In their recent book, Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible (2013), Thom and Joani Schultz’ shared “10 Wishes of a Pew Sitter.” They suggest that people attending worship really want their pastors to
- end the “meet and greet” time during worship,
- avoid preaching a 3 point sermon,
- invest time in their congregants – especially away from the church campus,
- invite their input,
- ensure that musical leaders don’t sing so loudly the congregation does not hear their own singing,
- banish fill-in-the-blank sermon guides,
- allow coffee drinking during worship,
- feature a more participatory form of worship,
- relax and spend more time on non-church activities, and
- get rid of the pews.
So What?
The list above reflects my interpretation of the authors’ declarations. While I agree with most items on the list, I know that if the pew sitters in the two congregations I serve were surveyed some of these items would fail to receive even a simple majority.
- Which of these 10 do you feel belong on the list? Do not reflect the views of those in your congregation?
- What items would you add to this list? Why?