Things to Look for In a Church…
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Tue, July 24, 2007
- Viewed 207
- (25) comments so far
1. When I enter do I hear laughter?
2. Are people greeting me as a job or a joy?
3. Does the place look like they were expecting me?
4. Are people buzzing as they greet each other?
5. Is there spirited music playing as people gather?
6. Does the music move me?
7. Do the people on stage look real and engaged?
8. Are the announcements short, strategic, and to the point?
9. Is there a printed outline with Scripture already printed on it?
10 Does the pastor smile?
11. Does the message title promise a relevant topic I am interested in?
12. Does the pastor speak with humility and authority?
13. Do I feel the presence of God?
14. Are people listening and engaged?
15. Is the service no more than 71 minutes?
16. Does it pass by fast?
Read more here. What do you think?
David Foster offers up these 16 things he would look for in a church if he was picking one to attend this week. It's an interesting list. I wonder... what would you look for in a church if you had to pick one this week? Would it be a lot like the church you're serving in now, or totally different?
Comments
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Shane Allen on Fri, November 16, 2007
I agree with you James… 1. When I enter do I hear laughter? Question should be do I hear “PRAYER”
2. Are people greeting me as a job or a joy?
No, they are praying at the altar for your salvation.
3. Does the place look like they were expecting me? Yes, they are praying at the altar for you… if the church even has an altar.
4. Are people buzzing as they greet each other? Same as above.
5. Is there spirited music playing as people gather? As long as they can pray to spirited music.
6. Does the music move me? Who cares… does the music praise and glorify God.
7. Do the people on stage look real and engaged? Do they look like they are really worshipping Jesus.
8. Are the announcements short, strategic, and to the point? Okay I agree here.
9. Is there a printed outline with Scripture already printed on it? I agree with James… Bring your own Bible.
10 Does the pastor smile? Okay I suppose but does he preach with power and conviction?
11. Does the message title promise a relevant topic I am interested in? Does it convict sinners of their sins in order to convert their soul?
12. Does the pastor speak with humility and authority? Good.
13. Do I feel the presence of God? Good
14. Are people listening and engaged? Not if they are totally concerned with short messages, bagels, coffee, printed scripture, smiling, pastors, spirited music, etc. etc. etc.
15. Is the service no more than 71 minutes? Don’t guess you believe in those old fashion movings of God where people just tarry at the altar for hours?
16. Does it pass by fast? See comment on # 15. Is this guy even saved that wrote this article or what?
Jan on Fri, November 16, 2007
How sad you guys are! I can’t believe you even questioned his salvation, based on a list of what a visitor sees.
I am happy to say that God is moving at our church, people are saved weekly and we have FUN! And I’ve heard it more than once “Wow, when I realized that church and Christianity is fun, not just dry and boring and the people are real, I decided I didn’t need those old friends. And now I’m excited about what God is doing in my life and I love worshipping Him.”
That’s what it’s all about, seeing lives changed, and choosing a life for Him, and yea the joy of the Lord IS my strength!
Not dusty furniture, hard pews, and making sure you’ve got an altar.
If church is not a fun place to be, where we engage in community and worship and learning of God and are challenged to change our lives, then why go?
I think that is what this writer is saying.
Too many churches won’t evaluate themselves in this way. And it shows!
I travel to many, and a good portion have stinky bathrooms, dumpy facilities, a nursery the size of a closet, and people with sad faces who if they greet you, don’t meet your gaze. Oh and don’t forget the plastic flowers.
It’s time we took a good hard look at our church buildings, our service structure and our attitudes.
I appreciated the list.
Thanks Todd!
Shane Allen on Sat, November 17, 2007
Jan, I apologize for bringing into question the guys salvation. It is just that the zeal of the Lords house doth eat me up when I hear so much of the modern thought of “everything is about me” when it ought to be about God and his son Jesus the Christ. Yes, I smile and my congregation is very freindly to visitors and we try to make them feel very welcomed and a part of the group but the spirited music, printed scripture, 71 minute limited service and on and on… that doesn’t sound to me like we are focusing on Christ but on us. I agree it isn’t about “Not dusty furniture, hard pews” but it certainly is about “making sure you’ve got an altar”. Look in Gods word where men “built an altar” or “rebuilt the altar” and see what you find. You will find revival and renewal and committment and sacrifice. Oh wait, heaven forbid we talk about sacrifice, yet it comes with the terrirory in a Christian context. We are to be living sacrifices. Church is really a place for the beleiver to be trained to go out and compell the sinner to come in, to win the lost and then the saved sinner comes in to become a disciple as well.
