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…
Browsing: Worship
Articles
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…
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…
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…
10 Best Practice Tips for Hospitality Teams
Fiona Haworth and Jim Ozier, authors of Clip-In: Risking Hospitality in Your Church, offer ten tips for improving the work of your hospitality team and…
Christmas Eve Opportunities for Newcomers
I have discovered over the last several years a surprising source of energy in the preparations for our church’s Christmas Eve worship service. Relative newcomers…
A Choir Director Shares Recruiting Tips that Any Ministry Group Can Use
Some people like to recite a phrase “it’s not the size of the choir, but the heart of the people participating” that matters. This sounds…
The Color of Your Advent Candles Doesn’t Matter
I have no patience for debates over the color of Advent candles and whether or not to sing Christmas songs in Advent. God became incarnate,…
Music — the Bellwether of Church Health
After air quality, music is the single greatest environmental factor for your community, because it determines how people feel in your church. It has the power…
Why Community Engagement Matters
This five-minute video by Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provides an overview of the importance of community engagement to the church. Download this…
Worship from the Eyes of a Child
To make worship more family friendly, you might look at it through the eyes of a child. Ask other ministers and church leaders what they…
A Love Letter to a Closed Church
You walk up the concrete steps between the tall white columns. You try the door. It doesn’t open. You try again. It is locked. It’s…
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Last summer I joined a large group of extended family and friends at the beach. There were, on and off, about twenty-five to thirty of…
The First Two Minutes of Worship
For many years, my wife and I were regular viewers of “The Tonight Show” — first with Johnny Carson, then with Jay Leno. We have…
Doing a Christmas Eve Offering Well
In our culture, Christmas is a season of giving when church-goers and non-church-goers alike are inclined toward generosity. I witnessed a Christmas Eve service in which…
Add Off-Site Christmas Eve Services This Year
Rev. Mack Strange suggests conducting off-site Christmas Eve services at restaurants, nursing homes, prisons, and even bars to connect with the community. Many churches know…
