Worship within the context of a healthy church is life-giving, energetic, moves people to follow Christ, and nurtures faith with preaching that is biblically based and relevant to the times.

Books

	Exploring the Worship Spectrum: Six Views by Paul Basden (Zondervan 2004). A clear, engaging description of the six most prevalent models of worship in North American churches, presented by advocates for each position.
	First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church by Mark Walz (Group Publishing, 2004). Learn how to create a church that is welcoming to guests—from the moment they pull into the parking lot.
	How to Start a New Service by Charles Arn (Baker Books, 1997). Don’t be put off by the title. Even if you’re not planning to start a new service, this book will challenge you to think in new ways about the whole area of worship. The author also provides a helpful summary of generational differences and how to address them.
	The New Worship, expanded edition by Barry Liesch (Baker Books, 2001). The author’s aim is to “help pastors, worship leaders, and musicians navigate changes, resolve conflicts, and use a blend of both traditional and nontraditional music in praise formats.”
	Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley (Multnomah, 2004). In this book by one of today’s most recognized mega-church pastors, discussion questions encourage the reader to engage with the seven practices for enhanced ministry effectiveness.
	Worship in Spirit and Truth by John Frame (P & R Publishing, 1996). The author uses the Puritans’ “regulative principle” to help readers think through the meaning of, and biblical “rules” for, public worship.

 

Magazines and online publications

	Preacher’s Magazine: A Preaching Resource in the Wesleyan Tradition. Distributed three times a year, each issue the magazine features different aspects of the pastoral task of preaching. The content corresponds to the three sacred seasons of the Church calendar: Advent/Christmas; Lent/Easter; and Pentecost.
	Worship Leader magazine. Eight times a year, Worship Leader brings subscribers “more of what you need to lead,” including thought-provoking articles, resource lists, and best practice tips for making all the components of a worship service come together. A digital version of the magazine is free to subscribers.
	Worshiper magazine. This free quarterly publication from editors of Worship Leader magazine (churches pay the postage) promises articles that are “meaty, educational, and fun to read.” But you need to act quickly: it’s available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Multimedia

Song Discovery. A bimonthly collection of worship songs from a variety of sources, worship settings, and music styles—all on one CD, which includes a PDF lead sheet booklet and PowerPoint slides. 

Other helpful websites

Center for Worship Resourcing of the United Methodist Church. This site introduces the viewer to “quality music, liturgy, and preaching resources for faithful and vital local church worship.” Topics include contemporary and emerging worship, planning helps, Wesley resources, and the arts in worship.

Christian Copyright Licensing International. This organization is your one-stop shop for “legal, affordable solutions to the copyright issues surrounding congregational worship services.” All the information you need to understand the laws and services is available on this website. Specialty sections include ScreenVue, providing movie clips for sermon or teaching illustrations, and SongSelect, for lyric downloads, sound samples, lead sheets, chord sheets, and vocal/hymn sheets.

Sermonspice.com This site lets you preview before downloading sermon illustration videos on virtually any topic you can think of.