“If church is not a fun place to be, where we engage in community and worship and learning of God and are challenged to change our lives, then why go?” I wonder how the underground churches in China and other closed countries worship. Is there printed scripture, spirited music and 71 mintues of worship. They only wish they could have spirited music, printed scripture and the don’t want a “short” 71 minute service. They want to remian in the presence of God with the people of God. I understad that they can’t have spirited music and woudl if they could and they can’t have printed scripture in many places but they would if they could but some of this other stuff. These underground Churches are growing inspite of their deplorable condition becuase God is there and he lives inside of those people and it shows.
I realize that we need to be inviting, I just think we have lost the focus today in the modern church. Our attitude today seems to be “It really is all about us and God can come if he wants to” I will get off the soap box now.
Josh Husted on Mon, July 28, 2008
While the list is good and it does have some helpful tips, I see a major point missing:
JESUS!
If the “called out” are not going to talk about the One who called them out, then the rest of the list would be of no value.
zadriel on Mon, July 28, 2008
Todd, In the years I’ve been reading here, many discussions/arguments have centered around being seeker targeted or God centered. I get it, we will forever be discussing the immanence and the transcendence of God. Of course we should be concerned with connecting with the unchurched (God IS immanent) AND of course it should be more than about ME (God is transcendent) and really should be centered on praise of His holiness.
My question is this. For fun, why don’t you let me (or you could do it) write an opening topic that basically centers around this idea…. “Cite guiding principles and real world examples of how we can target the “whats in it for me” culture and attract them but teach them to “give their lives away in service and sacrifice like the risen Lord they are hopefully finding at the service they were attracted to.”
In other words, we need this whole (Its about the lost) vs (no, its about God and becoming like Christ) thing to stop! The point is you are BOTH right. It has to occur. I suggest instead of spending one more stupid post arguing about either side of the same coin… why don’t we constructively share some ideas for how to reach the lost, but transform them.
I have to tell you one of my biggest struggles has been how do you target a WIIFM service that is focused on felt needs and actually get those same folks to receive Christ and then grow into self sacrfice. Often I wonder if the “way” you reach them creates a self centered environment.
The point is… we have to reach them. And you can’t reject people or cause huge cultural stumbling blocks and then expect them to overcome that to come to Christ. So, we DO need to be friendly. But you also cannot go so far reaching them that you create an environment that makes more of what they all ready are… self centered humans.
I think we need a topic on how to reach them creatively BUT how to integrate them into a discipleship program that produces the image of Christ. And frankly we need some more honesty on BOTH sides. We need seeker folks to be honest and evaluate and see that there is a LOT of selfishness being promoted. Then we need some of the “focus only how great God is crowd” to admit that a lot of times they have really missed the boat in being able to reach new folks.
What do you think todd?
Jim W. on Mon, July 28, 2008
Sirs: Foster should try the local theater, movie house or live drama, touring rock group, wal-mart, grocery store or marathon, etc. But the Church should be the place where oe goes to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, to hear a word from Him, and then to fellowship with the people of God, and to serve Him in conjunction with His people. The list is painful to read except for a few, very few items such as feeling the presence of God (highly subjective thing) and how dos one know when a pastor i speaking with humiliy and authority (after all, we are so esily fooled). It is a grief to even read the list due to the fact that it does not deal with the absolutely critical issues.
Nick A on Mon, July 28, 2008
Some of the comments I see in this post would definitely turn off a non-believer or even a serious Christian. I wonder how you can connect with seekers or the lost with that kind of attitude.In general, the lost are selfish and are only thinking of themselves. When we make it about “them” we are displaying everything that Christ was about. He came to earth for THEM. Did Christ not call us to feed His sheep if we love him? For God so loved the WORLD that HE GAVE… We must give as well and meet them on their terms, not on our overly “spiritual” terms that the lost cannot even understand or see yet.
Todd, thanks for asking the questions—someone needs to because it’s not getting done as is.
Jim W. on Tue, July 29, 2008
As to the turn off, it would seem as if the whole thing is about Him and then Them. Why did Jesus treat the Syrophenician woman with silence, speak in her presence about being sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (and she was not a Jew), and that it was not meet to take the cildren’s bread and to cast it to dogs (Mt.15:21-28). Clearly there is a paradoxical intervention involved here that the individual needs to hear. Humility is not easily come by.
Sheri on Wed, July 30, 2008
Very typically consumer-driven diatribe…How about…
“Is there a place where I can serve here?”
instead of “Is everyone, and everything, and every word, every giggle, every tingle serving ME?”
David White on Mon, August 03, 2009
If you are worried about the 71 min then you need to ask yourself if I am worried about the message that God put in the ministers heart to deliver to his people.
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