Do you consider your church service weird?
Most of us church people don’t because we are church people and it’s our service. And honestly, as church people, we are just comfortable with the weirdness.
But when an unchurched person attends your church, odds are they will encounter a few things they consider strange, such as:
1. Worship.
If your church sings songs about God, Jesus, Heaven and the like, it is probably weird to outsiders.
Imagine walking into a large room where people are collectively standing and singing songs about blood, healing and praising an invisible God whom we trust with our life even though he apparently is more concerned with being praised than giving us what we want.
That’s what we sing. Come on … that’s strange.
2. Sitting and standing (and maybe kneeling).
At most churches, we stand up at times, sit at others, and it’s nearly impossible to know which is which if you’re new. Weird.
It can feel like a child in a dance recital who is always one step behind.
3. Responsive reading.
I’ve not participated in this for a while, but imagine being an unbeliever being asked to repeat “truths” about a God you aren’t sure even exists? Strange.
4. Communion.
Is it a mid-morning snack? Is it wine or juice? Not to be irreverent, but it’s weird.
5. Baptism.
Maybe the weirdest of all!
Adults allowing other adults to dunk them under water. That was fun in middle school, but as an adult?
And if you wear robes, forget it! That’s even worse!
That’s only touching the surface. When we sit back and think about our church services, it’s pretty obvious that for an outsider or guests, experiencing what we consider normal can feel anything but.
So how do you make a church service friendly for an outsider without compromising the truth of Scripture or the traditions you hope to maintain?
