Worship Committee
Members of the Worship Committee – Meets the First Saturday of the Month, 10am
Amber Coburn, Brenda Down, Kermit Finstad, Kim Gribble, Sue LaMarche, Jill Lauch, Megan Lay, Ciro Magnani, Megan Salsbury, Bill Vaughan, Pastor Tom, Karen Williamson
Recent Actions and Discussions
- Recruiting Choir members, esp. sopranos
- Congregational music during communion, special music during offering?
- Ciro will be out of the country July 24-September 20, is seeking his own replacement
- Campfire Worship & Bring Your Own S’mores in the picnic area
- Solicit hymn/praise song requests from the congregation
- Consider different ways to solicit & offer prayers during worship
- Train a few “worship assistants” to assist pastor with liturgy
- Incorporate more children/youth into the service
- Hold trainings for ushers and other volunteer jobs to expand participation
Previous Actions and Discussions
- Created a shared Worship Log spreadsheet to track song selections, type and recency/frequency of use.
- Created a Worship Planning Template so committee members can come to meetings having had the opportunity to consider fitting music for the day’s readings or theme.
- Created a “Bethesda Eugene” Spotify music playlist where anyone can listen to songs we’ve introduced or may introduce in the future: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1nbyW31IYaZCyTgYIc69Ii
- Upcoming entries on “How I Worship” from members of the worship committee.
- Focus on a smaller number of new songs the congregation can learn well, rather than a large number of new songs.
- Consider special music in other locations of the service, like during offering or Communion.
- Discussed the location of congregational announcements during the service.
- LilyAnn Haight and Jensen Ellison have been trained as A/V Techs to replace Brody Gilbert who is graduating and moving on to other opportunities.
Ideas for the Future
- Solicit hymn/praise song requests for the congregation.
- Consider different ways to solicit & offer prayers during worship .
- Train a few “worship assistants” to assist pastor with liturgy.
- Incorporate more children/youth into the service.
- Hold trainings for ushers and other volunteer jobs to expand participation.
- Be the first church in history to perfectly satisfy all musical preferences!
How I Worship…
Nothing brings me into the realm of worship quicker than music. It
reaches deep into my being and causes me to think of God the creator of all things good. The source of strength when I need to know I am not alone; the source of happiness when I am celebrating; and the source of courage when courage is what is needed. Above all else, the source of peace when life is difficult and I am wondering how I will be able to take the next breath. Music of one kind or another seems to run continually in my brain. It might be a familiar hymn or a love song from years past. It might be a song I learned at camp or a children’s ditty I learned as a child and then taught to my children. Or sometimes someone will say something that reminds me of a portion of a song and I find a short phrase of a song popping into my mind and sometimes out of my mouth.
Music is food for my soul and draws me out of “this world” and into a state of awareness of how close my Lord is to me.
Music to me is a gift and a blessing and I am always grateful for this gift.
Blessings,
Amber Coburn
Stories of How I Worship from Our Members
How I Worship…
How I Worship… In my twenty years at Bethesda, I have valued this beautiful sanctuary as a place to worship. Being a Lutheran my entire life, it is truly an honor to worship here. Originally I worshiped at the first service and later switched to the late service....
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Eugene, OR 97402
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