First Baptist Church, Cobden IL
Thursday, March 28, 2024
200 South Walker St. Cobden, IL 62920

Worship

Message from Austin: 
     Congregational participation is an important part of our worship at First Baptist Cobden, exemplifying a whole-hearted and united offering to God through song.  Our ministry of worship through music is not only vital to the expressions of worship of God's people, but also enables genuine worship to take place.  For many years Eileen has graciously organized these times of special music with great care and excellence, for which I am truly grateful.
     Beginning in January, we will begin to plan these times of songs integrally with our liturgy as a continuation of our genuine atmosphere of God-honoring, biblical worship.  I will be scheduling individuals and/or groups to share and lead approximately one month in advance and primarily on a volunteer basis, though at times I may seek out participants for specific weeks.  Other weeks, the worship team may lead this time of worship.  It is an honor to lead our church family in worship each week, engaging our hearts with our Father in genuine adoration and thanksgiving to His glory alone, and I look forward to working with each of you to honor God through the music ministry of our church.
     If you would like to volunteer to take part in leading our church in worship during our time of special music, please contact me directly one month prior to the date on which you would like to  lead special music.  Soli Deo Gloria!
Austin
 
Our Ministry
Our ministry exists to help our church family experience the sufficiency and express the supremacy of Christ in all things and is built on the pillar of John 4:24 - “Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  The team is made up of worship leaders and musicians who serve faithfully in the church to see this vision come to life.

Our Values
-Scripturally Rich:  The content of our singing and praying and welcoming and preaching will always conform to the truths of Scripture.  God’s Word is the foundation for our appeal to authority.  Isaiah 40:8

-Head and Heart:  Our services will appeal to clear thinking about theological truths, and seek to kindle hearts with genuine emotions toward God with these truths.  Matthew 22:37

-Reality:  Our services will have the atmosphere of a deeply personal encounter with the God in spirit and truth. We will avoid all pretenses and posturing, all flippant, insincere frivolity.  We will pursue reverence, passion, and wonder.  Psalm 96 

-Transparency:  We want all semblance of performance to disappear and allow the greatness of God to shine through.  Our trust is in our Message, not ourselves as messengers.  We actively avoid shoddiness and lack of preparation as well as distracting finesse or refinement.  Psalm 115:1

-Contemporary and Traditional:  We celebrate different time periods of musical expression, not for the sake of appeasing demographics, but to show how the glory of God transcends personal taste.  Matthew 13:52

Our Liturgy
We believe that where the gospel is honored, it shapes worship.  The liturgies of the church through the ages and the consistent message of scripture combine to reveal a pattern for corporate worship that is both historical and relevant.  Christian worship is a re-presentation of the gospel, by which we extol, embrace, and share the story of the advancement of the gospel in out lives.
-Adoration:   Our recognition of the greatness and goodness of God
-Confession:  In the light of His glory, we also recognize our sin and confess our need of His grace.
-Assurance:  The declaration of atonement for the sins of many bought with Christ’s sacrifice.
-Thanksgiving:  Assurance of His pardon cultivates an outpouring of sincere gratitude.
-Petition:  All that we have is from God and we depend on His goodness for everything precious in our lives.  Thus, we are compelled to seek Him for supplication within His will towards the advancement of His kingdom.
-Instruction:  His loving intercession makes us desire to walk with Him and further His purposes, so our hearts are open to his instruction, longing to commune with Him and those whom He loves.
-Charge and Benediction:  The conclusion of our time of corporate worship, because the progress of the gospel is God’s benediction on our lives.

Opportunities
-Instrumentalists: Instrumentalists of all types are welcome.  If you are passionate about leading in Worship, playing your instrument skillfully, and offering yourself entirely to God, then you are the kind of musician we are looking for.

-Vocalists: Vocalists play a critical role in Worship Services, placing the spotlight on Jesus by engaging and leading others in worship of His greatness.

-Presentation Team: We value in every aspect of the worship experience, and our presentation team is a wonderful example of this. If you are passionate about multimedia, audio/visual communication, or presenting God’s Word, then you may be a good fit for our Presentation Team.

To schedule a time to talk about our ministry team and/or audition, please contact Austin Walker – acsewalk@icloud.com