Church Service Ideas
The following was sent to me. It is by Jim Townsley. Start thinking and planning for services now. This will give you some ideas. Do not wait until you get to the field and then start. Think through the schedule, the field you are going to and the people. Though you may not have a “westernized” church service, you need to be ready for the one you will have. Be prepared the best you can before you get there.
The Church Service
The most visible function of a new church is the church
service. The first impression of your church service will influence
visitors as to whether or not they return. A newcomer’s expectations
may vary widely. People often are seeking a church experience that fits
their desires. Often their idea of a good church may differ from God’s
viewpoint of a good church. No one is looking for a service that is run
haphazardly, that is boring, or that is offensive. No fundamental
preacher should succumb to the progressive movement’s methods of praise
leaders and rock bands, but there are some simple and practical things
that can enhance your efforts to win the lost and build a church. Every
visitor should sense that your church is alive and strong.
1. Clean the building .
There is no excuse for the building to be dirty. The place where you
meet will probably be rented so make the best arrangements possible to
clean the night before or in the case of a school they will make sure
the building is clean before you arrive.
2. Arrive early.
Usually the pastor should arrive about an hour before the service
begins. Rushing in at the last minute will cause the preacher to be
unprepared for the day. Everything should be set up and the pastor
waiting on the arrival of the people.
3. Set up for church.
In most cases the
set up must be done immediately before the service
begins. Most church planters are surprised at the amount of work to get
everything set up for the service. Chairs must be placed in evenly
spaced rows, song books should be placed on the chairs all facing the
same way, and the PA system must be set up and in working order. In
addition, the rental facility should be made to look as much as
possible like a regular church. Possibly drapes could be used and a
welcome table could be placed at the entrance. Also, books and
information about the church should be placed on the table in an
organized fashion. The nursery should be clean and safe. The nursery
will need many personal items to care for the babies and toddlers. All
special items will need to be set up and taken down every Sunday. In
order that the set up runs smoothly men will need to be trained to do
this so that the pastor can concentrate on meeting the people as they
arrive.
4. Plan the music.
Music should be played ten minutes prior to the service. The prelude
should set a good spiritual tone for the service; it tells people
something good is about to happen.
5. Start on time.
A church with one hundred attendees that starts a service five minutes
late has wasted five hundred minutes. Any service that starts late will
end later than intended. Families with small children will become
anxious to get their children home an
d if the time becomes consistently
late they may stop attending. Starting late misses the opportunity to
teach members to be on time. There will always be those who come late
no matter when you start, why not start on time?
6. Greet members and visitors.
Before and after every service the pastor and his wife, if she is not
playing the piano, should greet every member and especially every
visitor. A warm friendly smile and a word of encouragement will help
prepare the attitude of those attending the service.
7. Fire up the song leader.
The church planter may find himself leading the singing, but whoever
leads the singing should encourage the people to sing out and unto the
Lord. The song leader is a key to the service being upbeat and
positive. Learning to move his hands to direct the congregation and to
teach the people to follow his lead are both important. A boring song
leader will produce a boring service. Choose familiar and upbeat songs
for the first part of the service and the last songs should be
preparing people for the preaching.
8. Organize the service.
Every service should have a printed order that is given to every
participant including the head usher and special music. The service
should not be too formal, but it should not be disorganized either.
Every part of the service should planned and work together without time
gaps.
9. Open in prayer.
The pastor need not do ev
erything. Having different men pray to start
the service gets men involved. On Sunday morning an individual could be
asked to read a small portion of Scripture and lead in the opening
prayer.
10. Sing some hymns.
The old songs are still the songs that give the clear message of
redemption rather than provide entertainment. The first song should be
upbeat and familiar and each of the following songs should gradually
point to the message.
11. Make the announcements.
Announcements should not be long, but they should be clear and
challenging. No one comes to church to hear the announcements, but they
are necessary to inform people of the up-coming events.
12. Sing a chorus.
Choosing a chorus of the month will get people singing to the Lord.
Using a chorus for a hand shaking time is a common practice of many
churches.
13. Take the offering.
The traditional way to take the offering is to pass the plates and
encourage people to give unto the Lord. The ushers should be trained in
how to properly take the offering and special music should be played or
sung while the ushers do their job.
14. Provide special music.
Special music should be screened by the pastor, especially in the early
development of the church. Every pastor should develop a philosophy of
church music and teach that philosophy to his members. Written
guidelines will prove to be helpful to any newcomers to the music
program.
15. Preach the Bible.
People can be entertained by stories, but the job of the preacher is to
know and preach the Bible. Every sermon should be like a Bible
conference. When people leave the service they should feel that they
have heard from the Lord through the Word of God.
16. Give an invitation.
Preaching should be geared toward a decision. Liberal churches do not
give invitations because they do not expect any decisions. Train the
members of the church to expect an invitation at every service and
encourage believers to respond when the invitation is given.
17. Recognize those making decisions.
18. End with a chorus.
19. Take everything down.
20. Shake hands with the people as they leave the service.
21. Go home, eat, and take a quick nap and then return to church again
to repeat the same process again.
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Good post. I love Jim Townsley, he is doing so much to fire up people about planting churches. He started his church in Connecticut a couple of weeks after graduating from college. We are going to have him in our church this month and I am really looking forward to it.