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In the spring of 2004, the Rev. Shawn Stapleton called me with an idea that is now a reality. Shawn suggested that the Worship Resource CD, which he and the Rev. Dr. Steven Peay assembled, could be the beginning of an on-line “living worship resource.” We spoke at length about the possibilities of his idea and its format: the on-line resource would become a searchable repository for liturgies, prayers, orders of worship and other worship aids as submitted by our pastors.

The idea was taken to the Division For Ministry (DFM) for support and a formal motion. DFM approved the worship resource concept as well as the means to underwrite it; a “Wish List” proposal submitted to the Executive Committee. The proposal for funding was submitted to the Executive Committee for consideration at the Annual Meeting in June. After a brief question and answer period that Executive Committee approved the “Wish List” request and funding was made available.

The Worship Resource is now online and available to clergy who have created a personal account on our website, www.naccc.org. Accounts can be created by clicking on the links, “Churches,” then “Member Login” and then selecting one of the two options which are differentiated by whether or not we have your email address in the data base. If you’ve received emails from someone in the office, chances are good we have it in our database.

The resource has been placed in a password protected environment for a variety of reasons. Limiting access to clergy who serve our churches will assist in developing a resource that is indicative of our worship traditions and future as its content will be generated by those who live in the nuances of the Congregational Way. Limiting access to clergy is the first step to focusing the resource toward those who plan worship. If you are not ordained, plan worship services and would like access, please contact the NA office.

Once logged in to the Worship Resource one can search submissions by subject, text, book of the Bible and author or you may browse an entire category. Main categories include: Calls to Worship, Prayers, Sacraments, Sermon outlines, Sermon texts, Special Services and Worship Helps.

We know that the Worship Resource CD has been helpful to many. It is our hope that this living resource will grow in its helpfulness as it grows by the contributions of our pastors.

Rev. Dr. Donald P. Olsen
Associate Executive Secretary

Leonard Woolsey Bacon on the matter of the purity of the Churches:

“It does not appear that there was any intent on the part of the Founders to draw lines excluding from the church any sincere disciple of Jesus Christ. The idea of establishing sectarian churches for a certain style of Christian from which other sorts of Christians should be excluded belongs to a later age and would have been abhorrent to the first generation. They sincerely meant that all faithful Christians of each town should be the church of that town [. . .]”1 

 1 Leonard Woolsey Bacon, The Congregationalists, New York: The Baker & Taylor Co., 1904, pp. 63-64

Rev. Dr. Lloyd Hall is the Association’s Historian
and serves Plymouth Congregational Church of Lansing, MI
 

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