Serving with Calvin leading and planning services of worship

Terry Johnson’s 2014 Worshipping with Calvin (EP Books) promised a follow-up work that would focus on implementation. Serving with Calvin is that work. Whereas Worshipping with Calvin argued for the revival of historic Reformed ministry and worship by focusing on its biblical, theological, and historical foundations, Serving with Calvin focusses on the nuts and bolts, the “how-to’s,” the application of historic Reformed ministry and worship today. Our hope is that many will be convinced that it can be done, and should be. The Word read, preached, sung, prayed, and seen is as effective today as it ever was. When practiced by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, ordinary means ministry may be the instrument by which Christ once again builds His church, against which even the gates of hell shall not prevail.

Publisher: Evangelical Press
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781783971176

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Terry Johnson was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied history at the University of Southern California, and also studied at Trinity College, Bristol, England, and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, before earning his D.Min in 2008 from Erskine Theological Seminary. He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America and was assistant minister in Coral Gables, Florida, before moving to Savannah in 1987 to the Independent Presbyterian Church. Terry is the author/compiler of the Trinity Psalter, Leading in Worship, and The Family Worship Book. He is also author of The Case for Traditional Protestantism, Worshipping with Calvin, and other books including the trilogy When Grace Comes Home, When Grace Transforms, and When Grace Comes Alive. He and his wife, Emily, have five children.

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In this wonderful book, Johnson proves once again to be an experienced, wise, and godly pastor who desires to see the Lord worshipped by His Church with a purity that honors Him. This book touches on so many varying topics that are central to the corporate gathering of the church, and specifically, for the pastor who is leading and planning those services. The first two chapters, before getting into the nuts and bolts of planning the service, begin by pointing out the importance of building upon the foundation of Christ, and the necessity of preparing the minister in leadership, piety, humility, and wisdom. Following those two excellent introductory chapters, Johnson jumps into the ins and outs of planning the service. He is not approaching these topics with a broad treatment, but he gets quite specific which the reader will find greatly helpful (i.e. he even deals with specific items such as finding an appropriate pace for a worship service). Chapters four and five deal with administering the elements of Word, sacraments, and prayer. This was probably my favorite portion of the book. Johnson’s section on preaching was a book within a book! I found this entire section to be very enlightening and especially practical. It is such a blessing to learn from a pastor who has been ministering these elements for quite some time. We have much to learn from him. Matthew Cover