ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 17, 2004
ELCA Seeks Congregations To Test New Worship Materials
04-172-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
is seeking congregations to test a series of provisional worship resources
this fall, including proposed liturgies for Holy Communion and a partial
collection of hymns new to many Lutherans. The materials were developed
through the church's Renewing Worship initiative, a 5-year process that
will lead to a new Lutheran worship book.
Electronic versions of the test materials are available at
http://www.renewingworship.org on the ELCA Web site. Assembly editions of
"Renewing Worship Liturgies" may be purchased from Augsburg Fortress, the
ELCA publishing house based in Minneapolis, but are not required to
participate in the testing, said the Rev. Michael Burk, director for
worship, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries.
Burk and others leading the Renewing Worship process are hoping many
congregations will test the materials. Worship leaders and other members
will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions about the
worship resources. Focus groups will also be asked to respond to the
materials. Responses will be compiled by the ELCA Department for Research
and Evaluation, according to the Renewing Worship Web site.
"[We] ask [congregations] to use portions or all of the proposed
settings for Holy Communion for a period of six consecutive weeks," Burk
said. "In other words what we need is a base of experience."
Congregations that participate may begin testing as early as this month,
but must complete testing and responses by Thanksgiving, Burk explained.
Burk said the responses will be used to "inform" final decisions
about the contents of a new worship book, which is intended to replace the
Lutheran Book of Worship, first published in 1978.
The 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will receive a report on Renewing
Worship and will be asked to affirm a series of "steps toward renewal,"
Burk said. Those steps will include the expected publication of a new
worship book in late 2006. That new book will be the "core resource" at
the center of a "constellation" of worship resources that emerge from the
Renewing Worship project, he said.
The development of a new worship book is a once-in-a-generation
experience, Burk said. "It's really very important to the life of this
church. I simply want to encourage individuals and congregations to join
us in the testing," he said.
"Anything that contributes to the participatory nature of Renewing
Worship is a benefit to all of us, because it demonstrates that we
understand that all of us have a stake in what we do in worship," Burk
added.
The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA. The next assembly will be held Aug. 8-14, 2005, in Orlando,
Fla.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
