Three Elements We Think Every Church Service Needs

From time to time, I get to visit other church services. Sometimes, I’m consulting. Sometimes, I’m preaching. And sometimes, I’m attending. I absolutely LOVE seeing what God is doing in churches all over the country.

Here are three things I think EVERY church service should have, to help your congregation connect with what’s happening.

1. A Welcome: A great welcome is like a flight attendant speech. Hopefully, people won’t go searching for the emergency exit during the sermon, but someone needs to stand up and explain what’s happening. Welcome guests, share important info, and explain what’s going to happen that day at church. And here’s a pro tip: One of the most helpful things you can say in the welcome is how long the service will last. Trust me, every guest is wondering about this. If you’re a part of LAUNCH PAD, I’ll show you a real church example of a great welcome and talk about what makes it great.
2. A Giving Talk: If you receive an offering in the service, take one or two minutes and get intentional. Let people know what is about to happen and ask them to participate. It’s not guest friendly to just pass plates without context. One of the simplest ways to set up the offering is to tell stories about what the church is doing with the money. You could talk about how many babies are in the nursery, you could share a testimony of life change or you could read a Scripture. I’ve seen pastors, other staff members and volunteers do a great job with this important moment. If you want to learn more about how to do a Giving Talk, plus get some free, done-for-you scripts, download our free Giving Talk Report.
3. A Worship Setup: In most churches, there’s singing. But I’ve rarely heard a worship leader or choir director explain WHY we’re singing. During those first few bars of music, this is a great opportunity to intentionally connect this service element to the big picture. This isn’t the time to ramble, or awkwardly try to work in a phrase from the chorus. Think about WHY we sing and briefly explain it to the congregation.

If you work at these three elements, your church service will get better and better. And these moments of clarity will really help people take next steps.

I hope you have a great week!