How our services run

At the previously mentioned home group meeting, we talked about our service practice; I thought it was too perfunctory, although coming from a 'high' Anglican past, almost anything would be!
Still, our pattern of:

• "Hi"
• song
• announcements
• children leave
• offering
• song
• prayer
• Bible reading
• sermon
• song
• benediction

not work for me.
Better:

1. Call to prayer: Bible verse
2. Song - contemporary
3. Opening prayer (brief)
4. Lord's prayer or Apostles creed, modified to skip 'descended into hell'
5. Hymn - classic/historic
6. Psalm, read, possible responsively, during which the offering
7. Bible reading 1
8. Pastoral prayer (could be two shorter prayers: one for missions, one local)
9. Bible reading 2 (or communion)
10. Sermon
11. Song or Hymn
12. Benediction: Bible passage

12 points is good: like the 12 apostles and tribes of Israel.