How to Start a New Service: Your Church Can Reach New People

Rating:
Summary: Step by step
Review: Dr. Charles Arn presents a step-by-step approach at deciding if, how, when and why to start a new church service. Anyone in church leadership would benefit at the orderly approach and abundance of helpful information presented. May be a liitle dry to those not interested in the area of church growth.

Rating:
Summary: Step by step
Review: Dr. Charles Arn presents a step-by-step approach at deciding if, how, when and why to start a new church service. Anyone in church leadership would benefit at the orderly approach and abundance of helpful information presented. May be a liitle dry to those not interested in the area of church growth.

Rating:
Summary: Superb road map for churches considering a new service
Review: For any church considering, or that should be considering, adding a second (or third) service, this is an invaluable tool. Arn's focus is not on duplicating an existing service, but on designing a new service, one different from the present service, intended to reach a clearly defined target group.

In my chuch consulting work, as I help churches identify and remove barriers to growth, I almost always give this book to churches that are at the point of needing to add a second service. I recommend that they form a Worship Options Task Force that will then use this book as a road map for their work: defining who it is they want to reach with their new service, then making appropriate decisions about time, place, style of music, etc., based on who their target group is. This book can lead such a planning group step by step through this process. It can also help the group with the critical decision of when to add the new service as well as how to gain congregational support for the new service.

Arn estimates that half of all congregations are good candidates for adding a second service. From my work, my observation is that that percentage is on the high side. A church may meet the numerical criteria Arn outlines, yet not be ready to add a second service; there are sometimes other other needs or barriers to growth that need to be addressed before the new service issue is addressed. But even though I might not apply this book's recommendations to 50% of all churches, for those churches where a second (or third) service is needed, this book is a wonderful and practical tool.

Rating:
Summary: Superb road map for churches considering a new service
Review: For any church considering, or that should be considering, adding a second (or third) service, this is an invaluable tool. Arn's focus is not on duplicating an existing service, but on designing a new service, one different from the present service, intended to reach a clearly defined target group.

In my chuch consulting work, as I help churches identify and remove barriers to growth, I almost always give this book to churches that are at the point of needing to add a second service. I recommend that they form a Worship Options Task Force that will then use this book as a road map for their work: defining who it is they want to reach with their new service, then making appropriate decisions about time, place, style of music, etc., based on who their target group is. This book can lead such a planning group step by step through this process. It can also help the group with the critical decision of when to add the new service as well as how to gain congregational support for the new service.

Arn estimates that half of all congregations are good candidates for adding a second service. From my work, my observation is that that percentage is on the high side. A church may meet the numerical criteria Arn outlines, yet not be ready to add a second service; there are sometimes other other needs or barriers to growth that need to be addressed before the new service issue is addressed. But even though I might not apply this book's recommendations to 50% of all churches, for those churches where a second (or third) service is needed, this book is a wonderful and practical tool.