How Many By When

As the church positions herself to engage another year of service unto the Lord and the people of God, having an expectation of desired outcomes is going to be important. Critical to making such determinations is being aware of the pulse of the society around us. For many churches, the pews already know with certainty what the people are reluctant to acknowledge; empty pews is a sign of dissatisfaction and a lack of relevance. No matter what is said or done, at the end of the day the pews tell the true story; when the church meets the relevant needs of the people, the pews  become full and when it does not, the pews remain empty.

Attracting people to church is not as complicated as many may think. It first begins with asking the right questions in order to receive right answers. Finding out the relevant needs of people is a first step in working to meet those needs. When people’s needs are met, they usually return to the source of those met needs. Truth is, Sunday’s between 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. is possibly the most prime time of the entire weekend. During this time a plethora of events, activities and opportunities are present for people to engage themselves in lieu of being in worship.

As ardent churchgoers, we must be honest with ourselves; worship may catch them but it will not keep them. People are looking for something tangible to do for and with the church and the body of Christ. When the people of God are not engaged in ministry and activities that meet their needs during the week, they find some other means to stimulate their interest and satisfy their longings. Therefore, as we look toward 2012, the critical question for the church is how many unmet needs are there in the church and how many of those needs will the church satisfy within a reasonable period of time. Unmet needs are a sign of dissatisfaction, but when those same needs are met, signs of vitality will emerge throughout the congregation.

 I urge the church to identify the unmet needs within its body and find creative and innovative ways to meet and satisfy them.