Discovery Worship


Discovery Worship Table Menus

Andrew and Caroline call the style for their Avenues Church, ‘Discovery Worship’. This hands-on, interactive, experiential style of worship forms the basis of every Avenues event. Breakfast Avenues is one such worship event. Gathered around tables are small groups of friends, neighbours, families, couples and even strangers who are yet to be friends. A continental buffet breakfast is served from half an hour before the worship event begins and remains available throughout the church service for participants to come and go and help themselves.

The worship event itself, begins with a Call to Worship and ends with a Benediction. Sandwiched in between are a range of different components, forming the Table Menu. Without a front, there is still a worship facilitator, and often different voices involved in introducing the next item on the table menu. Those at each table, participate together in making, drawing, discussing, praying, questioning and interacting with the theme and each other as the table menu proceeds through the worship event.


Discovery Worship Table Menu - Avenues Style - The Journey of Jonah 1

This is the first in a four part series of Jonah and could easily stand alone as a one-off event. Why not arrange a breakfast church service. This table menu is for people all-ages and all-stages. We've just recently used it with a group of about 20 with ages ranging from 2 years to 65 years.

Discovery Worship Table Menu - Avenues Style - My Lent Bucket

This is a stand-alone programme for the season of Lent. If you are not used to this style of church service, why not arrange a special one-off Lent event. This table menu is for people of all-ages and all-stages. The topic of death is included in the content, but can be handled sensitively with all ages present.

Discovery Worship Table Menu - Avenues Style - Am I Happy?

This is a stand-alone programme or it could be used as part of a series on the Sermon on the Mount. If you are not used to this style of church service, why not arrange a special one-off event. This table menu is for people of all-ages and all-stages. When you set up, include some visual information and brochures or photos of some of the people or organisations that your group supports as it is likely that there will be some people in the group who will see happiness as being something given and want to explore that further.

Discovery Worship Table Menu - Avenues Style - We Make the Road by Walking

At Avenues we've found Brian McLaren's book, 'We Make the Road by Walking' to be a great way of providing an overview of the biblical narrative and exploring and interacting with the Christian story. This is just one of the Breakfast Table Menus we've used together based on Brian's material.

Breakfast Food Menu - Avenues Style - Hosting Breakfast Church

After twenty years of having regular Breakfast Avenues we have learned a few things along the way. This download is a simple explanation of things you need to remember for hosting your own Breakfast Avenues.


Reflection in the Rose Garden

Avenues Prayer Walk - Reflection in the Rose Garden - Peace in our Time

In November each year, the season when roses are in full bloom in New Zealand, we have our annual Reflection in the Rose Garden. It's a busy time of year in November. There are end of year exams for students, the end of the working year for businesses, Christmas preparations and the bustle of new activities beginning as summer approaches. Our reflection brings some quiet into this chaos. Every year we have a different reflection but end up together sitting on picnic blankets and sharing a picnic afternoon tea. Download our 2016 reflection which you could adapt to your own setting. The download includes quotes, bible verses and four prayers. The first of the four prayers is also copied out below.