Can We Improve Church? I Think So

I have a dear friend in Upstate New York. She is very active with her church, and I read a Facebook posting of her's that said now that the holidays are over, the Sunday services are once again almost empty.

She mentioned that for the Christmas Eve service, there was standing room only, and she expects it may be the same on Easter Sunday. When I was a kid, my Uncle was a preacher, and his church services were fun. Shouting, clapping, loud singing, and yes even some dancing. You would not fall asleep during those Sunday services. But I have a couple other ideas that might get people back into church on a regular basis.

Start with a countdown clock for the sermon. 15 minutes maximum. Put white boards on the back of the pews so young kids can draw. Maybe have singing and non-singing sections as well. But here is the big one.

Some churches do bingo, and the turnout is better than it is for the church service itself. Instead of bingo, make the Sunday collection a "50/50" deal. At the end of the service, there is a random drawing and one lucky parishioner takes home half of the collection money.The Church keeps the other half. Better odds than the lottery, and when all is said and done, the church will take in more money than it would with half of the pews empty. It may be exteme, but we are in an age when families seem to have forgotten the value of their church.