Nobody wants a church to fail, but many churches are faced with that danger every day. Going to church is an essential part of American life, but each year fewer Americans are attending Sunday worship services. While over half of churches have a steady and loyal congregation, over half are not seeing any real growth.
If your church is struggling, it’s time to take a look at what you have to offer people who attend. Maybe you aren’t doing anything wrong, but maybe you aren’t doing a few things right either.
Here are some tips to help revitalize your congregation and bring new life to your Sunday worship.
Liven Things Up
If you’ve ever been to one of the mega churches, you know they can feel like a Sunday worship rock concert. The talented band and the modern music they play energize the audience. But, you don’t have to be a mega church to energize your congregation. Though you might need a church band.
If you’re still only singing hymns out of a hymn book, while the choir leads, you’re failing to adapt to the changes churches are seeing as they enter into the 21st century. Congregations want to feel moved by the music. They want a beat that they can move with and raise their hands in praise as they worship and sing His name.
A church band can start out small. If all you have is a guitar player who can sing, that makes a great jumping off point. Others will be inspired to join. The important thing is you’re making strides.
Keep the choir. But don’t be afraid of adding some diversity, too.
Live Stream Your Service
There are situations that will arise with your church members when they simply cannot attend. When they miss one Sunday worship service, you risk losing them the next Sunday as well. If they can’t make it to church, then bring the church to them.
Live streaming Sunday worship is a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. More churches are jumping on board to make sure their members don’t miss the Sunday message. The reason they do it is because it works. Ever since the pandemic started, we’ve been live streaming Mass every Sunday!
It’s not difficult to set up religious live streaming equipment. Identify members who are available to take turns overseeing it every Sunday.
Another benefit of lives streaming your Sunday worship service is potential visitors can sample your church prior to attending. It’s time to show off your dedication to the Lord.
Hire a Youth Pastor
There’s a real need to attract younger generations to church. After all, they are the future of the church. If your church is lacking younger members, it may also lack a future.
Design your church to appeal to young people who will grow with the church. One way to achieve this is to hire a youth pastor. Young people find it necessary to connect and be heard. The youth pastor you hire should be able to relate to younger generations. In fact, he or she should be fairly young themselves.
The youth pastor needs to also carry the overall church message, but find a way to do it in creative ways. Young people are active, and so often they learn by doing.
Young people enjoy getting out in the community and offering their Sunday worship services to those who need help. An added bonus: If the young people in your congregation are actively engaging in the community, they are making people aware of your church.
It’s estimated that over 7,000 churches close each year, yet this is a time when church is needed more than ever. Get input from your fellow parishioners to find out what suggestions they may have to attract new members. The more people you have on a problem the better the outcome will be.
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