Tag «worship»

Pre-Pandemic Worship Attendance: Not a Helpful Measure

Many churches today lament worship attendance numbers that have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Lovett H. Weems Jr. says this is an unhelpful comparison. He recommends that churches turn their attention away from the past and focus on a bold and future-oriented goal to reach new people in your community. Churches continue to celebrate […]

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6 Traits People Value in Online Faith Communities

In the rush to offer online worship, many churches have focused primarily on technical and programmatic concerns. Heidi Campbell says it’s more important to consider what people need from church now and how digital technology can meet those needs. To celebrate the Lewis Center’s anniversary, we are highlighting Leading Articles — some of our most […]

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Five Questions for Churches as Worship Gatherings Become Smaller

The trend toward smaller gatherings was slow but perceptible prior to the pandemic. That trend is much more noticeable now. Church worship gatherings are getting smaller. Two major factors are contributing to this trend. The obvious factor is an overall attendance decline in churches. Many congregations have fewer members and attendees each year. The second…

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Reaching People Here and There, Now and Later through Hybrid Worship: An In-Depth Interview with Jason Moore

How can your worship connect powerfully not only with those in the room on Sunday mornings, but with those worshiping online in the moment and after the fact? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff and hybrid ministry expert Jason Moore discuss how simple changes can make your worship more meaningful and participatory for online […]

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7 Signs You May be Losing Your Love for Your Church . . . and What to Do about It

It happens. Even those who deeply love their local congregation sometimes go through situations and circumstances that test that love. In some cases, that love slowly erodes—almost imperceptibly. Here are some signs you might be losing your love: 1. Your enthusiasm for gathering with the congregation is waning. There was a time when you excitedly…

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10 Ways to Engage People Who Worship Online

How can congregations better engage people who worship online? Jim Keat, Digital Minister at The Riverside Church, offers 10 tips for congregations to strengthen engagement and build relationships with online worshippers. During the worship broadcast, church leaders often overlook or do not give enough intentional thought to the people who are worshipping online. Here are […]

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Four Types of Church Members Based on Their Frequency of Attendance

The New Testament, from Acts 2 to Revelation 3, is about the local church. That is a big portion of the Bible! The local church is God’s plan A to carry out his mission on earth, and He did not give us a plan B. Sure, the local church can be messy. It’s made of…

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What Lottie Taught Me about the Gospel and Social Justice

I heard injustice cry from the trafficked woman who stood beside me at a train station in Asia, her pimp glaring from a few feet away. Everything within me wanted to grab her hand and rescue her. “Just grab her and run,” was all I could think. But our conversation ended abruptly, and I don’t…

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A Dog, a Confession, and a Prayer Request

After almost 32 years of marriage, my wife and I adopted a rescue dog a couple weeks ago. I grew up with dogs, but Pam has never been around a dog for any length of time. Still, though, we took the plunge after hosting/fostering this dog for three weekends so he could get acclimated to…

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Please Destroy Any of My Recorded Sermons

Most of my recorded sermons are on cassette tapes. I know what you are thinking. I am old. I served as pastor of four churches and as interim pastor of nine churches. Many of the churches recorded my sermons and distributed them via cassette tapes. There are a lot of my sermons out there. I…

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