What leaders do.

A call to worship.

Themes

Mystery • Local church • Missional church • Purpose • Missional people • Apostles • Prophets • Evangelists • Pastors • Teachers • One people • Body of Christ • New creation • Leadership • Obedience • God’s reign

We are people sent—sent with a message that is more radical than we’ve imagined it to be and more transforming than we’ve allowed it to be.

You have equipped us with all we need to live this new reality, so help us now to live it.

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Scripture reading

Ephesians 1: 9–11
Ephesians 4: 11–13

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This call to worship¹ is about how we become equipped to do works of service according to the plan so that we might be for the praise of His glory.

He (that is, God the Father) made known to us 
the mystery of His will 
according to His own good pleasure, 
which He purposed in Christ, 
to be put into effect 
when the times reach their fulfillment—
and that mystery is 
to bring unity 
to all things 
in heaven and on earth 
under Christ.
In Christ 
we were chosen, 
having been predestined 
according to the plan 
of Him who works out everything 
in conformity with the purpose of His will, 
in order that we might be 
for the praise of His glory.


So Christ himself 
gave the apostles, 
the prophets, 
the evangelists, 
the pastors 
and teachers, 
to equip His people for works of service, 
so that the body of Christ may be built up 
until we all reach that unity in the faith 
and in the knowledge of the Son of God 
and become mature, 
attaining to the whole measure 
of the fullness 
of Christ.

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Prayer

Father in heaven, 
You have sent Your Son. 

And You and Your Son 
have sent Your Spirit, 
the Spirit of Christ, 
the Spirit that is now in us, 
working in us. 

And You and the Son and the Spirit 
are now sending us— 
this assembly of us, 
those of us right here together in this place—
You are sending us 
into the world.

As is true of all assemblies of Your people, 
You are shaping us
into a missional church—
a church with a mission, 
a people with a mission: 
people shaped by Your initiative, 
not ours; 
people rooted in Your purpose, 
not ours; 
people sent, 
sent with a message 
that is more radical 
than we’ve imagined it to be, 
and more transforming 
than we’ve allowed it to be. 

And You have given to us 
all that we need 
to form us into this: 
Your missional people. 

Your Spirit empowers us 
for the mission You have given to us 
through the gifts You have bestowed on us—
gifts of apostles, 
prophets, 
evangelists, 
pastors, 
teachers—
all to fundamentally transform us 
in all the ways needed 
to carry out the mission 
You have given 
to us. 

Continue then 
to shape us 
and equip us 
and to recreate us 
as people 
whose life is a witness 
to Jesus Christ. 

Make us all one. 
Keep us being all one. 
Help us to work together as one. 
So that we can be the body of Christ, 
participating in the secret
—in the mystery—
of Your purpose for all creation: 
that is to make all things one 
in and through Jesus Christ. 

You have equipped us with all we need 
to live this new reality, 
so help us now to live it. 

We are all now bound together 
by this singular vocation—
the vocation to announce 
and to demonstrate 
Your new creation 
in Jesus Christ. 

You have given leaders to us
to equip and guide this body 
in all the practices 
that form us into a oneness 
that is a living demonstration 
of Your reign 
in the midst 
of this world—
this post-Christian 
and increasingly anti-Christian world 
unfolding 
right here, 
right now.

With Your leadership, 
and the leaders You have given,
help us to be a witness 
to all that has happened 
through the incarnation 
of Jesus Christ. 
This is not a witness 
empowered by our skills 
or our abilities, 
but only by our obedience to You. 
So help us to live 
in close relationship 
with You, 
and help us to keep 
the regular disciplines 
of practicing the way of Jesus, 
of demonstrating the character of Your reign
—the reign He came to announce—
and of teaching its meaning to the world. 

Have Your Spirit 
guide the leadership of this church, 
and the people of this church, 
to bring into reality 
a people of Your reign, 
a people that understand 
and interpret 
the context 
and culture 
of this location 
You have placed us in 
so that a faithful 
and relevant witness emerges 
and the vision You have given us 
of the future 
is brought to completion: 
a redeemed creation 
characterized by a new people 
in a new city 
where You dwell 
in our midst. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 
who made known to us the mystery of Your will, 
in whom we were chosen,
who gave to us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, 
whose whole measure and fullness we can attain, 
Amen

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Inspiring resources

A call to worship creates wonderment, amazement, curiosity, yearning, captivation, provocation, hopefulness, thankfulness, affection, rapture, delight. As these mix together, the response is worship.

If this call to worship leaves you wondering, or curious, or provoked, or hopeful, consider diving into this awesome book that inspired this call to worship.

1. This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians who gathered in Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on Sunday, January 12, 2025.