Boring Announcements? Try Fun Video Announcements
Texas pastor Laura Heikes shares how weekly worship announcements in her church went from being a boring ritual to a source of life and joy…
Browsing: Worship
Articles
Why Tradition Matters at Christmas
Stephanie Remington of the Lewis Center staff reminds us that Christmas traditions can move the spirit and renew the hope of people in our culture,…
Welcoming Millennials by Preserving Their Anonymity
Churches often welcome young adults with such urgency and expectation that younger visitors can feel overwhelmed. Scott Chrostek, pastor of Resurrection Downtown, says it is…
Worship and Mission Should Go Hand in Hand
Evangelism Professor Mark Teasdale says that an essential function of worship is to undergird a congregation’s missional identity. In worship, God consecrates us to carry…
Does Your Church Need an Online Campus?
Multisite ministry expert Jim Tomberlin says having an internet campus involves more than just offering a video sermon online. It involves offering a full, virtual…
Revitalizing Worship is More than a Question of Style
L. Roger Owens and Donna Claycomb Sokol, authors of New Day in the City, say re-imagining worship to better reach new people involves more than…
5 Things I Need from a Sermon
What do those in the pews need from a sermon? Larry Buxton says it’s more than platitudes and common sense. An effective sermon needs to…
The Secret to Great Preaching
The secret of great preaching, according to Charley Reeb, is to engage your listeners. Stop thinking about what would impress your seminary professors, he says,…
9 Things Preachers Should Never Say
Many preachers shoot themselves in the foot when they start off with hackneyed or formulaic phrases that fail to capture the fleeting attention of those…
Should You Add Another Easter Worship Service?
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., encourages churches to consider whether adding an additional worship service on Easter Sunday will increase their ability to reach more worshipers.…
The 75 Percent Rule to Reach Younger People
Lee Kricher, pastor of Amplify Church in Pittsburgh, says it’s unlikely that younger adults will be drawn to a service where the people in visible…
Leadership for Worship
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says that few areas require more sensitive and creative leadership than worship. Merely asking someone what worship practices they prefer does…
Building Attendance through Special Focus Sundays
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., and Tom Berlin discuss how congregations can reach more members and visitors through Special Focus Sundays that emphasize a particular cause…
Cool Church Isn’t What It Used to Be
In a rapidly changing culture, churches cannot stay relevant by simply adopting the latest trend, says Carey Nieuwhof, especially as indifference to church grows. The…
Worship Game Changers
Why worship? I mean really, why worship? This is the deeper question that is asked by the rapidly growing population of spiritually yearning, institutionally alienated…
Easter Vigil Brings the Story of Salvation to a City in Need
The Easter Vigil service is all about remembering and reliving our story of salvation. Usually we do this within the confines of a sanctuary. But…
Should We Go From Two Worship Services to One?
Just as some churches are adding worship services, others are considering reducing the number of worship times they offer. The most common circumstance is a…
Do You Need a New Worship Service?
Our church had hit a plateau. We continued to welcome new members, but worship attendance stubbornly remained flat. We were bumping up against what consultants…
Community Outreach Essential to Launch New Worship Site
Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, recently launched a new worship service at a second campus in southeast Wichita that became part of…
Christmas Carols in Advent? Yes!
This year, worshipers at the Washington, DC, church where I serve will be hearing Christmas carols on November 29, the first Sunday of Advent. In…
Making Outsiders Feel like Insiders
Growing churches are churches that have learned that God intends for us to be a people for others. The church needs more than its pastor…
The Over-Stuffed Bulletin
Do you remember those prank peanut cans? You would buy one at a novelty store, and then give it to one of your friends. When…
Can New People Navigate Your Worship?
Many churches have a way of doing things that doesn’t allow for new people to connect. Without even knowing it, we exclude those we truly…
The Greeter Gauntlet
I have visited churches where I approach the front doors and am immediately met by my first greeter. The eager greeter hands me a bulletin…
The Tardy Guest
In an ideal world, everyone would arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for worship. They would greet five people as they walk toward the building…
When Silence Isn’t Golden
I was once pastor of a church where the Sunday morning worship service was broadcast live on radio. I never dreamed what a difference that…
Are You Glad When Passing the Peace Ends?
I once had a friend who attended church regularly with his wife, but he would wait in the narthex until after the “passing of the…
All Are (Not) Welcome
Church people might see themselves as welcoming, because they run promotions claiming, “Our doors are open,” and “Our lights are on,” or maybe they hang…
Eight Reasons People Aren’t Listening to Announcements
This weekend, all across the country, leaders are going to get up in front of their churches and talk about upcoming events and opportunities to…
Worship Leadership Requires Planning and Evaluation
What is your current worship planning system? Your first response may be, “We don’t have one.” In reality, every congregation has a planning system, but…
