Call & Response: The Abingdon Guidebook for Worship and Preaching, Year B, 2026-2027

Plan deep, joyful worship for every season of the church year.

Call & Response is a trusted companion for pastors, worship planners, church staff, and laity who help shape meaningful worship experiences. Drawing from the lectionary-based sermon and worship plans for Year B, it provides rich resources for Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and all the seasons and special days of the liturgical year. Each section includes full texts of calls to worship, responsive readings, offering invitations, benedictions, and other prayers and liturgies needed throughout the year.

Throughout the year, this guidebook offers practical suggestions on how to:
- Plan Theologically Rich Worship: Full texts and examples guide leaders in creating worship services that follow the timeless pattern of Gathering, Proclaiming, Thanksgiving, and Sending. Key elements such as the Call to Worship, Passing of the Peace, Affirmation of Faith, Prayers of the People, the sacraments, and Benediction are explained and illustrated for easy use.
- Develop Sermons with Confidence: Prompts and sidebars support sermon planning using both lectionary-based and thematic approaches, helping leaders connect Scripture and themes to the lives of their congregations.
- Engage All Generations: Sidebars and suggestions highlight ways to include children, youth, and adults in active worship participation. Leaders will find guidance for involving congregants in responsive readings, music, sacraments, and other liturgical roles, fostering a sense of ownership and belonging.
- Inspire Creativity and Movement: Through dramatizations, music, visual storytelling, and hands-on participation, worshippers are encouraged to engage in worship in meaningful and creative ways. Guidance for special situations, such as trauma, natural disasters, current events, or patriotic observances, helps ensure services are pastorally sensitive and relevant.
- Access a Wide Range of Resources: Contributions from both ancient and contemporary voices provide a deep and diverse pool of liturgical materials, including prayers, litanies, and liturgies for baptism and holy communion, along with practical instruction on the meaning, history, and logistics of worship.

By providing inspiration, guidance, and ready-to-use materials, Call & Response empowers worship leaders to plan services that are theologically rich, pastorally sensitive, and deeply engaging for all ages, helping congregations encounter God meaningfully throughout the year.

Also available is Call & Response for Young People, a companion to Call & Response, designed to nurture vibrant worship experiences that resonate with all ages, with a special emphasis on involving children and youth.

R. DeAndre Johnson is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist church, author, musician, and preacher currently serving as Pastor of Discipleship at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church in Houston, TX. He has been the music director, worship leader, and consultant for several churches and conferences, including United Methodist Church’s Exploration events, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the World Methodist Conference. DeAndre has served as chorus master for the Houston Ebony Opera Guild and as a member of the editorial team for WorshipArts magazine. He is the author of Yes and Amen: A Prayer Collection and a contributor to The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer.