Introducing Worship
Worship can be one of the most difficult events to carry out effectively. Young people are often uneasy about the expression and intimacy evoked by a powerful worship; thus they write it off as dumb or foolish. In addition, many youth carry negative experiences of worship from their years of exile in church school basements, away from the adult program. Or many young people have sat through worship services that were not designed for them, and have felt isolated and frustrated. Your group may need a little coaxing to get enthused about worship. Conference leaders play a key role here. If your conference staff has a positive, attitude toward worship, your chances of success are great.Junior-high conferees often have a great deal of difficulty feeling comfortable with worship. In designing a worship for junior- and senior-high youth together, create a separate time for older youth to explain the process and purpose. Keep the intimate sharing and self-revelation optional, taking pressure off of those who are uncomfortable and unfamiliar with it. For many younger conferees, witnessing others express deep emotions is a powerful spiritual experience. Younger conferees may be brought into worship leadership in simple ways: have them light candles or the chalice, hand out programs, participate in the worship planning.
If your group is unaccustomed to worship, or if you have had difficult experiences in the past, start small. Choose a not-so-heavy theme, keep the service short and simple, and use rituals that people are acquainted with.
For those just starting out, note that there are many different ways to organize worship at conferences, depending on a group's needs and desires. Some youth feel most comfortable with services that resemble traditional Sunday-morning church services, complete with sermons. Other may want to create and organize completely new and different methods of being religious, including dancing, chanting, drumming, or other non-traditional forms of worship. Think about the people who will be involved.
This chapter suggests how to organize youth worship with maximum conferee participation, but it is important to modify these guidelines to your group, developing your own methods and traditions.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
