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A frequent observation that young people have with Anglican services is that they are too long. Quality worship needs to respect people’s attention span. If people have a valuable worship experience in a short time frame, they are much more likely to return or to come back midweek for more. This is particularly true of younger people and newer people. No one likes to be "held hostage" to other people’s whims. If services end in good time, and attention span is not abused, the trust and attentiveness of the congregation toward the minister will be strengthened.
Those who have multiple points, or multiple services in a row, will also want to preserve the scarce fellowship time between services. Here are some ideas.
1. Start on time.
2. Do the announcements before the service. This sets a friendly and informal tone and does not interrupt the flow of worship.
3. Consider having two lessons instead of three.
4. Check the rubrics. The Psalm and many other items in each service are optional.
5. Have a carefully prepared children’s moment, instead of a children’s time that stretches on longer than the sermon.
6. Plan an inspirational conclusion to the sermon, rather than meandering haphazardly to "the big finish".
7. If you add anthems, remove hymns.
8. Keep the intercessions focused and sharp.
9. Train the sidespeople and the servers so that there are no awkward pauses at the offertory and during the preparation of the altar.
10. Reduce the verses in long hymns.
11. Do not let "the Peace" go on too long. (Old-timers will like it, but newcomers will start to feel awkward.)
12. Train the readers to move into position to be ready to read when their moment comes.
13. If you are joining services, such as a baptism, installation of officers, and a Eucharist, carefully consolidate them, so there are not too many lections and repetitions.
14. Not every service needs to be a Eucharist. The Eucharist is our central act of worship, but it need not be our only act of worship. For the sake of focus and variety, there may be a time to set aside the Eucharist for a special emphasis on a preaching mission, a hymnfest, a chancel drama, a church school presentation, or a youth service. Don’t simply make the Eucharist an obligatory adjunct to something else.
Item 55
©2004 Ronald C. Ferris
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