When it comes to church service ‘styles’, there is not any solid delineation between them (and some churches will not claim to be one or another), but many attendees will recognize that certain styles tend to be associated with certain denominations, and can generally be categorized into liturgical, formal, and informal1,2
Liturgical:
While liturgy itself can be considered a version of formal worship and preaching, organizations that use the term are considered ultra-traditional and tend to have church services that follow strict standards based on their sacraments, which can include portions of the sermon spoken in Greek, Latin, or Hebrew
In liturgical-style sermons, pastors do expect audience responses, but at very specific times, and with very specific verbiage
Denominations that tend to be liturgical in nature include: the Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches
Formal:
Formal church services tend to have a very specific structure to their services, with songs sang at specific times (often with at least a single song, like the Doxology, sang at a specific point in every service), and sermons that may follow a specific pattern (possibly with a set intermission, allowing children to leave for a separate youth-focused activity or sermon)
Pastors may expect audience responses in response to specific traditional sayings during the service, but generally do not desire any audience response during an actual sermon
Denominations that tend to be formal in nature include Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches
Informal:
Informal church services vary wildly in their worship and sermon styles, but tend to have a loose structure, often with variable number of songs, generalized announcement period, and a less-structured sermon that can range in style and setting
Pastors at churches that use an informal style of worship and preaching tend to prefer audience responses, and may even goad the audience into responding if they feel that they are not receiving enough verbal feedback
Denominations that tend to be informal in nature include: Baptist, Pentecostal/Charismatic, and Non-Denominational churches
Group discussion question: Do you agree with the above styles of church services?
Group discussion question: Which types of church services have you experienced, and which do you prefer and dislike?
Types of Preaching
Topical vs expository3
Topical: tying a section of the Bible, or multiple separate sections, to a topic relating to today’s world
Expository: working through the Bible verse-by-verse, and focusing on the understanding of those verses
The benefits of expository preaching4
Expository preaching helps the audience to better understand the Bible, by ensuring that there is context to individual verses that are discussed, and that cultural relevance to events of the time can be presented
There is some danger to topical preaching, with unscrupulous pastors able to pick and choose verses to their liking in order to develop the message they prefer
Audience members can tell when a pastor is presenting in a topical style, as topical preachers will often list off three or more verses about a subject, with each verse from a completely different book of the Bible (and no surrounding context given to any of the individual verses)
Group discussion question: What type of preaching do you prefer?
Group discussion question: What are the most memorable sermons you’ve heard, and why do you still remember them?
Group discussion question: What makes you uncomfortable when listening to a sermon?
Types of Biblical explanation
Hermeneutics (the study of interpretation), and exegesis vs eisegesis5
Exegesis: understanding the Bible’s text, based on the surrounding textual information as well as the culture of the era (and the preferred way of reading and understanding the Bible)6
Eisegesis: understanding a situation within your own life, or an event in today’s culture, in relation to the Bible (there are several issues with using eisegesis as a basis for Biblical understanding and sermon writing)7
Group discussion question: Do you read a single verse without searching for the surrounding context, or do you regularly delve into the surrounding text and relevant cultural information?
