Top 5

Ways to Kill a MS worship service

1. Use long and dramatic prayers. Prolonged use of the “prayer voice” or recapping the entire talk in the final prayer is a great way to drive away students checking out your ministry. Prayer is all about talking to God - not impressing core students or an onlooking parent.

2. Don’t even attempt any humor. Hey, I still watch Saturday Night Live and most of their stuff isn’t funny - but at least they’re trying. Students are quick to forgive humor that bombs over a service that is stiff and unemotional. Use humor as a way to open eyes and hearts to God’s truth.

3. Use as much insider language as possible. Alienate people. Find ways to talk about “them” and “us.” Always talk about church like a club that you have to get in to. Talk down about people outside the church and how they fail to live up to your standards.

4. Don’t allow crowd dynamics. When you ask a question to the audience, the room should get out of control. Be OK with that - some of the best humor and awkwardness can appear during an improv time. Interaction is key to this generation, it would be a shame to be a talking head for 45 minutes with a few songs at the end.

5. Never use students on stage. Everything will be better quality if run by adults. You will also turn away students. Every student is asking, “is there anyone like me in this room” and if they see students on stage for a testimony, on stage playing in a band, doing a skit or welcoming them and connecting them with someone from their school, there’s a good chance they’ll stick