My life allows me to visit churches and meet with a lot of Senior Pastors. I’ve been meaning to post some of my learning’s and observations from these experiences and conversations. Here is a list of common mistakes I see churches making at their largest gatherings

1. Transitions in a service are your most powerful weapon. Many churches miss the power of the transition. Transitions simply move people from one point to the next. Here are some ways to use transitions to your advantage; Create tension for people, tension results in growth and it causes people to think differently. Tell a story that connects people to where you want them to go. Don’t be afraid of silence. People need to think and process on their own. Make people laugh! Humor is emotion and emotion is needed for people to move things from their head to their heart. Use things that involve all the senses.

2. Error on causal. Create an informal, safe, I want to be there environment.

3. Learn from places like Starbucks, The Apple Store and Disney. Take a field trip and learn from those who do it best. Simply ask, what do they know about people, comfort, environment and atmosphere? I bet you will observe a lot and find many transferable learning’s.

4. Don’t over greet and make sure men are greeting.

5. Please allow coffee inside the place you meet. This not only set’s the tone but it allows people to enjoy something that makes them feel safe. The bottom line is how can we have a conversation about life if people can’t have their coffee.

6. Make sure the tempature and Lighting are right. People won”t come back if they are freezing or to hot.

7. Put young people in most visible places – Hide the more “mature” people. This involves greeters, ushers and most importantly those on stage. Always error on the side of “young.”

8. Know your end game – what are you asking people to do next – provide something concrete. Don’t just have a nice, it feels good service. Move people to action, response and next steps. This takes planning and collaboration.

9. Avoid building a consumer mindset. I personally believe churches that have this mindset will struggle to survive in a few years.

10. Learn who your audience is and what they want. Be careful in assuming what you think they want. Study them, ask them, survey them and build a relationship with them.