Rebuilding In-Person Worship: Overcoming Institutionalism to Rewrite the Story of Your Church's Future

Transform your church by connecting mission with worship. Pastors, church staff, lay leaders, and denominational leaders, has your congregation been chasing quick fixes through modern music or technology upgrades? Rebuilding In-Person Worship offers something far more powerful: a proven pathway to renewal of authentic worship. Drawing from three and a half decades of leading worship, planting churches, and consulting across Mainline denominations, Cathy Townley challenges the institutional mindset that keeps us focused inwardly on filling pews. Instead, she presents a transformative vision in which worship renewal connects directly with outreach, equipping congregants to share their faith stories with people who don't even have church on their radar. This resource isn't another program to implement. It's a fundamental reimagining of worship as both a personal relationship with God and a public gathering, connected through the ancient practice of discipleship. Designed specifically for congregations under 250 in worship attendance, Townley guides you through a comprehensive three-part journey: Part One provides essential groundwork for overcoming resistance in and helping congregants to develop authentic faith-sharing skills. It includes hands-on chapters on writing and sharing personal testimonies. Part Two guides readers through a proven six-phase methodology for launching new services or transforming existing worship services. It includes specific numerical benchmarks and growth formulas. This methodology was originally designed for church planting, and Townley has adapted and used it successfully to help local churches transform their worship offerings. Part Three addresses the ongoing challenge of sustaining this transformative work by helping leaders persevere when the temptation to return to institutional patterns emerges, thus ensuring that both outreach efforts and vibrant worship continue long-term. This easy-to-use workbook also includes: - Faith Sharing Alphabet uses storytelling principles (plot, conflict, backstory, denouement) to help church members craft compelling personal narratives - Reflection questions and practical exercises throughout each chapter ensure immediate application - Rather than offering another quick fix, Townley provides the long-term solution churches need: connecting outreach with worship renewal through God's own transformative power With the purchase of Planned Successions for Pastors, readers also receive access to the following extras. Printable visuals for key points and principles throughout the book, like: - Storytelling Principles - Practical exercises - Templates. Rather than offering another quick fix, Rebuilding In-Person Worship provides the long-term solution your church needs: connecting outreach with worship renewal through God's own transformative power.