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Worship Lab

Worship Tips

Welcome to the WorshipLab

This new space is where we roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of crafting worship — which is about more than just choosing words. We expect to publish posts every three weeks on a range of worship-related topics. Upcoming guest bloggers include Becky Brooks and the Revs. Kristin Grassel Schmidt & Christian Schmidt.

What Story Are You Telling?
What Story Are You Telling?

A worship leader who speaks only to the children during story time speaks only to the adults the rest of the time. If an element I've planned for worship deliberately excludes a portion of my congregation, that itself tells a story.
By Becky Brooks | 2/15/2018
Give the DJ a Break, or: What Worship Leaders Wish You Knew
Give the DJ a Break, or: What Worship Leaders Wish You Knew

In our congregations, how often do we assume that preachers, music directors, and other worship leaders are there to fulfill our personal preferences?
By Erika A. Hewitt, Erica Baron | 1/10/2018
What You're Saying When You Say "I Don't Need a Mic"
What You're Saying When You Say "I Don't Need a Mic"

Failing to use a microphone is a form of exclusion. “When I’m excluded, I feel invisible. It’s as though I’m on the other side of a window from the room where almost everyone else is, and they don’t even notice that I’m stuck outside of their conversation.”
By Erika A. Hewitt | 8/31/2017
10 Things My Gym Taught Me about How to Be Welcoming in Worship
10 Things My Gym Taught Me about How to Be Welcoming in Worship

Going to my gym for weight-training and Spinning classes taught how leaders can create a climate of acceptance, encouragement, and empowerment for newcomers.
By Erika A. Hewitt | 8/8/2017
What's the Big Deal about Embodied Imagery in Worship?
What's the Big Deal about Embodied Imagery in Worship?

In Unitarian Universalist worship, we march for justice and stand for causes all the time; we also see clearly, raise our voices, and hear the truth. We bless the hands that reach out, and the feet that follow the ways of righteousness. If we like something, chances are good...
By Suzanne Fast | 5/29/2017
A Commitment to Multicultural Worship
A Commitment to Multicultural Worship

In every worship service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, you’ll hear diverse voices, sources, and viewpoints. The congregation is committed to being a multicultural community, and honors that commitment in every service in a measurable, noticeable way: at least...
By Christian Schmidt, Kristin Grassel Schmidt | 3/7/2017
Silence, Please (Or, How Worship Leaders Are Losing a Golden Opportunity)
Silence, Please (Or, How Worship Leaders Are Losing a Golden Opportunity)

Experienced worship leaders will tell you that on some Sundays, our people arrive to worship in such extravert mode that their lively chatter fills the room, while on other mornings our people arrive subdued and reflective, and the worship space feels heavy with anticipation. We...
By Erika A. Hewitt | 2/9/2017

About the Author

Erika A. Hewitt

Erika Hewitt is the UUA's Minister of Worship Arts and Editor of Braver/Wiser , a weekly spirituality series. She also serves as a Unitarian Universalist parish minister and wedding officiant in Maine. Her book of theme-based ministry resources, co-written with educator Becky...