International Church Of The Foursquare Gospel

Jesus' imperative of making disciples of all nations implies an inclusive ministry. Women, children, and physically challenged persons all find an important place in Foursquare churches. Worship is important for modeling inclusivity as a characteristic of the whole Christian life.

The real call to worship is often not heard by Christians. Culture, ethnic exposure, and ignorance keep Christian from worshiping the way God intended. Rather than being only music and physical gestures toward God, worship encompasses all that believers do in their relationship with God and how they live out their daily lives. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus declares that worship should involve a concern for the world and everyone in it. The goal of Christ for the church was for it to possess an inclusive ministry, rather than an exclusive one. How easy it is to verbally proclaim a commitment to the world, but devote little discipling time to those whom God has called the church to touch. When most ministries establish their worship agenda, three categories of people are often overlooked: women, children, and the physically impaired. Moreover, the worship of the church must be part of an overall, deliberate plan of pastoral care that releases the members of the congregation to live victoriously and minister effectively to those about them, outside the walls of the sanctuary. Women in Worship Through the centuries, women have borne the children and taken responsibility for their care. Yet they have carried the stigma of being viewed by some as a secondary part of God's agenda. Thus, women have exerted little influence within the worship structure of many congregations. They have been viewed as having only a supporting role, with no potential for leadership. The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel places high value on the grace God has given to the church through its women because it was founded by a woman and because it has the conviction that in the last days God's Spirit would be poured out on sons and daughters anointed to prophesy (Joel 2:28). Thus, women hold leadership and pastoral positions in the denomination and are active in leading worship in local congregations. Through conferences, seminars, and special worship opportunities, women come together to give God praise and to discuss those matters most relevant to their interests and needs. Worship and Children's Ministries When Jesus commanded, "?Let the little children come to me?" (Matt. 19:14), he voiced a truth that should strongly affect one's philosophy toward worship. In many cases, worship services are not designed to meet the needs of children. The young are expected to adapt to a service geared for adults, without being given a time when they can, on their own level, express their love for God. The church must strive to present God's principles to every generation represented in the congregation. To respond to such a need, Foursquare churches usually select one of two options. Many have set aside specially designed facilities and have trained personnel to lead children's church. In most cases, this service is conducted simultaneously with the adult worship time. Music and teaching are provided at this service to fit the understanding and needs of the respective age groups. The alternative to this arrangement is to allow the children to participate in the adult worship services. At the adult service, they are able to take part in cross-generational worship. One recent innovation has been to allocate time within the adult worship period to allow for the expression of children. Worship and the Physically Challenged When a person is stricken with some major physical limitation, it seems as if the church brands that person as "?unevangelizeable.?" When a person uses the term evangelism, that person is usually focusing the evangelism effort on those who are mobile, rather than on the bedridden, blind, or on those who cannot join in the forms that the church accepts as norms of worship. Congregations must not only get the physically impaired into the sanctuary and provide suitable seating arrangement. They must also provide these people with appropriate opportunities for the expression of worship. This continues to be a challenge for the Foursquare Church, as well as for every other fellowship of believers. New and creative ways must be found to touch those who cannot see, who cannot hear, and who cannot come. One fruitful entrance into the homes and rooms of many has been that of media ministry. In 1924, Angelus Temple, the headquarters church for the Foursquare denomination, founded radio station KFSG as one of the first Christian radio broadcasting stations in North America. Since that time, many Foursquare congregations have expanded their outreach by supporting local television and radio stations or programs for these media. Worship and Pastoral Care Pastoral care is the key to the development of worship within a congregation. It is at this level that the boundaries and philosophy of, and overall attitude toward, worship are determined. It is crucial for leaders to be examples in word, spirit, conduct, and leadership. The Word of God must be taught by people of credibility of character and professional excellence, so that believers will worship God in spirit and in truth. For many years, through its Bible colleges, the Foursquare Church trained most of its future ministers in pastoral theology—including the art of shepherding the congregation from the pulpit—and in related subjects. Today, however, due to an unusual increase in the number of pastors without formal Bible college training (many have equivalent college education), the need has arisen for enlightenment of those who are already serving in leadership. On the national level a new program, entitled "?Leadership Enrichment and Development?" (LEAD), has been inaugurated, wherein study of the subjects taught in Bible colleges will continue to produce positive, strong spiritual leaders. Locally, many Foursquare churches are encouraging small-group accountability opportunities as a follow-through for the corporate worship and teaching experience. One outstanding example is Windward Hope Chapel on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Meeting throughout the week in the homes of trained leaders, members discuss the previous Sunday's message and make personal application to their situations. Related Concerns to Worship A church's worship is influenced by four related concerns: societal needs and the influence of society, the facilities of worship, daily Christian life, and the various styles of worship. First, a balance must be maintained between upholding spiritual values in worship and responding to social needs. While recognizing that events within society have a direct impact on events in the church, the church understands that its mode of worship should be defined by Scripture and not by external societal influences. However, when the church loses sight of the social needs around it, it becomes like those in Jesus' Good Samaritan parable who passed by the sufferer. On the other hand, if the church expends its time and resources attending to physical needs, what will happen to people when they face the eternal God? Thus, the church needs to maintain a balance between these two elements. Second, worship should always be focused on the Father, and not on the magnificent facilities. At times, the church's worship focus can be consumed by a prolonged fascination with facilities. For some, rather than serving the needs of a congregation, the facility itself becomes a symbol of pride and accomplishment. The object of worship, unfortunately, shifts from God to that which houses God's people. Third, the church must train its people to enjoy the emotional bliss of worship experiences and to retain, in addition, a song in their heart when surrounded by the darkness and trials in everyday life. God has determined times of worship which are filled with spiritual excitement and joy to provide refreshing and renewal. Yet such moments are never designed to create emotional dependence. When a worshiper comes to rely on a spiritual "?high?" in the worship experience, the daily reality of living one's faith can result in discouragement and dismay. Churches must counteract this tendency in their people. Finally, believers must accept other Christians' worship styles along with their own. Everyone's life is influenced by the opinions of others. Some of these influences are good; others are absolutely deadly. Many church leaders and congregations have admired other ministries or fellowships so much that they have lost their ability to prayerfully discern for themselves the direction of worship God wants them to take. Though gifted people encourage believers to dream beyond themselves, God never intended peer pressure from these gifted people to dictate the flavor of believers' worship or their sense of acceptance in the body of Christ. Believers may accept the distinct "?flavor?" of their worship and their special gifts, without rejecting the abilities and tastes of other Christians who offer worship in and through "?the same Spirit?" (1 Cor. 12:4).