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Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered
Spiritual formation is the key to the survival of our faith. There is an urgent need today for church services that are substantive and purposeful. Stigmatized by scandal, the church in North America and throughout Europe has been branded as useless and irrelevant. To stem the tide of nominal Christianity, we need to get serious about making disciples who can make other disciples. Rory Noland is a worship leader who has led in contexts ranging from megachurches to small retreat settings such as the Transforming Center with Ruth Haley Barton. Combining discipleship and worship―what Noland calls transforming worship ―he offers a vision for worship as spiritual formation. We need to reclaim our worship services as a formative space, and through that we will become the light of Christ in a dark world.
216 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2021
31 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Rory Noland
17 books9 followersRory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church. He leads retreats for artists, speaks at workshops and conferences, mentors worship leaders, and consults with churches in the areas of worship and the arts. Rory currently leads worship for the Transforming Center, a ministry that cares for the souls of pastors and leaders. Rory is Head of the Worship Department at Nebraska Christian College where he teaches courses in worship and spiritual formation for artists. He is also a regular contributor to "Worship Leader" magazine and his "Daily Praise Offering" is posted every day at www.heartoftheartist.org. Rory is a published songwriter and has authored four books, all published by Zondervan:
The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team
Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help For You and Your Ministry Team
The Worshiping Artist: Equipping You and Your Ministry Team to Lead Others in Worship
Worship on Earth as it is in Heaven: Exploring Worship as a Spiritual Discipline
Rory earned a Bachelor's Degree in music from the Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University as well as a Master's Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He is a trained spiritual director through the Christos Center for Spiritual Formation and has a certificate in spiritual formation from The Transforming Center. Rory served as the music director at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, for twenty years and most recently as Pastor of Worship for Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team
Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help For You and Your Ministry Team
The Worshiping Artist: Equipping You and Your Ministry Team to Lead Others in Worship
Worship on Earth as it is in Heaven: Exploring Worship as a Spiritual Discipline
Rory earned a Bachelor's Degree in music from the Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University as well as a Master's Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He is a trained spiritual director through the Christos Center for Spiritual Formation and has a certificate in spiritual formation from The Transforming Center. Rory served as the music director at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, for twenty years and most recently as Pastor of Worship for Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 18, 2024
Audiobook reader was DRY lol other than that good content. Not just for worship leaders but for all leaders
June 5, 2025
i really appreciated this book, and i relate a lot to the author in terms of the contexts we've been formed in and the desire for worship services planned with spiritual formation in mind!
i didn't think all of his practical advice was helpful or necessary, but i thought most of his questions (and Barton's in the foreword) were really worth wrestling with. the overall vision cast in this book was inspiring to me
this is my first book in my summer goal of fifteen books. let's roll
i didn't think all of his practical advice was helpful or necessary, but i thought most of his questions (and Barton's in the foreword) were really worth wrestling with. the overall vision cast in this book was inspiring to me
this is my first book in my summer goal of fifteen books. let's roll
February 14, 2023
It took me a long time to finish, but not due to the quality of writing. Noland does a great job casting vision for a spiritually transforming worship service, dependent on the Spirit, but understanding healthy church tradition.
May 25, 2023
I rarely give a book 2 stars, and I'm fighting the urge to cave and give this book at least another star because I know someone who loves the book. I think of my reading of this book in terms of food, specifically elote and regular corn on the cob. Elote is an amazing grilled corn on the cob with a creamy sauce that is otherworldly. To eat regular boiled corn on the cob after eating elote diminishes the regular corn on the cob. However, if people have never eaten elote or regular corn on the cob, and they eat their first corn on the cob, they will be amazed by a simple cob of corn. Here's what happened to me: I just finished Aaron Niequist's The Eternal Current and loved it (elote); then I read Nolan's Transforming Worship (boiled corn on the cob).
1) Noland's book feels like reading a textbook. I dragged through this book. He earns an A in argumentative writing (the good kind of argumentative -- the one they teach in schools for writing papers: term papers and theses).
