All-age Worship [Paperback]

From Regent's Reviews - October 2010 All-Age Worship is a fantastic introduction to how to plan and prepare all-age services. All-age or family services often get a bad reputation and here Lucy Moore seeks to overcome this view and demonstrate, both the importance of all-age worship and how it can be done well in practice. This is the strength of the book: it's practical. The two most helpful chapters are on some basic rules of thumb (keep it simple, uses senses and emotions, use story, include participation, use invitation) and how to plan. Every chapter includes stories and examples. Creating space for the whole church to gather to worship for this reviewer is not an optional extra, but is integral to being church, and as Moore shows, this does not mean services which only cater for children. Reading this book will hopefully open up the possibility of how all-age worship might enrich a whole congregation and provide encouragement to those who either struggle with all-age or are looking for help. Reviewed by Andy Goodliff, Belle Vue Baptist Church, Southend on Sea From Ministry Matters - July 2010 I know that where all age worship has been successful in our church it has been the times when there has been a sense of us all being in it together making the service truly all age. It's a key question in your planning turning 'how do we include the children' into 'how can we do this together'. This sense of encountering God and learning together I believe is what should be at the heart of our all age times. I've recently read Lucy Moore's new book on all age worship and she makes this point. It's an excellent book that I would heartily recommend. Lucy also gives a useful list of key points that she calls 'touchstones' for all age worship, I found these tremendously helpful especially as none of them were exclusively for the benefit of children. Let me give you a sneak preview of four of them. They reflect some of the key aspects of good all age worship. *Short - Keep your services no longer than 40 minutes. *Symbol - Make use of symbolism especially around the Eucharist. *Space - Give the time and the means to reflect and respond in their own way. *Pattern - Follow a usual structure. All age worship is something I think we all find a challenge so please let me know what you do and how well it works and I'll try and pass it on through the Diocese. Reviewed by Sam Donohue From The Good Bookstall - June 2010 We call ourselves a Church family or the Body of Christ. Yet, in our worship we divide the family up rather than deal with the whole. Or we concentrate on doing things, going places for God, or watching for sin; without considering the monster it would be if it were only hands, or feet or eyes. Where is Jesus' command of open and accepting love? In her book All-Age Worship Lucy Moore sets worship in the context of community using the icon we call Rublev's Trinity - three people, interpreted as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, sitting in a circle, attending to one another, aware of one another, at one in their understanding and action. There is a space inviting us into this community, assuring us of love, understanding and acceptance. This suggests a Church glorying in intimate fellowship, but open and welcoming to outsiders, people who have a lot in common but who remain distinct from each other, a community which draws from the past but looks to the future. An all-age Church, she says, shows the richness and diversity of God, with worship and working together which allows members to develop and use their gifts. She challenges us to look at why we worship and points out that if we exclude any age group or people 'not like us' we are missing out on the richness God wants for us all. Churches should be places of healing on all levels and safe places where everyone can come close to God. Lucy gives us examples of different ways of learning, using word and story, drama, senses and emotions. She urges us to keep it simple and to be real in our love, faith and sharing. All age worship is difficult and challenging and much depends on the attitudes of leaders because it is not just what we do that matters but the way we do it. If all age worship is to be successful there will be change but she offers ways of coping with this, and advice on planning an all age act of worship. All-Age worship is about something much more profound than a form of worship which appeals to all ages. It is about what the Church is, and how we go about being the Church, the people of God. It is not a new and trendy idea but the rediscovery of an ancient skill. The icon shows us three different people at ease together, acting and loving as one, and that is the Church we aim to portray. A united Church knowing where it is going, open to and using the gifts and ideas of a wide range of people. Yes All-Age worship is difficult. Yes, it is scary. Yes, it involves a lot of work. But, if you are really interested and think this is way, then this book of Lucy Moore's is a must. She gives compelling reasons why the Church should worship together, is honest about the problems of achieving this and gives practical advice as to how to overcome these and achieve the vision of the family of God worshiping together in a way that allows everyone to come into God's presence and feel his love. Reviewed by Celia Rees From Christian Marketplace - Feburary 2010 Another new book which deserves a wide readership is All-Age Worship by Lucy Moore. If the title alone puts you off then that's more than enough reason for you to read it. This isn't just about that often dreaded time of the month 'when the children stay in', although there are plenty of ideas and suggestions for improving your 'intergenerational worship' efforts. Lucy Moore explores worship as a whole and gets the reader to think about why we do what we do in the way we do. As she says 'Our God is a God of exciting differences. Our worship can reflect his amazing multifaceted nature or it can be monochrome' (p57). She writes with humour and clarity and a good deal of common-sense. Reviewed by Clem Jackson All-Age Worship by Lucy Moore GoodBookStall Review: We call ourselves a Church family or the Body of Christ. Yet, in our worship we divide the family up rather than deal with the whole. Or we concentrate on doing things, going places for God, or watching for sin; without considering the monster it would be if it were only hands, or feet or eyes. Where is Jesus' command of open and accepting love? In her book All-Age Worship Lucy Moore sets worship in the context of community using the icon we call Rublev's Trinity - three people, interpreted as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, sitting in a circle, attending to one another, aware of one another, at one in their understanding and action. There is a space inviting us into this community, assuring us of love, understanding and acceptance. This suggests a Church glorying in intimate fellowship, but open and welcoming to outsiders, people who have a lot in common but who remain distinct from each other, a community which draws from the past but looks to the future. An all-age Church, she says, shows the richness and diversity of God, with worship and working together which allows members to develop and use their gifts. She challenges us to look at why we worship and points out that if we exclude any age group or people 'not like us' we are missing out on the richness God wants for us all. Churches should be places of healing on all levels and safe places where everyone can come close to God. Lucy gives us examples of different ways of learning, using word and story, drama, senses and emotions. She urges us to keep it simple and to be real in our love, faith and sharing. All age worship is difficult and challenging and much depends on the attitudes of leaders because it is not just what we do that matters but the way we do it. If all age worship is to be successful there will be change but she offers ways of coping with this, and advice on planning an all age act of worship. All-Age worship is about something much more profound than a form of worship which appeals to all ages. It is about what the Church is, and how we go about being the Church, the people of God. It is not a new and trendy idea but the rediscovery of an ancient skill. The icon shows us three different people at ease together, acting and loving as one, and that is the Church we aim to portray. A united Church knowing where it is going, open to and using the gifts and ideas of a wide range of people. Yes All-Age worship is difficult. Yes, it is scary. Yes, it involves a lot of work. But, if you are really interested and think this is way, then this book of Lucy Moore's is a must. She gives compelling reasons why the Church should worship together, is honest about the problems of achieving this and gives practical advice as to how to overcome these and achieve the vision of the family of God worshiping together in a way that allows everyone to come into God's presence and feel his love. Reviewer: Celia Rees (29/06/10) -- Celia Rees The Goodbookstall

Written by the author of "Messy Church" (BRF, 2006) and "Messy Church 2" (2008), this book is for everybody scared by the thought of 'all-age'. This is not a resource book but a 'big picture' look at 'all-age worship' - what it means, and how it works. It challenges the idea that worship needs to be segregated by age in order to 'work'. It includes examples of all-age worship service outlines. It is suitable for church leaders, especially those nervous about doing 'all-age'! It is also useful to those involved with children's ministry, and those training for church ministry; theological college tutors in the area of worship and pastoral care.