One of the great joys of pastoring Bible Baptist Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is being able to pick a service, any service, and walk into a thriving, bustling sanctuary full of expectant people. It is especially comforting to realize they are not there because I have beaten them over the head to attend church faithfully. They seem to be there because they want to be, because they enjoy being there. It seems to run fairly deep in our church’s DNA since the overwhelming majority of members attend all the services on Sunday, as well as on Wednesday night. It makes it difficult to pick a favorite service because they’re all so full of life.

It’s not that way everywhere I go, whether preaching in an independent Baptist church or attending someplace different on vacation. Our family was vacationing in Colorado recently, and I was reminded that finding a church to attend is not always easy. The independent Baptist church we sought to attend was 45 minutes away and having Sunday morning services at the lake, requiring us to bring food and lawn chairs to fellowship with brothers in Christ from other congregations. They cancel Sunday night services through the summer, evidently due to lack of participation. Another church in town that was having a Sunday morning service had canceled Sunday night because the leadership would be working on a project and wouldn’t be there to conduct the service.

Plenty of churches are capable of attracting large Sunday morning crowds, but the fact that they are nearly empty for most other services seems to imply that the grand production on Sunday morning is more responsible for bringing them in than a real commitment to the Lord’s Day and a hunger to hear God’s Word. I’ve noticed a few characteristics about churches that have a healthy attendance for all their services, and many stem from the church’s view of Sunday and services in general. I will list these as challenges by which readers may measure their view of Sunday services.

1. Treat Sunday as the first fruits of your time—give God the first and your best. The early church clearly gathered on the first day of the week and served as a testimony that honoring Christ for His work at Calvary was a priority for them. We get to spend the other six days divided up among our careers, homes, and hobbies. It seems fitting and right to give the Lord His own day.

   Also consider giving Him the whole day, just not part of it. The practice of honoring the Lord for a whole day had precedent in the Sabbath law from creation before evolving into the first day of the week after the resurrection. In both cases, the emphasis was on the whole day. It is healthy and strengthening for a church to offer members the opportunity to honor the Lord corporately the entire day. It is a great witness to a busy culture when Christians take a whole day out of their just-as-busy schedules and submit it to a kingdom much larger than their own little culture.

2. Make the decision once, not every week—the family who has to decide every week whether to go to church has already lost half the battle. Every church has those members you know are going to be there every time you go. That is because they made the decision once and that settled it. The basic question is, “Are you going to be a faithful worshiper or not?” Answering “yes” to that question answers a thousand other questions at the same time. While it may not be easy, it really is simple.
3. Have a high threshold for missing—what will it take for you to miss? What level of discomfort or sickness? What relative or friend can displace your time with other believers worshiping Him? Be honest about whether His day gets the short end of the stick when the schedule gets tight. Who do you feel should give up their time when you need more? I am always thrilled at the testimony of Bible Baptist when we have as many cars in the parking lot as Walmart on snow days. I’m not advocating that there is innate spirituality in putting oneself in danger to go to church when it snows, but why should Walmart be worth the danger when church isn’t? It’s also humorous how many people are too sick on Sunday, but aren’t on Monday. Decide to draw a threshold high enough that says God deserves your highest effort.
4. Don’t be casual—it is trendy these days to treat church like any other place we go. Yet, it still makes a statement when we refuse to treat His presence too casually. I realize that our culture rarely dresses up for anything any more. What better way and time to make a statement than to exhibit outwardly what you should feel inwardly? This is a very special time. Any church dress code should be whatever comes to mind immediately after thinking, “I’m going into the presence of God.” God doesn’t give brownie points for ties and skirts. But, studies are numerous and undeniable that we treat something better the more effort we put into preparing for it. Consider this when it comes to food and drinks, as well. The focus is meant to be on feeding our souls, not our bodies. Our concentration and that of those around us can be hindered when we munch on snacks we bring to church. Another form of being casual is getting up and leaving. While there are viable reasons occasionally, anyone standing up in a crowd of people who are seated is obviously going to take the focus off of God and place it onto himself.
5. Be on time—are you habitually late? Excuses always exist to be late and there are always ways to be early. This can be a matter of prioritizing God’s time. Being there ready and in your place when the first song starts is beneficial. It makes a statement to your family about what you find most important to be on time for. We have ladies with several children who constantly amaze me by getting everyone ready and to church on time every time.
6. Be open during invitation—every invitation is an opportunity to respond to something God wants in your life. Some messages will leave you needing to correct something, while others may leave you needing to strengthen something else. Some serve to confirm what is already living in your heart. Ask God directly what your response should be; assume that He will speak to you every service. James says that the danger of hearing without doing is, in effect, deceiving yourself. Enough invitations without some kind of response to God may make it hard to feel much conviction in the future.
7. Participate—be a part of the service. When it’s time to sing, join in. When it’s time to give, do your part. When the preaching is going on, look at the one speaking and listen intently. I’m amused to go to an Oklahoma State University basketball game and see how much people paid to sit in the closest seats to the action, then go to the house of God and find people crowding around the furthest seats away. Make a statement and develop a mentality that fills in the front seats and says to visitors, “We want to get as close to what’s going on as possible!”

On Sunday, your church needs to be the most coveted place to be in your community. It needs to be the center of truth and divine presence wherever your church meets. It’s infectious and will spread whenever it is a reality in the pew. Let them see that an independent Baptist church might be more conservative, but we are anything but backward and boring. It’s where the action is!