connection card for guests. We need to follow up with guests, and they should also know basic info about our church. Worship guides can provide this.

Volunteer needs will be simpler

Lastly, as we plan to set up and tear down a worship gathering at the school 52 weeks a year, making the process as simple as possible is a must. As you can imagine, the Audio/Visual elements of this process can be unreliable. Providing worship guides means that prep work is done during the workweek, and Sunday mornings are less stressful. As I am employed by the church to be a pastor and not a production director, I’m personally thankful for this one as it helps me to actively pastor a little bit more on a Sunday morning (and it frees up that one member who would otherwise be on AV duty to minister as well).

I hope these reasons help prepare you spiritually for this change, and I hope, even if Worship Guides are not your preference, that you will be encouraged that this is an intentional move for the spiritual good of our church body. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to email me! And know that I am very excited to gather, sing, and worship our Lord and Savior with you on November 1st!

With love and gratitude,

Pastor Paul