In an article I once wrote for Churchleaders.com, 8 Surprising Insights from a Former Pastor, I shared 8 key insights I’d learned during those 18 months as a former pastor. (I had served 32 years in vocational ministry and took off the past 18 months to write, coach pastors, travel, and begin another master’s degree.) This included an observation of two on what makes for a compelling worship service.
The article prompted many comments and one pastor emailed me to specifically ask about this point I made in the article.
Churches must plan and deliver a compelling, Spirit-filled worship service and sermon each Sunday. I’ve known this intellectually, but now since I’m on the receiving end I see even more its importance. If someone takes three hours out of their day of rest to attend church, they better feel that it was worth their time.
Having visited several churches during the past year and then joining one as a non-staff member, here’s what I believe can help make a compelling worship service that would encourage people to want to come back.
- Transcendent: When people come to church, I believe they should experience what they wouldn’t have at a ball game or a movie. Those services that I attended that made me most want to come back left me with a sense that I had truly met God, that I had felt his presence and power in the service and that Jesus was elevated high.
- Engaging: Many church services I attended didn’t engage me. They were either executed poorly, came across as rather ho-hum, or assumed that just because you sang some songs and taught the Bible that people would be interested. On the other hand, when it was obvious that the service planners had the listeners in mind when they planned it rather than just those on stage, I was drawn in and engaged.
