OUR LITURGY
This Is Our Rhythm, Not Our Restriction.
At Perfecting Love Charlotte, our worship is intentional.
At Perfecting Love Charlotte, our worship is intentional.
We believe there is room for both structure and the movement of the Holy Spirit. Our order of worship is not designed to restrict what God can do; it helps us faithfully steward the people God has entrusted to us and the time we share together.
Every movement has a purpose.
We prepare.
We are called.
We worship.
We belong.
We hear.
We respond.
We give.
We go.
This is our rhythm, not our restriction.
Our Worship Philosophy
Perfecting Love Charlotte is a Spirit-filled worshiping community. We believe in prayer, spiritual gifts, prophetic ministry, authentic worship, and remaining sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit.
At the same time, we do not believe that spontaneity and spirituality are the same thing, nor do we believe that structure prevents the Holy Spirit from moving.
We prepare prayerfully.
We worship intentionally.
We remain spiritually attentive.
Our liturgy provides a rhythm for worship while leaving room for pastoral discernment and the movement of the Holy Spirit.
"THIS IS OUR RHYTHM, NOT OUR RESTRICTION."
We Prepare
Prepare to Worship
Worship begins before the first word is spoken or the first song is sung.
We intentionally prepare our hearts, minds, physical space, and ministry teams for worship. As people gather—whether in person or online—we create room to settle, connect, pray, and become present for what God desires to do among us.
We prepare.
We Are Called
Call to Worship
We intentionally turn our collective attention toward God.
Through Scripture, prayer, exhortation, or another appropriate expression, our worship leader gathers us from the many experiences we carried into worship and reminds us why we have come together.
This is not simply the announcement that church has started. It is our invitation to become present to God and to one another.
We Worship
Praise & Worship
We worship God together.
Our musical worship is designed to be congregational rather than performative. Our worship leader leads, but the congregation participates.
People are welcome to sing, clap, lift their hands, stand, sit, reflect, or worship according to their authentic expression.
The goal is not simply to hear someone sing.
Let us worship God together.
We Belong
Belonging
Love is central to the identity of Perfecting Love Charlotte, so we intentionally create space to acknowledge and extend love to one another.
Belonging may look like conversation, a handshake, a fist bump, a wave, a selfie, words of encouragement, or a mutually welcomed hug.
Physical affection is never required for someone to belong. A hug counts. A handshake counts. A fist bump counts. A wave counts. A smile counts. It all counts.
We want people to experience community without feeling that they must surrender healthy boundaries in order to belong.
It all counts.
We Hear
The Word
The preaching and teaching of God's Word is an intentional and protected part of our worship experience.
Our pastor approaches this moment through prayer, study, preparation, reflection, and spiritual discernment.
We do not believe every worship experience needs to be overloaded with activity. There is value in making room to hear and receive the Word.
Our goal is not religious performance. We want God's Word to help form people who increasingly love God, love others, and love themselves.
There is a Word for where you are.
We Respond
Our Response
Hearing the Word invites a response.
After the Word, we intentionally create space for people to consider: How will I respond to what I have heard?
Someone's response may be giving their life to Christ. Someone may desire prayer. Someone may want to become connected to Perfecting Love Charlotte. Someone may need to recommit. Someone may remain in their seat and quietly talk with God.
Every response does not have to look the same. Our Response is not about manufacturing an emotional moment. It is about making intentional room for people to respond authentically to God's Word.
We simply make room.
We Give
Giving
Generosity is part of our worship.
Through giving, we share responsibility for the ministry and work entrusted to our community and help Perfecting Love Charlotte serve people in Charlotte and beyond.
Giving should never be rooted in shame, manipulation, or comparison. We invite people to participate according to their ability and conviction as we carry the work of ministry together.
Give as you are able and as you are led.
We Go
Benediction
The benediction is more than the announcement that worship has ended. It is our blessing and sending.
We leave the gathered worship experience and return to our homes, families, careers, schools, communities, relationships, responsibilities, and everyday lives carrying what we have received.
Worship does not end when we leave the sanctuary. We are sent to live what we have received.
And now, we go live it.
Sabbath Sunday
Your attendance matters, but your rest matters, too.
Every fourth Sunday at Perfecting Love Charlotte is a Sabbath Sunday, our permanent practice of intentional rest.
There is no in-person corporate worship, and no rehearsals or required ministry activities. Sabbath Sunday is not a cancelled service or a sign of inactivity. It is an intentional part of our church culture.
Rest is part of our rhythm.
Unity Sunday
One Body. Many Congregations. One Faith.
Every fifth Sunday is set aside as a Unity Sunday, dedicated to worship and fellowship with other congregations.
Sometimes Perfecting Love Charlotte will host. Other times, our congregation will worship at another church. When we worship at another church, we do not hold a separate service at our regular location.
Unity Sunday times and locations are announced well in advance.
Our Rhythm
We prepare.
We are called.
We worship.
We belong.
We hear.
We respond.
We give.
We go.
LOVE GOD · LOVE OTHERS · LOVE YOURSELF
"We love because God loves us."
1 John 4:19
Why It Matters
Our liturgy is ultimately about formation. We are not interested in simply teaching people how to "do church."
We want to help form people who:
LOVE GOD.
LOVE OTHERS.
LOVE THEMSELVES.
If someone spends years at Perfecting Love Charlotte and never masters church culture, never learns all of our theological language, and never learns how to perform religion—but leaves loving God more deeply, loving other human beings more radically, and loving themselves more healthily—we believe something sacred has happened.
Jesus taught us to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves. For us, that means our worship, preaching, community, discipleship, and ministry should continually help people grow in their capacity to love God, love others, and love themselves.
"We love because God loves us."
1 John 4:19
Experience Today's Worship Guide
See how our worship rhythm is being expressed in today's gathering.
The Liturgy explains why we worship this way. Today's Worship Guide shows how we are living it out this week.
View Today's Worship Guide