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Our Sunday Service 

Corporate Worship at Goodwood Baptist Church

We recognize our need of the Lord’s help in offering pleasing and acceptable worship, and depend upon the Spirit of Christ to direct our hearts. Yet, we also have a responsibility to prepare and act according to His Word. In setting out the below, we are not seeking to stifle true worship, but rather to assist in that endeavour. As with other ministries, the elders are responsible for oversight of the Sunday services and we desire to do so wisely.  

A Basic Theological Foundation for our Approach to Corporate Worship

We acknowledge that “worship” is broader than what takes place on Sundays, and means much more than just ‘singing’. Worship encompasses the entire Christian life. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). However, the burden of this document is the gathered, public worship of the church, on Sundays – which we believe must be governed by Scripture alone. God determines how He is to be worshipped, and has revealed His will in the Bible. (This is sometimes called the Reformed Regulative Principle, which is further explained in an article by Sam Waldron – link here.) Even with the advance of technology and the inclusion of diverse cultures in the Kingdom, the essential elements and requirements of worship remain unchanged. Our confession of faith (the 1689 Baptist Confession), helpfully summarizes as follows:

  • “The acceptable way to worship the true God is instituted by Him, and it is delimited by His own revealed will. Thus, He may not be worshipped according to human imagination or inventions or the suggestions of Satan, nor through any visible representations, nor in any other way that is not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.” (Chapter 22:1)
  • “We recognize that some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of the church are common to human actions and organizations and are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian wisdom, following the general rules of the Word, which must always be observed.” (Chapter 1:6)

A Typical Sunday Service at Goodwood Baptist

We believe in worship without distraction; centred on the Triune God. Accordingly, effort is made to ensure that the services are reverent and edifying, without being unnatural. No earthly worship will ever be perfect, but it is our ambition to keep reforming this area – Semper Reformanda.  We aim to keep our gatherings simple and focused, without too many ‘add-ons’ in the proceedings.

  • We give primacy to:
    • the preaching of God’s Word,
    • the reading of Holy Scripture,
    • the praying of God’s people,
    • the ordinances (Communion & Baptism),
    • and the exaltation of the Lord through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
  • We sometimes include:
    • creeds or confessions
    • brief missionary updates, as a lead into prayer
    • a brief update on other churches or ministries, as a lead into prayer
  • We do not include:
    • Flag-waving, spiritual dancing, healings, so-called modern prophesying or tongue-speaking, or dramatizations* (*the sole exception to this last item being a short Sunday-School presentation, near Christmas).

Thus, the order of a Sunday service may look something like this:

  1. Welcome & necessary announcements
  2. Scripture & Prayer
  3. Four to five songs
    1. (with additional Scripture & intercessory prayer)
    2. (and sometimes…communion, creeds, etc)
  4. Expository sermon (±45 minutes)
  5. Closing song
  6. Benediction / Doxology

Again, the 1689 Confession of Faith includes this summary:

  • “Prayer with thanksgiving is an element of natural worship and so is required by God of everyone…The elements of religious worship of God include reading the Scriptures, preaching and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, as well as the administration of baptism and the Lord’s supper. They must be performed out of obedience to Him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear. Also, purposeful acts of humbling with fasting and times of thanksgiving should be observed on special occasions in a holy and religious manner.” (Chapter 22:3, 5)

Our Implementation of the above (i.e. our tradition or ‘style’) 

  • Congregational Singing – We acknowledge the human voice as the greatest musical instrument ever made for worship; and that by the design of God. Accordingly, we strongly emphasize congregational singing. Any accompaniment must serve to enhance the united voice of the Lord’s people, not eclipse it. We want authentic volume arising from genuine affections…not artificially induced volume to incentivise cold hearts. Congregational singing stresses our unity, in way that encourages participation, and draws attention to the words that are spoken (rather than the notes that are played).
  • Accompaniment (singers/instruments) – We do not have singers ‘on stage’, eclipsing or drowning out the voice of the congregation. We do allow for two singers to be mic’d from their seats – but their role is only to gently assist with new, unfamiliar songs; and with minimal amplification. Most of the time their contribution is so subtle as not to be heard. Our musicians likewise play with skill and humility. Our primary accompanying instrument is the piano, though we allow for some other instruments; so long as they are played with skill and sensitivity. Sometimes we sing acapella, to give further expression to the gift of the human voice in song. Also, while we will never seek to artificially manipulate emotions through music, we certainly recognize that truth evokes passion – and we desire to be passionate in our gathered worship.
  • Worship Leading – Neither our musicians, nor our singers, lead the services. The services are led by church elders, or those entrusted by them to the task; and they select the songs week-to-week. In keeping with our complementarian convictions, only men lead or preach. The English Standard Version (ESV) is the translation of the Bible that is used in leading & preaching, for the sake of consistency.
  • Content & Tone – We desire to sing doctrinally rich songs, whether they are new or old. Old hymns/songs are used…because of their heritage, depth and diversity. New hymns/song are included, as Christians continue to compose to the glory of God. Our songs are all selected on the merits of their content, and their ability to be sung as a congregation. Songs that are theologically weak, or have questionable associations, or which cannot be sung congregationally (being designed rather for single vocalist), are not included. In appreciation of God’s ‘hymnbook’, we also include the singing of Psalms set to familiar tunes. As to the tone, there may be times of both sober reflection and joyous celebration, as befitting the people of God.
  • Dress Code & Distractions – We do not have a dress code, and all are welcome to wear whatever is comfortable. We ask only that everyone please dress wisely and modestly, so as to be neither a distraction nor a stumbling block to others. Our clothing and our bodies are to show honour to Christ, and consideration for His people. Similarly, we ask those attending our services guard against becoming a distraction in other areas – being mindful of one’s personal hygiene, contagious conditions, improper use of cell-phones, and needless snacking (i.e. eating & drinking during the service). With the exception of babies and toddlers (who may require some sort of quiet sustenance), we note that such eating & drinking can take place outside of the time of gathered worship. That said, we also encourage a spirit that bears with one another in love.
  • Children in our Services
    • Babies / Toddlers: There is a breastfeeding room, reserved for those mothers with nursing infants who may wish to make use of it. There is also a “Toddler Training Room” for parents with toddlers. This training room allows for the expected noise of this age, but is still intended to be used by parents to assist their children in learning how to be quiet during worship.
    • Children: There is a children’s Sunday School before the morning service. At Goodwood, we deliberately foster a culture of families worshiping together, and not apart. The idea of a separate “kids church” is a fairly recent development in church history. In Biblical times, children were present in gatherings for worship or instruction (Exodus, Nehemiah 8, Acts 10, etc). We follow that practice, and children therefore remain with us during our gathered worship – as participants and those welcomed by the Lord. Certainly, effort is taken to address them during the leading and preaching. But we believe they are capable of understanding far more than our culture thinks, and can be taught to sit and listen from a young age. It is primarily the duty of Christian parents to train their children – teaching them how to worship with God’s people, and engaging with them before & after the service, by way of preparation and review. This approach has been enormously beneficial – unsurprisingly, given that it is the Biblical pattern. Many children now attend both services – morning and evening – and are actively worshipping with their parents at their side.
      • (A fuller explanation of this practice, and advice/assistance for parents will gladly be given to any who are interested.)

 May the Lord be pleased to help us, and receive our praises, as they are offered up in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 “Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!”

(Psalm 96:9)

 

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