2) I disagree with what will lead to a transformed life. I now understand why some non-traditional liturgical Protestant churches are going full steam ahead with traditional liturgical services. I had wondered why it was becoming all the rage (and leaving some of their congregants raging). I've been in both: traditional liturgical and liturgical-but-not-called-liturgical because they don't understand liturgy just means "work of the people" -- the schedule of how service is done. Guess what? Neither one leads to transformed people more than the other!
Would it be a plot-spoiler if I went step-by-step with my disagreements? Can one have a plot-spoiler if it is a non-fiction book? I have no argument against traditional liturgical forms. I love many of them. I do have an argument with anyone who thinks transformation can only happen in a traditional liturgical service with the 5-fold way.
What was good? Reading this book pushed me into thinking about what does lead to transformed lives. I agree with Noland that it is the Holy Spirit. No arguments there. Where we differ is that I lean into people becoming aware of the presence of God/Jesus/Holy Spirit and what our Triune God is doing / inviting us into / calling to us in more ways than just a limited 5-fold way. Again, you can be traditionally liturgical or not traditionally liturgical and still be the same as anyone else who doesn't call themselves a Christian. My thesis is that people thinks thoughts and do actions which make them aware of God's presence, cause them to fall in love (a massively abundantly hugely encompassing definition of love) with God, keep them in love with God which in turns causes them live into that love and into the One in whose image they were created. This in turn causes love for others and can't help but drawing others in. Kind of like when you fall in love with elote. ;-D
1) Noland's book feels like reading a textbook. I dragged through this book. He earns an A in argumentative writing (the good kind of argumentative -- the one they teach in schools for writing papers: term papers and theses).
2) I disagree with what will lead to a transformed life. I now understand why some non-traditional liturgical Protestant churches are going full steam ahead with traditional liturgical services. I had wondered why it was becoming all the rage (and leaving some of their congregants raging). I've been in both: traditional liturgical and liturgical-but-not-called-liturgical because they don't understand liturgy just means "work of the people" -- the schedule of how service is done. Guess what? Neither one leads to transformed people more than the other!
Would it be a plot-spoiler if I went step-by-step with my disagreements? Can one have a plot-spoiler if it is a non-fiction book? I have no argument against traditional liturgical forms. I love many of them. I do have an argument with anyone who thinks transformation can only happen in a traditional liturgical service with the 5-fold way.
What was good? Reading this book pushed me into thinking about what does lead to transformed lives. I agree with Noland that it is the Holy Spirit. No arguments there. Where we differ is that I lean into people becoming aware of the presence of God/Jesus/Holy Spirit and what our Triune God is doing / inviting us into / calling to us in more ways than just a limited 5-fold way. Again, you can be traditionally liturgical or not traditionally liturgical and still be the same as anyone else who doesn't call themselves a Christian. My thesis is that people thinks thoughts and do actions which make them aware of God's presence, cause them to fall in love (a massively abundantly hugely encompassing definition of love) with God, keep them in love with God which in turns causes them live into that love and into the One in whose image they were created. This in turn causes love for others and can't help but drawing others in. Kind of like when you fall in love with elote. ;-D
August 7, 2021
Such a great vision for a better, more transformative church.
October 10, 2023
Noland lays out a 'hybrid' approach for a transforming worship service that blends elements from the historic fourfold order of service with the more popular and modern revivalist template: Call to worship > Worship set > Sermon > Table > Sending. In so doing, he encourages churches to look beyond the worship set, and be conscious of how the entire service is formative on the congregation.
He then encourages modern evangelicals to rediscover the importance and value of symbols and rituals, setting up readers for his discussion on the sacraments towards the end of the book. Discussing those 2 chapters first, Noland goes through the reformed view of the real presence (i.e. Christ's presence mediated through the Spirit) and the real benefits of feeding on Christ, such as growing into union with Him. In the last substantive chapter of the book, Noland outlines the value the early church and various Christians throughout church history (including Luther and Calvin) placed on baptism, and encourages Christians to reflect on the past event of baptism in living in the present. He also encourages churches to educate their congregations on the value and meaning of the sacraments.
