There are more people who consider themselves “Christian” than there are attending regular weekly worship. The church has so much to offer – answers to spiritual questions, community and connection, life direction and motivation, and above all, Jesus. It seems like people would be lined up to attend!
George Barna, in a book called Re-churching the Unchurched, mentions that unchurched people, who have somehow connected with your church are thinking the old Clint Eastwood line: “Make my day.”
Some church leaders are uncomfortable speaking in terms of value in worship and meeting the needs and expectations of “customers” in a church setting. But to someone who has no framework for faith, worship or the church, we must do all we can to help them find value.
Barna mentions the phrase “worship-plus experience.” It’s a fine line. As faithful Christians, we know it’s about Jesus alone. Because of this, we need to cultivate the desire to show God’s love through every aspect during the worship attendance experience.
Many unchurched people wonder if the time in church is worth it. Is it a good trade on Sunday to wake up early and get to church? What’s in it for them?
Here’s where every church must take things up a notch. It’s a focus on worship, plus…
1) be focused on inviting guests and serving them
2) over the top hospitality
3) great follow up
4) clear concise and simple path for people to become connected
5) energetic about opening wide the doors
6) authentic groups for belonging
7) desperate prayer
The worship service is important. It must be as excellent and fresh as it possibly can be.
But the unchurched person, who is somehow connected with your congregation, must also get a sense that they are desired, welcome, needed and that they fit.
By the sheer nature of this list, a person or church can get out of focus quickly. While pushing hard for one aspect, another one suffers. This isn’t the work of just one person – this is the work of many faithful Christians who get a vision for reaching lost people. It’s a passionate leader, raising up other leaders to take on one of these aspects.
No matter the size of your church, you can, with a little work and vision casting, name a person responsible for Sunday hospitality, another person responsible for helping with dynamic follow-up, another person responsible for prayer, another for outreach. As a church grows, these roles may become paid staff roles, but even in this scenario, it requires leaders working through other leaders to help to accomplish big things! Worship is one of the primary functions of the church. But, for the unchurched, we do all we can to connect them!
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First Time Worship Guests Come With Judgement