Worship has been defined in various ways over the last 50 years. However, in the previous 500 years the definition remained fairly constant. Churches today reflect various definitions of worship which range in emphasis from the music we sing to the individual’s lifestyle. Some churches limit worship to certain songs, while others describe worship as everything a believer does both intentionally and unintentionally.

Because of this confusion we feel it necessary to offer some thoughts in regard to our philosophy of worship: first, regarding worship in general; and second, regarding corporate worship. Our desire is that each of us should participate in worship with an understanding of our responsibilities regarding personal worship as well as our role in corporate worship.

We believe that worship is an attitude toward life. All that we do should be done as a conscious act of worship of God. We also acknowledge that the coming together as a community of believers is a crucial part of this act of worship. For this reason, a priority is placed upon Sunday worship as a time when a community can come and practice worship together.

To be Fed Spiritually is Your Responsibility:
To allow the Word of God to change you & to do the will of God!

We believe sacrifice is necessary for true worship to take place. Worship in Scripture always involved sacrifice, both on the corporate and private levels. This is still true today. Even though the ultimate sacrifice of Christ is complete and sufficient for salvation, every relationship requires sacrifice, especially a relationship with God Himself.

Based upon Romans 12:1, we believe our sacrifice involves offering our very selves to the service of God. Service is at the very heart of worship and a servant is always humble by definition.

We believe that we have the responsibility to continue sacrificing our daily lives to the LORD and offering a sacrifice of praise from our lips.

Communion is one of the opportunities for worship given to us by Christ Himself. By partaking in Communion, we partake in the very sufferings of Christ and share in His resurrection. We have the opportunity to identify ourselves with His sacrifice as our own and so stand as a people justified before a holy and just God.

Because Communion is of such importance, we must understand what it is and what it means in order that we may partake without bringing the judgment of Christ upon ourselves. This is not to be a comprehensive teaching on Communion, but rather a short summary that will spark personal study.

Communion is to be done by the church as a group as an act of remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice. It is only to be partaken of by those who have first aligned their hearts to that of Christ and have received His sacrifice as the only sufficient sacrifice. It is also not to be taken by those who have bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness toward another person. We provide Communion at every corporate worship service in order to give each individual or family the opportunity to come to Jesus in commitment to personal sacrifice.

We also acknowledge the importance of corporate Communion and thus invite the whole Community of HarvestDowntown to participate together once a month. This challenges the individual to prepare for the event by preparing his or her heart ahead of time and making right his or her broken relationships.

The order of worship at HarvestDowntown may seem unusual to many, and we therefore want to address it. Our philosophy of worship is that worship is always in response to the Word. Because of our passion for God we want our passion for worship to flow from our passion for the Word.

Worship is an attitude of servitude to God, and we believe that true worship flows from the Word’s ability to discern the attitudes and intentions of the heart. This is why the majority of our singing, praying, and ministry to one another follows the proclamation of the Word.

"Our philosophy of worship is that worship is always in response to the Word."

On Style

Style in worship has consistently been one of the primary causes of church splits and arguments for centuries. It seems that many are more concerned about style than content, and many try and make their preferences into biblical principles, concluding that there is only one correct way to worship (Theirs!). The fact is this: There are many different styles of worship but the function of worship remains the same. We use contemporary music to highlight and provide an atmosphere of worship. Music is not necessary, nor are candles. However, both have been in use since the time of the Exodus.

We encourage every follower of Jesus to worship in a style that is most appropriate to his or her personality. However, we ask that each person be considerate of the others in the community of HarvestDowntown. Our freedoms in Christ should be enjoyed but never flaunted at the expense of another. For this reason, you are encouraged to worship as the Spirit leads with sensitivity