On the Key to a Powerful Service Close
I am trying on this site to both connect with people personally and resource those in pastoral ministry. One of the things we get a lot of feedback about at Harvest is the way we close our services. The message and the music have to be in sync, totally, or impact is lost in the critical moments that everything has been building toward. I am always amazed at pastors who put hours into their sermons and then kind of ‘wing it’ at the end. Here are some things we think about to make the most important minutes of the service also the most powerful.
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Categorized as: From James, Ministry, Video, Worship
March 26th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Do you guys do a “public invitation” at the close of the service? If so, how do you go about determining if and when you’ll do it?
Answer:
We do an invitation occasionally. Somtimes for prayer, sometimes to respond to the gospel, some times to rededicate or for baptism. We don’t do invitations for church membership. thanks
james
March 26th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Pastor James,
I’m not sure I agree that a song is always necessary, but that’s not too say it doesn’t help in closing the service. At our church sometimes we only have background music with closing prayer which I find just as meaningful. It creates an atmosphere of meditation and prayer between me and God. Although a song can provide this as well. Thanks, though I appreciate the intentionality of making the close of service part of the “take home” of the message.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:23 am
I so appreciate the way we end our services. It is not only a blessing to me to hear that “I am loved”, it may be the only time someone hears those words. Recently, I was blessed to be reunited with someone I have not seen in over 25 years. He came to Harvest for the first time (the first church he had stepped into in the past 30 years, as a matter of fact) and marveled at the love he felt throughout the service. To be told he was “loved” at the end, serviced to solidify what he felt. He commented several times on the reasons he had NOT attended church in so long, and it all came back to not feeling loved. Praise God for His steadfast love to us and for Harvest’s faithfulness in reminding us of that love!!
March 26th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Is there a way to see the list of closing songs? Thanks.
praying for you, Mike
March 26th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Amen.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:47 am
care to post your list of “closing songs” that you referenced?
March 26th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
[...] About page to find out some more info on what I do. Powered by WP Greet BoxSome great words from James MacDonald on how they put together the closing minutes of their service [...]
March 26th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Still wish for all the pastors out here in cyberspace like me looking for preaching help and who have heard your “25 Things About Preaching” message that we could see a copy of your hand-written, highlighted, sermon notes posted to have a visual to work from. It is not like it is the holy grail or anything but it would be helpful. Thanks.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
James, as a member at Harvest, I can tell you that I very much appreciate the efforts you’re describing in this video clip. The thought and prayer that go into the whole service–all the way through to the “You are loved!”–is so appreciated. Sometimes I have to slip out during that final song to serve at the WITW counter and, believe me, I wait until the last possible moment because the song is definitely part of my response to the truth I’ve just heard.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Oh, its so great to have you and Kathy back. You were in our prayers! I am enjoying these blogs and can share a testimony from this past weekend’s service that directly applies. As we began worship, I was having trouble worshipping with all my heart. I stopped singing to ask the LORD to help me open my heart and give him the praise HE deserves. As we finished the first worship time I felt closer, but I knew I hadn’t totally lost myself in the worship. Yet, by the time we sang our closing song, I was able to sing praise with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind, and I left SO thankful. I thought about this later and concluded that it must have been the preaching of the LIVING WORD that helped cultivate the genuine unrestrained praise in my heart and give Him the honor He is due…I’m just so thankful for the way the LORD has given you such insight into the spiritual needs of your people. On another note, I would like to offer a name suggestion for your role as Grandpa – “MacDaddy”. It’s not original, but it is the name used by the President of the Medical Association I work for. As staff, we chuckled when we found out that was his private nick-name for his grandchildren, because he is very highly esteemed in Academia and in the Medical World. The name MacDaddy shows his tenderness toward his little loved ones… almost in an Abba-Father tone. When you mentioned you are trying to figure out what to be called…. it came to mind. But, no matter what your grandchildren call you and Kathy, I’m sure you will be especially close with all your grandchildren because of all you have so freely given to the LORD and HIS CHILDREN. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”Luke 6:38.
March 28th, 2009 at 12:01 am
We don’t have a closing song, cuz our services are so close together. I received “Lift Up the Name”. In the week I’ve had it, I think I have almost warn it out. I can’t wait to have everyone singing to those beautiful words of Christ. Your church is so blessed to have people who use their gifts according to the Way of our Lord. Pray that we can sing some of those songs at our services. Amen. We are praying for you, James. May the peace of Christ be with you and your family.
March 28th, 2009 at 3:38 am
This past weekend one of our sheep started out our time as a body and did a most amazing depth filled play, about 30 minutes long. By the time she was done there was hardly a dry eye in the house. Our hearts were so turned toward Him with great reverence and praise to Him and for Him. We then did our worship set and it was by far the loudest, most heart poured out praise as a body that we have ever had! My thought was that maybe the morning should begin with a song to turn our hearts to Him, but then to hear the word, which convicts and encourages us, lifts our heads and puts our perspective in order with our minds set upon Him, then enter in to praise and worship. It has been a thought of mine that we should do this for years and this past weekend tells me it would be worth doing. Your thoughts?
March 30th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Something that Pastor James doesn’t mention is that good preaching (including his) is very VERTICAL. There is a very real sense of worshiping God as His truth and the truth of the gospel is heralded by a preacher. During the sermon, God is not merely explained and understood, but spiritually SEEN and FELT as well, and the responsive heart wells up within in worship.
So, the song at the end is simply the outlet for that worship to be expressed by the congregation.
March 31st, 2009 at 1:13 pm
This is an off-topic comment, but relavent to all of the video postings. First of all, thank you very much for the messages over the years, for the books and booklets that have been so helpful, and for the blogging that I have taken advantage of recently. I would like to ask/suggest that the audio level of the videos be increased. I listen to them on my laptop with the standard speakers that Dell installed. With the volume all the way up on every volume control, I can barely hear the audio. I am pretty computer savy, so I don’t think I’m overlooking an adjustment on my computer. And while James is quite a handsome man, I’m not watching for the latest in men’s hairstyles
.
I do understand that this may not be an issue with everyone, but I appreciate the consideration.
Thanks,
Todd Gill
Waco Family Baptist Church
April 5th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I agree! The closing is huge!
We plan much the same way you describe, not always with music, but some kind of well planned ending. The final thing will be remembered often times the most…so I agree!
Lori Biddle
Director of Magnification
Crossroads Community Church
http://www.loribiddle.com
April 5th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
The best meeting ending for me is the president for the service addressing the congregation and saying “go in peace, to love and serve the lord”. There is a danger that we turn our church meetings into entertainments, or psycho-emotional gratification sessions, rather than as Paul describes them: times for mutual ministry, prayer, sharing reflections and experiences, prophesy (applying the word of God to our lives), and teaching.
Perhaps a shorter large group meeting ends with a break up for smaller bible study or prayer groups, then off home, stay for lunch, or a committee meeting…whatever, we don’t go to church meetings for the show.
David:
I think if the “President” is at the service we should close with Hail to the Cheif! ha ha
james