Transforming Worship - (Transforming Resources) by Rory Noland (Paperback)

About the Book

Spiritual formation is the key to the survival of our faith. According to worship leader Rory Noland, in order to stem the tide of nominal Christianity we need to reclaim our worship services as formative spaces that are substantive and purposeful. Combining discipleship and worship--what Noland calls transforming worship--he offers a vision for worship as spiritual formation.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Transforming Worship is another excellent resource from Rory Noland. In a historically young field, Rory has pioneered the importance of the heart's relationship with Jesus in worship and how worship leaders should guide those around them. If you're like me, you crave new tools for growth and development--you will find those tools here. From the beginning of this book all the way to the end, we are given Christ-centered and focused training on a biblical understanding of living out a lifestyle of worship. I highly recommend reading Transforming Worship and look forward to sharing it with my teams and leaders!"

--David M. Julian, worship pastor at Grace Community Church in Willow Street, Pennsylvania, and the director of the Atoma Worship Conference

"Having read many of Rory Noland's books on worship, I am convinced Transforming Worship is his most prolific writing to date. It is scholarly, in that he uses an abundance of authors, theologians, and experts on the subject matter; biblical, in his use of Scripture to validate his thoughts; spiritual, by supporting the overall essentials of the Christian faith; and practical, providing examples and suggestions for developing normative worship. Evangelical churches in America are in desperate need of a worship revival. Rory has outlined every fundamental aspect necessary to accomplish spiritual renewal through a transforming heart of worship."

--Terry Williams, president of Priority Worship Ministries

"In Transforming Worship, Rory Noland makes an excellent case for reenvisioning corporate worship as a spiritual practice that will actually transform and restore people's souls. His reenvisioning of worship is historically grounded, deeply thoughtful, and spiritually challenging. I wish that every worship leader in the world would read this vital book!"

--Manuel Luz, author of Honest Worship and Imagine That: Discovering Your Unique Role as a Christian Artist

"Reading Transforming Worship is like enjoying coffee and conversation with a trusted mentor. I can't think of a more reliable guide to the current worship scene than Rory Noland. His experience and insight give shape and texture to his observations and--more importantly--to his thoughtful recommendations for worship services that make time and space in which the triune God can engage and transform us. At a time when some Christian influencers are questioning the need for weekly services, Noland responds with a powerful vision of corporate worship as a gathering of ordinary people encountering an extraordinary God. He brings a generous appreciation of the variety of worship traditions as well as focus and clarity to designing and leading worship services that bring together evangelism and formation rather than forcing them apart. A must-read for pastors and worship leaders who genuinely desire to lead their people--seekers and believers--to the throne of grace."

--Robb Redman, professor and director of ministry programs, South College

"Rory Noland has studied worship and spiritual formation from the trenches of ministry for decades. Drawing from culture, Scripture, and scholarship, he balances practical ministry observations with academic rigor and wisely returns us to the foundational components of Christian worship. These insights help us apply practices that endure beyond worship trends and societal shifts. Transforming Worship is a great book to help any worship leader or pastor in planning worship services and nurturing a worship culture."

--John Chilcote, worship professor at Cedarville University

"Rory Noland skillfully invites us beyond entertaining worship or informative worship into what he calls 'transforming worship.' But he's not merely arguing for a new style or brand. Instead, Rory brings his vast knowledge of church history together with forty-plus years of church ministry experience to invite us into a robust biblical worship that transforms us from the inside out. You will learn from the wisdom of many different Christian streams, and more importantly, discover practical ways to integrate them in your particular context. I truly believe that the church of the future will live at the intersections of multiple Christian traditions rather than choosing one against all others. Rory's book Transforming Worship offers a biblical and historical road map for this constructive, generative journey that forms us into Christlikeness for the sake of the world."

--Aaron Niequist, liturgist and author of The Eternal Current

About the Author

Ruth Haley Barton is founding president of the Transforming Center, a spiritual formation ministry to pastors and Christian leaders. A trained spiritual director, teacher, and retreat leader, she is the author of Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Sacred Rhythms, and Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.

Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries. He holds a doctorate in worship studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute. Rory has served at Willow Creek Community Church and Harvest Bible Chapel. A published songwriter, he has authored five books, including The Heart of the Artist.