Self-confessed metal head George Russell went along to Liverpool's BODY AND SOUL event in April to find out for himself what this 'new worship' is all about.

The road was deserted. The sign pointed to a dimly lit track fading into the blackness. The icy wind sliced across my shaven pate. As far as the eye could see was a sea of gravestones; I held the garlic close to my throat. Somewhere a bell sounded. Nine o'clock, I hastened through the spooky boneyard towards the distant light. I could hear no sound at all; perhaps alternative worship meant silence.

I entered the hall. So this was St Luke's hall. I recalled that Crosby was one of the many suburbs of Liverpool that would prefer not to be. What was a state-registered metal head doing here anyway? To endure the horrors of "Rave" muzak -to experience Body And Soul, a new kind of worship service.

About 100 people were there, most of them seated on the floor. I joined them. This certainly bore no resemblance to my idea of a rave; most of them appeared to be comatose, or were they zombies? I clutched the garlic tightly; why didn't I bring the wooden kebab skewers?

It was too late: after a brief announcement it started. For a full 30 minutes we were led on a painful multimedia pilgrimage from unbelief, blaming God for all the world's problems to a gradual resignation that God knows about our pain - in fact He feels it. As a rocker, biker and noisy music aficionado, I personally found the contemplation a little depressing. I could not find a bottle of paracetamol, so I was reduced to overdosing on a three-week-old blackcurrant Tune. What a way to go? I lay on the floor, tuned out, when an announcer declared that the next half hour would be celebration - and so it was.

The audio visuals changed from sombre news cuttings of the Bulger funeral, IRA bombings and Hillsborough to countryside scenes, the statutory stained glass windows and people worshipping etc. The music was rave-ish. By that I mean musically similar, but this music had recognisable musical structure and meaningful words - a novelty indeed!

I looked around. Many of the adults looked bewildered, most of the attenders (early teens) were "dancing" and I use the term loosely, with limited exertion very reminiscent of Mr Bean.

The whole thing was over in an hour. To my amazement I had not only survived, but enjoyed it. How much real worship had gone on I don't know: but God does. For myself, as a worship event it didn't make it. But as a thought provoking exercise, particularly for evangelism, it had enormous potential: contemporary music, quality visuals and, generally, God centred lyrics. All that was missing was a five-minute evangelistic spot and the statutory go-go dancer. (I'm joking, OK?)

There is always room for improvement in any experiment, this event being no exception. The organisation of Body And Soul include, in their literature, an opportunity to join them, not only as financial helpers, but to have a positive input into the future content and direction of Body And Soul. I would encourage Body And Soul to continue, fine tune and develop their ministry.
The event was certainly an encounter with God, and a valuable means to influence those outside the church in a contemporary way.