Rev. Philip Chryst, a pastor of a United Methodist Mission, developed a new model for worship called WikiWorship. The prefix “Wiki” was of course adapted from “Wikipedia”. Pastor Chryst had developed the model during his time at Duke Divinity School as part of a course he was taking.
In a nutshell, WikiWorship turns part of the sermon over to the congregation. The challenge for the preacher was to give up control of the service without overlooking the whole point of that day’s message.
The week before each worship, members of the congregation would submit various questions they may have regarding ethics, religion, and God via the United Methodist mission website. The preacher would select one of them to be put up for discussion during that Sunday’s worship service.
Despite the name, there are no computers or technology involved in the process. However there are many other elements that must come into alignment for this new paradigm to work effectively. Rev. Chryst used the analogy of the stand-up comedian to explain the essential skills to effectively utilize WikiWorship. It was crucial that the speaker be prepared to answer any question or comment from his audience,
This is a good way to bring people who are less-engaged in the church back into the congregation. In addition, it was a good way for church members to express their opinions to the preacher and to receive feedback on issues that they may have had trouble understanding as Christians.
