The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together [Paperback]

Marcia McFee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2002

The Worship Workshop, rather than providing simply another manual for doing worship, offers instead an interactive workshop that helps worship teams develop more meaningful and memorable worship for the congregation. By combining liturgical history and the creative process, The Worship Workshop encourages worship teams and staff to break out of the traditional worship box in order to create diverse ways to present the Good News in worship.

Through a variety of activities, ideas, and informational handouts, The Worship Workshop helps worship committees, planners, and designers evaluate the state of their current worship, get more people involved in the planning and designing process, explore the diverse designs of congregational worship, learn the history of worship, and utilize the arts and artists in worship.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Marcia McFee, 14757 Royakl Way, Truckee, CA 96161, 530-582-8000, [e-mail]

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (July 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687046343
• ISBN-13: 978-0687046348
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Rites & Ceremonies

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite Useful, December 25, 2006

By 

Lucas M. Engelhardt (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together (Paperback)

Starting in 2007, I'm officially taking the position of "Worship Coordinator" at my relatively small church (about 100 in attendance on Sunday mornings). So, I decided it would be beneficial to pick up a few books from my local library to get ideas about how to do the job more effectively (I have been part of the worship planning team for some time). This was one of the two books that I got out.

I found this book to be quite helpful in giving me a systematic way (actually a multi-systematic way!) of thinking about worship. McFee develops several easy to remember formulae for what needs to be considered when designing worship. At times, the format was somewhat frustrating to me, but that was because I was using it in a fashion other than what it was designed for. I was just reading it.

So, what is the book designed to do? As should be relatively obvious from the title, it is (primarily) designed to equip you to run a worship workshop for those involved with worship planning in your congregation. It has great worksheets and activities to be used for getting the creative energies flowing so that worship can be designed in a way that allows everyone to worship God and glorify Him in a sincere manner. Though I have not (yet) used the book in this way, I did find it to be filled with ideas that I could use (or at least consider) even without running a workshop.

A couple final notes:

1) It seems that Marcia McFee is coming from a "mid-to-high" church background. (I'm guessing one of the higher-church UMC congregations, though I'm not certain.) So, if you're coming from a more contemporary setting, then some of her suggestions may feel strange. However, the overall principles are certainly applicable.

2) BUT, if you're looking for a book that is about the philosophy or theology of worship, then look somewhere else. McFee's book is far more practical. Which, in my case, was exactly what I was looking for.

I would recommend this book for people who are involved with worship planning in some capacity (or Christian artists looking for ways that their abilities can be used to enhance their congregation's worship experience). If you'd like to be involved in worship planning, then talk to whomever does it in your church... odds are good they'll be happy for the help!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Creating and Planning Worship, September 4, 2008

By 

S. Fennema (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together (Paperback)

Dr. Marcia McFee's book is one of the most helpful books for anyone looking for concrete ideas about planning, creating and leading worship. From her whirlwind tour of liturgical history (which she deftly uses as a model for thinking about changes in worshipping patterns) to her wonderful exercises to help get the creative juices flowing, this book is a must have for ministers, music ministers, worship committees, liturgists and anyone involved in worship planning. Regardless of your denomination or style of worship, if you are looking for ways to plan worship with a group, to start a new worship service, to evaluate your current worship practices, or simply to create "interactive, intergenerational, interesting and inspirational" worship, McFee's book is the one for you. As a worship leader, planner, and participant, I can tell you I use ideas from this book on a regular basis. If you are ready for more meaningful and memorable worship, pick this book up!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of McFee book, August 14, 2010

By 

birchlaker - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together (Paperback)

It is a practical, useful resource for anyone who works with local church worship. It doesn't matter whether the church is large or small. I've seen the author work in person and she makes suggestions for worship that give new depth and deeper meaning to the worship experience.