Since my deployment into coaching church planters and developing missional leadership in our LCMC, my family and I have struggled in finding a church to call our "home." Over the last 15-months, we have visited several churches--- some LCMC, and some not. From family discussions, here's a simple list of 7 of our thoughts that you should keep in mind as people come visit your church:
1. Are your members focused on noticing new people? It's one thing for a mega church to pass you by like a mouse in an elephant stampede, but quite another to visit a small church and not have anyone bless you with an introduction or even a welcome. If an unchurched person, or even a visiting Christian, is looking for hypocrisy or judgment from your church, are they finding it before worship even begins? We've experienced a couple churches where the large staff seems to be working harder at impersonal crowd control than personally loving the crowd. Get rid of "assigned greeters" and empower EVERYONE to be people of welcome--- starting in the parking lot!
2. Are you (as a pastor leader) working any kind of plan to meet the new people? Getting a beautiful visitors postcard in the mail is impressive, but completely impersonal. I have loved it when the pastor took the time to hand write a note to my family as first-time visitors. So, I suggest you make the time to do so too! If you don't get to personally meet a visitor, state it as so in your card and even apologize. This act of humble grace gives visitors the impression they are not just another stat, but you want to meet them. (You DO want to meet them, don't you?) Gone are the days where we just advertise our service times and people come inside for worship. I say to that, "Thank God," because now we get to practice living out the faith! For example, people used to flock to Jesus, but they are not flocking to our churches. Perhaps it's because we don't look much like Jesus! I suggest you look around and ask yourself, "Do visitors see Jesus when they come in our doors?" Perhaps before that, you should ask yourself, "Are the people of my church being Jesus in the Monday-through-Saturday marketplace, so that others will want to see more Christians in our Sunday worship services?
Worship Time:
3. Is your worship leader in a rut? We've been able to tell the difference between a worship leader who is well rehearsed in his music and his transition sentences, and one that has also been in the Word and in the Spirit. Saying the same thing each week, even smoothly, is a sign of lacking in both the Word and Spirit. Work with your worship leader to transition song-to-song in connecting the lyrics to your message of the day--- that's because worshippers need help in connecting the power of the song to the power of the upcoming message. Likewise, I can't believe how many contemporary churches don't use a sending song! Your word of the day's theme should be what the folks are singing about as they leave the building. Move from the message to the sending song, interrupted by a commissioning, before wrapping up the song. It can be an effective manner to remember the message, and to practice it on Monday!
4. Are your announcements wordy, using insider talk that only a few might understand? "IF" you must break for announcements, hold them under 3-minutes. Keep in mind there is a difference between information and transformation. Measure the two so that information doesn't rule. Use your screens for visual reminders. Implement a short video to communicate something that might be coming up. Only speak to something that includes everyone, not just one specific group. Last, consider preaching the announcements! For example, if your church is going to serve dinner to homeless folks on Tuesday, include it in your message. It's information used for transformation! It's connecting the action of the gospel to your church's faith response.
Preaching Time:
5. Are you preaching the true gospel, or just talking about Jesus? Wow...I can't believe how many preachers are not preaching the gospel. Indeed, they are talking about Jesus, but not why he had to die and be raised again. To cherish the good news, there must be an acknowledgement of the bad news! I always coach pastors to ask themselves the following question when they are preparing a message: "Did Jesus have to die for this message to be shared today?" If the answer is 'yes,' then you are sharing the heart of the gospel. Also, encourage people to bring their Bibles--- then guide them to where you want them to follow along. They don't have to go racing into every reference you speak to (that's what screens can be used for), but it does invite them into the scriptures. This creates the invitation to keep reading-on through the upcoming week. For visitors, it communicates to them that you are a high expectation church. In other words, it declares that you believe the Bible is true, powerful, life-changing and it's something they will be empowered by through your church.
6. Are your messages featuring one clear point that can be practiced in the daily marketplace? Recently we heard a (non LCMC church) message that was the best 5-point series in a 30-minute time span we've ever heard. In other words, it was 5 good topics, but none were matured. In addition, the pastor was sharing a mixed message that day, being timid while trying to cast a vision. Not good. At another church we visited, the pastor was very good at sharing some basics of Christianity. For any new Christian in the congregation, it would have been quite informative. Here again, however, we must ask ourselves: "Are we preaching for information, or for proclamation that leads to transformation?" I say, all three are a winning team, but only when intertwined!
7. Are you commissioning people out the door with a missional heart and/or a faith plan? Besides sending folks out with a song that puts an amen to the message of the day, are you getting the folks to declare out loud God's game plan for the next week? I believe that when people speak it out, they are declaring something into reality. Pastors, cast the vision as a brief summary of your message and have your congregation say, "We receive it!" This, not just for themselves, but as disciples for the sake of others. Too often, we've been hearing pastors say over-and-over, "our church does this (inside our facility) and we do that (inside our facility)" No wonder people get trapped in the paradigm that church is a facility where members do inside religious activities to benefit themselves, instead of what believers do for the sake of the city outside the facility and in the daily marketplace of life. Bottom line: instead of just advertising your inside programs, how about empowering people to radically live their faith in the daily marketplace where the pre-believers are. Mission is no longer on the already busy schedule, but IT IS the schedule!
There you have it, 7 simple considerations (per my family as we search for a church home), that can take you from membership mentality, to missional mindedness. Receive them not as put downs, but build ups! After all, they might be what your visitors are thinking....
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