Before his discussion on the sacraments, Noland goes through the value of corporate and scripted prayer, which enables the congregation to pray together (rather than passively listen to the improvised prayer of someone on stage). However, he also leaves open the freedom of improvisation, pointing to the spontaneity in Jewish prayers. He then expounds upon the importance of the public reading of Scripture, which is often overshadowed by the sermon that comes after. Lastly, he commends the practice of corporate confession to the modern church, urging that one of the most valuable gifts congregations can be given is the gift of an unfettered conscience; a blessed assurance that their sins are forgiven.
Noland gives the modern church a lot to think about, and leaders who in a position to plan segments of the service (eg. a pastor, service leader, or worship leader) will definitely benefit from this book, even if one ultimately disagrees with him on some (or even all) issues he raises.
He then encourages modern evangelicals to rediscover the importance and value of symbols and rituals, setting up readers for his discussion on the sacraments towards the end of the book. Discussing those 2 chapters first, Noland goes through the reformed view of the real presence (i.e. Christ's presence mediated through the Spirit) and the real benefits of feeding on Christ, such as growing into union with Him. In the last substantive chapter of the book, Noland outlines the value the early church and various Christians throughout church history (including Luther and Calvin) placed on baptism, and encourages Christians to reflect on the past event of baptism in living in the present. He also encourages churches to educate their congregations on the value and meaning of the sacraments.
Before his discussion on the sacraments, Noland goes through the value of corporate and scripted prayer, which enables the congregation to pray together (rather than passively listen to the improvised prayer of someone on stage). However, he also leaves open the freedom of improvisation, pointing to the spontaneity in Jewish prayers. He then expounds upon the importance of the public reading of Scripture, which is often overshadowed by the sermon that comes after. Lastly, he commends the practice of corporate confession to the modern church, urging that one of the most valuable gifts congregations can be given is the gift of an unfettered conscience; a blessed assurance that their sins are forgiven.
Noland gives the modern church a lot to think about, and leaders who in a position to plan segments of the service (eg. a pastor, service leader, or worship leader) will definitely benefit from this book, even if one ultimately disagrees with him on some (or even all) issues he raises.
February 3, 2022
Helpful book in that it helps those who plan worship to think more carefully about what they do and why they do it.
Unhelpful in that it promotes some rather Catholic theology and approaches to worship while speaking to a Protestant audience.
I understand the advantages of using historical/liturgical elements in worship services even in a protestant setting, but this book went too far into the theology and historical arguments for a more Catholic form of worship.
Unhelpful in that it promotes some rather Catholic theology and approaches to worship while speaking to a Protestant audience.
I understand the advantages of using historical/liturgical elements in worship services even in a protestant setting, but this book went too far into the theology and historical arguments for a more Catholic form of worship.
November 2, 2023
Finally another five star book! This was a great read. Like some other have said, this book was not a quick read, but not because it was difficult to get through or drudgery. It had a lot to unpack and chew on. I’m looking forward to getting a copy for each of my worship leaders, along with Constance Cherry’s “Worship Architect” as resources for our team.
July 25, 2024
Very grateful to my friend @rachelckraft for this recommendation when I was asking questions about different ways to think about worship services. I don’t think I arrive at all the same conclusions or applications as Noland does, but I really valued the issues he raised and the perspectives he brought. Would serve as a great discussion tool for a church service planning team!
August 8, 2022
I found this book very helpful and informational about the different parts of worship and their deeper meanings. It served as a great reminder and gave some new suggestions on how to incorporate the practices of the early church into modern worship services.
February 9, 2022
Broaden your understanding and enrich your experience of corporate worship by utilizing some or all of the worship practices Noland addresses. There are some real gems in this book.
March 1, 2024
A must-read for anyone involved in planning/leading Sunday services.
September 13, 2021
Rory gives us so much to think through & practical suggestions for how to serve God with our gifts in a way that creates space for people to be transformed by worship. He challenges us to go deeper in our relationship with Christ & to explore church history & scripture as we seek to be changed by worship & lead others.
This is a great book to go through with your team.
This is a great book to go through with your team.
January 30, 2024
Too Catholic and liturgical for my Baptist taste. Given to me by a friend, this book was certainly one that challenged my everyday view of worship. There certainly were some good principles and methods that are intriguing, but I was totally checked out in the last three chapters. For those I minister to every day, I would not recommend.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews