Christian Church (disciples Of Christ) Worship

The service of worship in the Christian Church follows the ecumenical consensus of the fourfold order. However, it breaks the Service of the Word into two parts, having one section for the proclamation of the Word and another for the response to the Word. Because the Christian Church stands in the free church tradition (a worship tradition that does not use a text or prayer book), the form of worship (which follows the same pattern of the text tradition) is set forth in an outline rather than a complete text. Elements considered essential to the Sunday service are indicated in bold type. While the basic pattern of this service is strongly recommended, the details are flexible. The first hymn, for example, could easily precede the greeting or follow the opening prayer. The headings to the five sections of the service deliberately emphasize the corporate character of worship. It is possible, however, to shorten them as follows: Coming Together to Serve God in Worship Proclaiming th…