Inter-Faith Worship Service NE-III-190

1
Inter-Faith Worship ServiceNE-III-190
2
Objectives

• Define the elements for planning and conducting
  an Inter-Faith Worship Service.
• Assist participants to apply and practice
  learning during the Course

3
Elements

1. Beginning
2. Middle
3. End
4. Printed Order of Worship
5. Planning Form
6. Questions

4
Inter-Faith Worship Service

• How to Organize a Scout Inter-faith Worship
  Service
• Formerly referred to as the Scouts Own.
• Involve the Scouts in the planning and
  presentation.
• Chaplains Aide should help plan the worship, and
  various Scouts should be given an opportunity to
  read, lead prayers, lead singing, etc.
• Worship in a camp setting is generally short,
  about 30 minutes
• Worship services, just like any presentation,
  have a beginning, middle, and end.

5
The Beginning

• The Beginning has 3 parts
• Call to Worship.
• This may be very formal, such as reading a
  portion of a Psalm or informal.
• The point is that someone has to call the
  meeting to order, but it must be done in a way
  that focuses each Scouts attention on the
  purpose of worship.
• Invocation
• The invocation is a prayer that God will be
  present with us in worship and will receive our
  worship in the way we intend it. Like the Call
  to Worship it may be formal or informal.
• Often the invocation is the first thing after the
  Call to Worship, but likewise we often attend
  worship services in which a hymn or praise song
  follows the Call to Worship. Sometimes the song
  we sing is the invocation.
• Praise to God
• The third part of the beginning is Praise to God.
• This is usually a song or hymn, but it could be
  an appropriate reading.

6
The Beginning - Example
Call to Worship Invocation Praise to
God
7
The Middle

• Worship in a camp setting is generally short,
  about 30 minutes
• The middle may include a prayer, a scripture
  reading, and a sermon or meditation.
  Congregational singing is good, but not
  absolutely necessary.
• It is good to have Scouts, rather than adult
  leaders, read or lead in prayer.
• Scouts have had little experience with public
  speaking and public praying, so it is helpful to
  have the prayer written out.
• 3 cautions to be observed in the worship prayers
• The leader should avoid saying I, in prayer
  (the congregation may feel excluded)
• It is not a time to give instructions to God, nor
  is it a sermon or speech to the congregation
• Conclude the prayer with a simple, Amen, The
  exclusion of some portion of the congregation is
  a failure of leadership, so avoid faith specific
  phrases where there is a diversity of faiths
  gathered.
•  A large worship service, such as at a Camporee,
  may include other elements, such as a responsive
  reading.
• Sometimes there will be an offering.
• The most common purpose for an offering is to
  support the World Friendship Fund of the Scouting
  Movement.

8
The Middle - Example
9
The Middle - Example
10
The End

• A benediction is simply a prayer for blessing
  on the congregation.
• It can be a spontaneous, unwritten prayer, or it
  can be written.

11
The End - Example
Source Inter-Faith Worship Service Wood Badge -
NE-II-173 - 8.26.07
12
Printed Order of Worship?

• The only reason to have a printed order of
  worship is to provide the congregation with the
  things they will be expected to sing or say.
• In a simple inter-faith worship service, the only
  thing really necessary for the congregation is
  the words to hymns.
• A troop or other Scout unit might find it helpful
  to purchase multiple copies of the Boy Scout Song
  Book, which songs for many occasions, including
  worship. Bring them to camp as part of the troop
  gear, and there is nothing else the congregation
  will need.
• In a larger and more formal setting, such as at a
  Camporee, those planning the worship may want to
  include other material that the congregation will
  need to have in front of them.

13
Worship Planning Form?
Similar thought process as using the Campfire
Planner Not all elements are needed to conduct a
successful Inter-faith Worship Service Consider
the diversity of the participants when selecting
material The Inter-faith Worship Service does
not necessarily satisfy worship obligations for
all faiths
14
Questions?
"No man is much good unless he believes in God
and obeys His laws. So every Scout should have a
religion.... Religion seems a very simple thing
First Love and Serve God. Second Love and serve
your neighbour. - Scouting For Boys, 1908