| Sumario: | Churches as organizations must engage in communicative practices that forge unity in worship while confronting varying individual and sub-group desires and values. Invoking the mystery of faith is translated by church members into specific, weekly decisions and activities. Key communication principles necessary for this purpose include enactment of ambiguity and mystery in messages. In the particular case studied, one church sought to maintain unity while wrestling with a divisive issue: deciding what kind of worship style would meet current member needs, attract future members, and yet remain true to God. Members found that advocates of extreme changes or specific traditions were put at a disadvantage due to the specific proposals they made, while those advocating the status quo, including the pastor, were assisted by use of ambiguous messages about style of worship that made appeals for unity primary.
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