The Young Adults group from the Church of the Immaculate Conception, together with their advisors, Donald and Fidelis, organised a Praise and Worship workshop for youth.
Dec 02, 2022
JOHOR BAHRU: The Young Adults group from the Church of the Immaculate Conception, together with their advisors, Donald and Fidelis, organised a Praise and Worship workshop for youth.
The presenters were Paul Julianose from CHARIS and his team, comprising Samuel Theveindran, Brenda Julianose, Monica Merli, Jonathan Lesslar, and Tidus Tham.
The weekend workshop was to train the young adults how to become effective Praise & Worship leaders and how to lead others into a deeper worship of God. The main theme of the workshop explored the concept of the Tabernacle of Moses to enter deeper and become true worshippers.
The workshop began with icebreaker games followed by Paul and his team leading everyone in a Praise and Worship session where all were encouraged to open their palms and face upwards. “Praising God with arms outstretched is a form of worship through our body” he explained during his talk, “Every act of worship is meant to transform us, to lay down our sins, and to become true witnesses of Christ.”
Paul also explained that we are able to worship God in four ways:
1) Liturgical worship through the Holy Eucharistic Celebration,
2) Non-Liturgical Worship such as Holy Hour
3) Informal Worship which focuses on the Adoration of God in Praise and Worship
4) Personal Worship during quiet moments of prayer alone. “The Holy Spirit grants gifts to all as He wills, and we are to receive it with thanksgiving and consolation — in the form of Praise and Worship. He adds, “Despite all, the Holy Mass remains the highest form of worship as the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.”
Throughout the workshop the praise and worship sessions, praying over sessions, self reflections, group discussions, testimonies, and presentations – all of which revolved around the concept of entering the Tabernacle of Moses, with the worship leader guiding the congregation into the spirits of:
1) Thanksgiving
2) Praise
3) Repentance
4) Worship
5) Adoration
The pinnacle of the workshop was the Soaking Worship. Adoration is an act of being in awe of the divine and the “perception of the grandeur, majesty, and beauty of God, together with His goodness and presence, which takes one’s breath away.”
Towards the end, Paul invited all who were moved and touched by the Spirit to come forward and to pledge to dedicate their time, gifts and talents to help out in the Charismatic Renewal Prayer Sessions at our respective churches. A total of 14 youth stepped out and committed that day.
Many of the participants were apprehensive when they first arrived at the workshop, but once the activities were in full swing and as friendships formed and the bonding began, they enjoyed themselves. A few youths came forward to share their sentiments and to testify that it was an enriching and fruitful experience and they were glad and grateful. Inspired, they are now ready to change and to go forth to love the Lord more.
Sharing from the participants:
“When I was prayed over, I saw a bright light and heard a voice saying, “open your heart and surrender your life to me and I will take care of you”. I realised that God had spoken to me and at that moment my heart was leaping with joy and I felt calm.” — Bryant
“It’s all about Entering His Gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with Praise. During adoration and praying over, I surrendered myself to the Lord and then it happened to me, deep down I was filled with joy and peace knowing the Holy Spirit was in me. From now on, Praise and Worship will be more meaningful.” — Mark Anthony
“I hesitated when the youth asked us to join the workshop as I have already gone way beyond the experience. After joining this workshop, I came to know that we actually have something that makes sense and is systematic. The beauty about this workshop is we learn how to lead praise and worship in a CATHOLIC way.” — Anselm Ted Majanil
“In praise and worship, the leader is not the main attraction, rather the role of the worship leader is to guide people to God with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit beckons, the worship leader must step aside as God is the one who will work His grace on the participants, not the worship leader and not the music.” — Clara Lee
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