ways to make a sunday service more user friendly to unsaved guests
TRANSCRIPT
Ways To Make a Sunday Service More “User Friendly”
to Unsaved Guests
My goal is to help you win in ministry
• The Start to Finish Church Experience Through The Eyes Of An Unreached Guests
• Connecting Guests to Each Other• Pathways Without Pressure• Small Things May Be Tipping Points• Acting Your Size and Age• Building The Listener’s Confidence That
They Can Understand and Apply the Bible• Making Every Moment Meaningful for
Adults and Kids
My Experience Start to Finish
1. I had a hard time finding the time & and place on the website
2. I saw that they believed some things I do not believe and wondered if that matters
3. I did not see signs coming up to building and wondered if I was in the right place
4. I did not see signs as to where to park or what door to enter
5. I noticed very few cars and I wondered if very many people were coming to this church
Parking
Walk inBanner for entranceDirectional signs in hallways
My Experience Start to Finish6. I wondered which room I was supposed to go
into (no sign)
7. I needed to go the washroom, but I did not want to ask anyone where it was
8. Most everyone had printed name tags, but I a hand written one
9. I saw the refreshment table so I went over got some coffee, then I saw I was expected to pay for it. I only had a $20.
10. Others had a program but I did not get one
My Experience Start to Finish
11. I noticed lots of clutter on the stage
12. Nobody talked to me besides the official greeters at the door
13. It was time to start but nothing was happening yet
14. Lots of chairs were not being used
15. The seats I would have liked were taken
16. There were papers or pens on the empty seats, so I wondered if they were saved
17. The chairs were very close together. I hoped no one would sat next to me.
My Experience Start to Finish
18. Without explanation the first thing that happened was a children’s song
19. We were welcomed and then told stand up and get to know the people around us
20. Someone passed me a sympathy card for me to sign for someone I did not know
21. Then came a song that reminded me of a love song to Jesus.
My Experience Start to Finish
22. After repeating that song several times, we did another and an another
23. The announcement time seems long, and they gave a lot of details.
24. They said the card I was suppose to fill out was mainly for visitors, and the others were to do it to so they could keep attendance.
25. The message was good, but it was hard to always connect from the screen to what I was supposed to put in the blanks.
My Experience Start to Finish
26. Sometime I felt bad that I did not know some of the Bible stories that I was suppose to
27. Overall it seems like this service was for those already fully convinced not for some like me
28. After the message they passed the offering plate to get the card and a offering
29. Afterward I hung around for their “10 minute” party.
1. Bring pleasure to God
2. Present the Gospel as good news
Determine your goals for your Sunday services
Why Be Sensitive to Seekers?
"So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?"
1 Corinthians 14:23
3. Create an environment of grace and truth
DETERMINE YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR SUNDAY SERVICES
Picture of a greenhouse
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” John 17:22
4. Inspire commitment
5. Connect people to each other
6. Involve people in corporate
evangelism
7. Make every second count
DETERMINE YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR SUNDAY SERVICES
8. Appeal To Men As Well as Women9. Help people learn to correctly
interpret and humbly apply the Bible
DETERMINE YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR SUNDAY SERVICES
Project: Which of these goals do you need to work on most? How are you going to do it?
Mistakes and Dangers
Mistakes and Dangers
1. Not designing services with the
unreached in mind
2. Become lax
3. Gravitate towards Christians
4. Loss of momentum
How To Do A Small Church Service well
1. Make good first impressions
You never have a second chance to create a first impression!
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Results
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Results
Our actions here make a difference
What unchurched guests are thinking as they come in:
• Will these people accept me?• Do these people want me around?• Do these people understand me?• Are these people for real?• Will I be embarrassed?• Will I be pressured?• Will my buddies see me going to
church? • Will I be singled out?
How to Do Small Church Well
2. Be exceptionally hospitable
Always be eager to practice hospitality. Rom. 12:13b NLT
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. I Pe 4:9
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Heb. 13:2
Design a strategy for greeting guests• Pick friendly people who match
your primary target• Place greeters and ushers in
strategic locations• Use both males and females• Train them in what to say• Train everyone to be hospitable
Consider the “5 Minute Rule”
3. Use name tags
NAME TAG HOW TO’S
1. All name-tags must be the SAME
2. First name only
3. EVERYONE wears one
4. Place nametag TABLES in key
traffic areas
CONNECT GUESTS TO EACH OTHER
1. Name tags2. Refreshments3. Connecters4. Next step events5. Bible Fellowships
How to Do Small Church Well
4. Use communication cards
The Pathway Without Pressure
Why use a card?
1. Reveals how GOD IS WORKING in
people’s lives
2. Encourages EXPRESSIONS of
impressions
3. MINI-STEP toward Christ & church
4. Enables FUTURE communication
5. It keeps you IN TOUCH with your flock.
6. Helps EVALUATE and track progress
How to use a card?
1. Use an actual card
2. Tailor it for the week
3. Put one in every program
4. Announce it early
5. Clarify it is for everyone
6. Talk about it wisely
7. Use it for your invitation
Don’ts related to cards1. Don’t ask for ages2. Don’t ask if divorced3. Don’t put too much on it4. Don’t ask regulars fill out everything
How to Do Small Church Well
5. Refreshments
How To Do Small Church Well
6. Set the room up wisely
• Right # of chairs• Lay out, and spacing
How To Do Small Church Well
7. Tailor messages to your cultural target
How To Do Small Church Well
8. Make it easy to get involved
How To Do Small Church Well
9. Celebrate church family wins
Project: What are some other things you could celebrate in a service? How can you honor
people?
How To Do Small Church Well
10. Give them programs
Why?
What to include?
How To Do Small Church Well
11. Right amount and type of music
Why sing less than most churches do?
• Most men prefer less• When the group is not singing with
enthusiasm it communities the wrong message
• Men want to get to the message, and like a shorter service
How to Do Small Church Well
12. Planter: connect with everyone
Project: What Happens When You Do Small Church Well?
What do you need to work on in order to do small church well?
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY TIPS
1. Make it fun
Why does it need to be fun?
2. Do it during adult service
3. Make it safe • Sanitary• Secure
4. Goal to serve at one service and go to another
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY TIPS
Big Deals Biblically
1. Going after the unreached
2. Thinking like the unreached
3. Serving the unreached
4. Proclaiming the gospel to the unreached
5. Being hospitable
6. Building people together