The primary focus of the worship service is on the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. We have a particular order of worship in order to help the congregation to focus on the preaching of God's word. Here is how a typical Sunday service would look like.
Call to Worship & Hymn of Praise
The worship leader (an Elder or Preacher) appointed for the day will start by reading a portion of Scripture. Following the reading of Scripture, there will be a hymn of praise. The song here usually reminds us of God's goodness in the past week.
Invocation and Gloria Patri
After the first hymn, the worship leader will lead the congregation in prayer. After the invocatory prayer, we will usually sing the Gloria Patri (a short hymn of praise) or some other short song of praise.
Scripture Reading and Second Hymn
A time of scripture reading will follow the invocation. The scripture passage chosen will be related to the sermon topic. Following the scripture reading, we will have a second hymn, usually a hymn of assurance.
Announcements and Third Hymn
After the second hymn, the worship leader will announce some upcoming events and activities of the church. This is to keep the congregation updated on weekly activities that they can attend in order to be spiritually nourished throughout the week.
Following the announcements, we will sing a third hymn, which is usually a hymn of consecration. This is to prepare the congregants for the hearing of the sermon.
Scripture Memorisation, Pastoral Prayer, and Sermon
At the end of the third hymn, the worship leader will hand the time over to the Pastor. The Pastor will take the pulpit, and first lead the congregation in a time of scripture memorisation. Usually, the Pastor will use this as a time to speak to the children as well. This is to help the children memorise God's Word.
The Pastor will then lead the congregation in prayer. He will pray for the church, both for specific and general matters.
After the pastoral prayer, the Pastor will then deliver the sermon for the day.
*When the Pastor is away, an Elder of the church will lead the church in scripture memorisation and intercessory prayer. An appointed preacher will then preach in the place of the Pastor.
Closing Hymn and Benediction
At the end of the sermon, we will sing a closing hymn. This hymn will generally recapitulate the key points of the sermon, helping the congregants to better remember the sermon.
The Pastor will then deliver the benediction—the pronouncement of God's blessing on the congregation.
After the benediction, the congregation is encouraged to take some time to silently meditate on the service and sermon before leaving the worship hall.
*When the Pastor is away, an Elder of the church will usually close the service in prayer.
