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Introduction
In early 1996, I joined the Task Force on Contemporary Worship at First
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Stillwater, Oklahoma. At that time,
First Christian Church (FCC) had one traditional worship service on Sunday
mornings with an average attendance of 275. The goal of the task force was
to plan and initiate a second weekly worship service that was contemporary in
style. On August 18, 1996, the contemporary worship service became a
reality and continues to be an integral part of the Sunday morning worship
experience at FCC. I served as the first Music Director of Contemporary
Worship and held that position for three and half years. Many of my planning
materials and music selections are still being used in the contemporary
worship service today.
My participation in the planning, start-up and operation of the FCC
contemporary worship service generated several file boxes full of meeting
notes and planning materials. At the urging of my family and friends, I
compiled and summarized my notes into a book. Under One Roof:
Traditional and Contemporary Worship is my account of the process that
made contemporary worship a meaningful experience at FCC. (In the
following chapters I refer to FCC as "the church.") At the end of my tenure as
the Contemporary Worship Music Director, the combined attendance to both
worship services averaged 375 (150 in the traditional service and 225 in the
contemporary service) and FCC continues to nurture and support this growth
in congregational worship.
There is no "one size fits all" type of contemporary worship. Strategies that
worked for FCC may or may not work for your traditional church. However, it
is my fervent hope and prayer that Under One Roof: Traditional and
Contemporary Worship will help and inspire your church to be a thriving
community of Christian faith.
Blessings,
Ann Whiteley
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