“We value the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.”
Access digital exclusive resources including: music, sermon outlines, interactive art projects, and worship practices.
Additional resources for all categories are available in the downloadable Compelling Worship workbook.
Music
Facilitating a Shared BIC Identity Through Music
We’ve selected five songs centered on Experiencing God’s Love and Grace to serve as a resource for musical worship and as a catalyst for new creativity and imagination. For each featured song we’ve provided all the information you need to use it in your next worship service, including:
- links to download chord charts and lead sheets (some free!)
- optimal keys
- licensing coverage
- recordings
Access Song Recommendations & Resources
His Mercy is More
M. Boswell/M. Papa
Song Perspective: Corporate
Optimal Keys: D, Eb, E, F
Licensing Coverage: CCLI, Multitracks.com
Chart/Lead Sheet: CCLI, praisecharts
Recordings: His Mercy is More (Matt Boswell); Spirit Rise (Travis Cottrell)
Living Hope/Mi Esperanza Está En Jesús
B. Johnson/P. Wickham
Song Perspective: Personal
Optimal Keys: A, Bb, C
Licensing Coverage: CCLI, Multitracks.com
Chart/Lead Sheet: CCLI, praisecharts
Recording(s): Living Hope (Cross Point Music), Mi Esperanza Está En Jesús (TWICE)
O Come to the Altar/Ven Ante Su Trono
C. Brown/M. Brock/ S. Furtick/ W. Joye
Song Perspective: Personal/Corporate
Optimal Keys: D, Eb, E, F
Licensing Coverage: CCLI, Multitracks.com
Chart/Lead Sheet: CCLI, praisecharts
Recording(s): Acoustic Session (Elevation Worship), Lo Harás Otra Vez (Elevation)
Te Doy Gloria/I Give You Glory
A. Spyker
Song Perspective: Personal
Optimal Keys: A, Bb
Licensing Coverage: CCLI, Multitracks.com
Chart/Lead Sheet: CCLI
Recording(s): Illumina (Marco Barrientos); Comunión (Omar Rodriguez)
The Love Of God
F.M. Lehman/B. Nehorai
Song Perspective: Corporate
Optimal Keys: Bb, C, D
Licensing Coverage: Public Domain
Chart/Lead Sheet: Compelling Worship, Reawaken, #36 HPW*
Recording(s): Hymns (Eleven22 Worship); Abide With Me (Sara Groves), The Trinity Acoustic Session (N. Drake)
Additional Songs
Amazing Grace (#62 HPW), And Can it Be That I Should Gain? (#115 HPW*), Death Was Arrested (North Point Worship), Jesus Paid it All (#111 HPW*), Living Waters (K. Getty), Thirst No More (Sandra McCracken), When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (#182 HPW*), Wonderful Merciful Savior (Dawn Rodgers)
*Hymns for Praise and Worship © 1984 Evangel Press
Word
Teaching and Studying Our BIC Core Values
The act of reading Scripture together is itself an experience of God’s love, through which we preach to our hearts the good news of Jesus, and reshape our experience of the world around this reality. Through sermons, teaching, and corporate study, our core values move from being abstract ideas to convictions written on the hearts of each one of us. These sermon outlines are designed to equip churches to teach and study through our BIC core values.
The outlines for Experiencing God’s Love and Grace begin on page 4 and include:
- Born from Above | John 3:1-21
- Living in the Overflow | Romans 5:1-11
- Perfect Love | 1 John 4:7-21
Art
Engaging All Five Senses
A survey of God’s creation reveals works that engage all five of our senses. Yet, when we engage in corporate worship, we tend to rely on only one or two senses. What if we broke out of the mold and engaged all five senses God has created?
These ideas are meant to give you a starting place to explore new ways to worship. Use your creativity to adapt them to your specific setting and context. Involve all generations in exploring these ideas together!
By His Stripes Pantomime
Set to the song “Agnus Dei”
To set the stage for the drama, read Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
This pantomime depicts the power of God working through the person of Jesus Christ. It shows Christ healing the sick, lame and blind while taking those iniquities upon himself. Those that he healed then quickly turn around and betray him, nailing him to the cross. We see Christ die, be buried, and then triumphantly rise from the dead! This same Jesus then turns and offers the gift of salvation and forgiveness to those who crucified him.
God’s Chisel Skit – Skit Guys
This skit focuses on the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. As we surrender to God, the Holy Spirit reveals parts of our life that do not honor God. The work of the Holy Spirit helps us transform those areas so that we are a better reflection of Jesus.
The original can be previewed and the video purchased here. Also available is an abridged version and a printed script to be performed by your own actors.
Practices
From Spectators to Active Participants
These practices aim to whet our spiritual appetites with many different practices that can help us to live lives of worship with our church families. Some practices may seem out of your comfort zone as a congregation, but you may be surprised to observe the reactions that come from trying something unexpected in the life of the church. There is so much beauty in seeing a congregation transform from a group of spectators to active participants in meaningful worship.
Cardboard Testimonies
Cardboard testimonies are a simple, yet powerful way to personally share of the love and grace of our God.
On one side of a piece of cardboard a person writes of a struggle, sin, or viewpoint on their life experience. On the other side, the person writes how Jesus Christ has redeemed, changed either the perspective or the circumstance, healed, or given the gift of His presence amidst the experience.
Cardboard testimonies positively impact the church in multiple ways: the individual writer testifies to the transformative power of God, the individual writer is vulnerable in making himself/herself known to the church, the congregation is strengthened by its members being known, the rest of the congregation joins with the individual to praise our Lord and Savior for all He has done, the practice provides an opportunity for the viewers who haven’t participated to reflect on what their own cardboard testimony might be, etc.
About 10 people from the congregation make their personal cardboard sign and then one by one come before the congregation showing first their struggle, pausing for the congregation to read it, and then flipping the sign over for God’s redemption and transformation to be revealed, pausing for the congregation to read that side as well. All the participants line up together for the visual collective to give God the praise for His faithfulness.
This practice can be offered to every member of the congregation to participate: older, middle aged, younger, new believer, seasoned believer, introverts, extroverts, staff, lay leaders, pastors, elders, consistent co-laborers, and infrequent attenders. Regardless of the image/role/status/position someone has within the congregation, we are all broken individuals with daily struggles in need of a Savior. Cardboard testimonies glorify the power of God, and the congregation will experience a deeper belonging together through these testimonials.