How To Change From Traditional Worship Service To Contemporary

August 13, 2018 Tony Morgan

I recommend you get with one service mode on Sunday morning, just if it's going to be a two-step to go there, here's what I've seen work best.

Not likewise long agone, I facilitated a planning retreat for a mid-size, traditional United Methodist Church congregation that had multiple worship service styles on Lord's day morning. A leader from the church emailed me a little while subsequently with a dilemma I think many of you may also be facing.

Equally this church was taking steps to become more outwardly focused, and specifically, to reach more than immature families, they were because making changes to the schedule of their worship services. And that necessarily came with some challenges.

Their electric current schedule might look familiar to you if you lead in a mainline denomination:

9am Traditional Service
10am Gimmicky Service
11am Traditional Service

At the Traditional Services, they were averaging 100 worshippers at 11am and 150 at 9am, in a sanctuary which seats 600.

Both services were full only on Christmas Eve and Easter.

They held the Gimmicky Service in the Fellowship Hall, which just seats 200. Information technology was jutting at the seams every week.

The leadership was struggling to pull off all of these services dorsum-to-back without compromising in some areas they considered cardinal to engaging attendees well.

And, it had become clear: The Contemporary service couldn't grow further equally a single service in its nowadays venue.

Sidebar: Why You Should Stick with 1 Service Style on Sunday Morning

If you follow The Unstuck Group'south content , you know nosotros recommend churches stick with ane service style on Sunday morning time. When you give people more options, you brand it easier for them to nourish and likewise to invite unchurched friends.

Beyond that, we've been finding in our information, published virtually recently in our quarterly edition The Unstuck Church Report , declining churches are twice as likely to exist offering multiple styles of worship.

I also wrote recent nigh how this arroyo that seems like it'south offering "options" actually contributes to a having a segregated church .

We've been finding in our data in our virtually recent quarterly edition The Unstuck Church Written report, failing churches are twice as likely to be offering multiple styles of worship. Click To Tweet

Practically speaking, I sympathise that many of you have a complex journey towards simplifying your weekend services. I promise you're taking activeness in that management with a good strategy and ample back up, but I also know you sometimes have to address this in stages.

As the church leaders at this particular church were weighing the pros and cons of several different approaches, I shared what I've seen work all-time in my experience. Some of you may also be able to glean something from this.

+ Resource

The Unstuck Church Report
Fall 2018 Leadership Coaching Networks
four Constructive Ways to Connect with New Guests

A Sample Program for Transitioning Service Style Times on Sunday Mornings

Here's some groundwork on why I recommend what follows:

Every tendency nosotros're seeing is that growing churches are finding more time to come growth potential in contemporary worship rather than traditional worship.

Every trend we're seeing is that growing churches are finding more future growth potential in contemporary worship rather than traditional worship. Click To Tweet

Churches are finding that traditional services commonly reach older generations, and older folks tend to prefer earlier service times. (This church building's attendance numbers seemed to be in line with that.)
More contemporary services tend to accomplish younger generations… with kids.
It'southward the "with kids" part that tends to make it difficult for younger families to attend early services.
Generally, we find anything before 9am is challenging for them.
I recommended this church move to this schedule with both services in the main sanctuary , eliminating the space constraints of the Fellowship Hall every bit a venue.

Then, as the gimmicky service grows, they could add a third service past introducing three new times:

If you don't have these same service times, y'all tin still take this approach into business relationship as you're thinking through how to make your transition. Keep these things in mind:

Future growth for your weekend services is more probable to occur in gimmicky worship rather than traditional worship. Our "Vital Signs" data from hundreds of churches confirms this trend.
Older generations are more than likely to attend an early service fourth dimension. That'southward the best place for a Traditional service if yous're trying to achieve the unchurched, and specifically, young families.
Getting to "critical mass" in your sanctuary in any service volition help raise the free energy level and make it more inviting for first-time guests. Critical mass for most sanctuaries is at least l% full.
Make certain to communicate "the why" very clearly when you're making this change. And so don't drag your feet. Take the plunge.

Make sure to communicate "the why" very clearly when you're making this modify. So don't drag your feet. Take the plunge. Click To Tweet

Lastly, keep this in mind. The master reason I see churches getting stuck is because the way they do church becomes more important than why they do church. Delight don't let service styles and times get in the way of why you lot practise church building.

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