Why I go to Church
When I sit in church on Sunday mornings, I sometimes look around at the other congregants and ask myself, “Why are these people here? Why…
Browsing: Worship
Articles
Opening Doors on Christmas Eve
When our two grandsons were seven and three years old, they would often race the thirty yards or so from their house to ours. The…
Leaders Learn the Art of Making Announcements
Making announcements? Whether it’s at your service, meeting, or event, there are things you should know about people if you want them to hear what…
How Do New People See Your Church?
With all the strengths of a church, the challenge is always to think of everything from arrival through departure from the perspective of someone who…
Don’t Go It Alone When Changing Worship
When I arrived two years ago at Redondo Beach, I was told that there were three very different worship services: one informal, one contemporary, and…
Planning for Attendance Seasons in the Church Year
We are used to thinking of the seasons of the Christian year such as Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent. There are also attendance seasons that follow…
Key Questions When Starting a Live Stream of Worship Online
In North America, many denominations have declined in worship attendance and membership for decades. Some churches have closed; others have fewer people attending. Over these…
What You Told Us About Your Summer Worship
Last month, the Lewis Center administered a survey about whether and in what ways churches change worship practices during the summer. While this was not…
Palms in the Park on Palm Sunday
During the Easter Season, the First United Methodist Church in New Braunfels, Texas, launched an outreach event in the heart of our city. Our goal…
Being One Church in Many Locations
The multi-site church approach is not a new one, but one that is rapidly growing in appeal, according to the authors of The Multi-Site Church…
Introducing a Congregation to Contemporary Worship
How to start a contemporary service if you don’t know what it is like. This was the dilemma that faced Union United Methodist Church in…
The Tully Principle of 52 Equal Sundays
Bill Tully’s principle of 52 equal Sundays strives to have powerful worship every Sunday of the year to best reach visitors at all times of…
Should You Change the Worship Time for the Super Bowl?
Adam Hamilton relates how changing a worship time to avoid a conflict with the Super Bowl helped connect with the non-religious and nominally religious. We…
Learning from 12 Emerging Congregations
Matt Miofsky reviews Inside the Organic Church by Robert Whitesel, which tells the story of 12 emerging congregations. Bob Whitesel’s book, Inside the Organic Church:…
Resources for Satellite Worship
Dottie Yunger offers ideas for churches interested in using portable worship installations for satellite worship in nontraditional settings. Many congregations today, regardless of their size,…
Eat this Bread, Drink this Cup
When communion practices were changed, Pastor Jackie Hoy learned that time, flexibility, and education are key to a congregation accepting change. I have always believed…
Important Lessons My Congregation Helped Me Learn
Richard Hunter shares lessons learned about how his style in addressing a problem could divide or unify the church in a common goal. Several years…
Leading Worship for Those Not There Yet
Bishop Jonathan Gledhill says you must lead worship in a way that appeals not only to the current congregation but to people who are not…
The Rhythm of Home Creates a Sense of Welcome in Multicultural Congregations
A pastor discovered incorporating familiar elements of worship from each segment of a multicultural congregation created a sense of welcome for all. have learned that…
