If the definition of Entertainment is to capture and hold someone’s attention for an extended period of time, then that definition fits every single growing church I know.

Does entertaining equate to watered-down? No. If it did, then many churches experiencing tremendous growth, conversions and servers would not be seeing such amazing life-change.

Does entertaining mean giving our best and being as creative and dynamic as possible to go from a mere weekend service to a weekend experience? Yes, it does. And that might include ‘entertainment’ aspects that relate to a media-savvy culture that’s found the local church to be boring, uninspiring and ineffective for years.

If being ‘entertaining’ reaches people for Christ, engages the old and young alike and results in life-change, then bring on the entertainment!

Okay okay, I get that rock is bad, but country is okay isn’t it??? Please??

Dude what did you do on vacation?

Define the term “boring” for me in this context. What do you consider boring? Does “boring” come down to a certain musical style?

Is it also “boring” just to have expostional preaching?

Are you saying that all the churches that you consider “boring” are in decline?

Does a church need to have a band playing Nirvana and AC/DC to be considered exciting and passionate followed by a topical sermon on being a better father, husband, and/or son to be “exciting”?

Does God need all of man’s gimmicks and cleverness to bring people to salvation?

Worship is not entertainment but it should be entertaining and engaging.  Think about the opposite - if worship was uninteresting and unengaging, it would then be like our grandpappy’s church which has led people to the stereotype that church is boring.  Hence, God is boring and the Christian life is boring.

If that’s what we want to convey to people then yes, lets go back to Egypt because this land that flows with Good Singing and Quality is ungodly.

of course im not serious sam i was just saying how most people think today, i want to ask a question, a lot of people say they have to be entertained, did jesus have a band with him to get the people to listen to him, he had thousands follow him to the hillsides just to listen to his words, and he told preachers to preach HIS gospel, he told believers that signs would follow them, music is good very good, but it can not take the holy spirits place in a meeting. the holy spirit is there to change peoples life, to heal to set free, to make whole, he is our helper in the gospel ,the preacher preaches the word, and the holy spirit honors the word of god, if you preach healing , then he will heal people to confirm the word, the word of god is not empty it will do what he sent it to do and the holy spirit will see that his word does not come back void of whatever was preached, IF WE WILL ONLY BELIEVE.  mans efforts are a waste of time without the power of the holy spirit, i am like my uncle said, i had rather be on a creek bank fishing than be in a church service without the anointing being present. its like dry bones, the preachers need to proclain, oh four winds come and make these bones live, THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE.

i agree with the word, so pat god on the back. people73

Ok, so here’s what we’ll do.  We’ll make church unengaging, monotonous and boring again.  Then we’ll get all our entertainment from the secular media.  Oh, but wait—isn’t that bad too?

I have no problem with an exciting worship experience.  After all worshipping God should be joyous and entertaining.  At least that’s the way I think David would put it as he danced before the ark of the covenant.

Is worship any less spiritual if it’s actually fun?

Rob,
joyous and being entertained or not the same thing. God should be the sole focus of our worship.

Not sure what “party booping” is??

I will ask you the same question. How do you define “boring”? Does it have to do with musical styles?

Again, WE are NOT!!! the focus of worship. God alone is the focus of our worship. Being entertained and worshipping GOD are not the same thing. How is a band playing Nirvana, Friends in low places, AC/DC, etc. in any way shape or form considered worshipping God. But yet people are entertained. The focus is on man not on God. We gather together as a church to WORSHIP God and not as Spurgeon would say, “to amuse the goats”

Nobody has ever been able to answer this question for me.  Why do we put worship first and have visitors sit through songs they don’t know with our insiders motions when most often the visitors and friends have come to hear the teaching?  By the time we’ve gotten to the teaching, they feel more like outsiders than when they first walked in.

Does anybody know why we do this?  Whether in a church setting or a evangelistic rally setting?

To argue that a complete experience in worship is captured in a few songs on Sundays is a very narrow definition of worship. Worship is a way of living...and it doesn’t not require guitars...or rock songs. However, worship that is compelling to a majority of “outsiders” is rocking out in the name of Jesus Christ. Do we need to rock to praise God? No...we need to live like Jesus. Is there a higher likely hood that more people will be drawn to Christ by a very compelling group of people worshiping to music without restraint, aka rocking out? Yes, I believe so.

Just my thoughts.

This entire question is simple.  Is God fun?  Is worshipping Him fun? 

The answer to both should be yes.  Yes, God is fun and Worshipping (Honoring, Singing to Him) should also be fun (joyous in biblical terms).

Is fun entertaining?  Yes.

Then, what’s everyone’s gripe about.  It’s all semantics.  Worship is not about entertaining people, it’s about entertaining God.  However, the byproduct of true worship is that both the Deity being worshipped is please (entertained, enjoying the experience) and so is the worshipper.

There’s no BIBLICAL reason why worship should be unengaging and unenjoyable.

If the worship in your church unenjoyable, perhaps God is not enjoying it either. 

This is not to say that sermons must not challenge people to grow in their faith.  I’m simply stating that our worship services MUST be engaging and therefore entertaining.

ENTERTAINMENT IS NOT A BAD WORD.

If you want to counter what I’m saying give me Solid Scriptural evidence that what I’m saying is wrong, please.

I use music for worship.

I am a musician.

I am COMPELLED by scripture to do what I do for God with excellence.

So, I pursue excellence in the music I play for worship. Simple.

When I am excellent at that it is entertaining.

Do I try harder not to be entertaining? Or do I ignore God’s command to do what I do for Him with all my heart soul mind and strength… with excellence?

I’ve made my decision. If people are entertained, it’s not my problem. If I don’t do what I do to the best of my ability, with all the excellence, authenticity, and passion I can muster, then it’s MY problem…

Here’s the short version: the purpose of worship is for the glorification of God by the fellowship and communion of saints through the teaching, singing, and preaching of God’s Holy Word.

That said, should people be entertained during worship?  If entertainment is the goal in doing worship, where the services, activities, and things done in “worship” are being done specifically for the amusement of people, instead of the glorification of God, then the answer is, “No.” This type of activity would be something other than true worship. 

After all, the synonym, “amusement,” comes from the “a-” prefix, denoting absence of, and, “muse,” which means, “thinking,” which would mean that brains need not be turned on in doing that activity.

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CS