The DNA Update for United Methodists for August 2014 with Dr. Don Nations

The DNA Update for United Methodists for August 2014 with Dr. Don Nations
In This Issue: 
•Four Steps to Improve Worship
•Someone Needs to Act!
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Four Steps to Improve Worship 
1.Eliminate distractions.  Poor sound systems, flickering lights, burned out lights, the wrong date on the bulletin, uncomfortable seats, lack of directional signs, bad coffee, etc. all can distract people and lower the perceived quality of the worship experience.
2.Improve transitions.  Poor transitions can make even good content seem disjointed and mediocre.  Watch for dead spots. Make sure people are in place and ready to speak instead of waiting for them to come to a microphone.  Each element should flow into the next instead of feeling like a jarring turn.
3.Align the elements.  Everything in the worship service should tie together.  Each service should have a clear theme and primary message which is being communicated.  Each prayer, scripture text, reading, etc. should further the delivery of that message.
4.Know the target audience.  You must know who you desire to reach with the service in order to be able to effectively design it.  The target audience determines the language you use, the elements you include, the stories told, the announcements made, etc.  No service is equally effective at reaching all kinds of people.
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Someone Needs to Act!
The following are true for most of the churches in the US: 
•Worship attendance is lower than it was five years ago
•Finances are tight
•Maintaining the facility is a challenge
•There are relatively few families with young children in church, fewer than in the past
If this is true for your church there is a reality people must understand – the situation is not going to get better unless the church acts in significantly different ways.  This is not going to happen unless someone takes the bull by the horns and keeps raising the issue until the church takes meaningful action.  This is the time for leadership to be demonstrated by clergy and lay people.  Will the road be easy?  No.  Will there be resistance to change by some in the church?  Yes.  Is the call to share the life-changing message of Jesus worth the work?  Yes.  Someone needs to act.  Is that someone you?
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Contact us today to find out how we can support your efforts – don@dnacoaching.com. 
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