An After-Easter Eval: Were You Seeker-Friendly or Seeker-Hostile?

by William Cowles

At first I thought I didn’t hear the pastor correctly. Toward the end of an excellent sermon about how Christians should respond to Jesus’ sacrifice, he said: “I assume you all get it or you wouldn’t be here.” That was a jolt. Really? There’s no room for doubters, searchers, or seekers? There’s nothing here for you if you don’t “get it?”

A lot of people probably visited your church on Easter, because it’s that one day a year when inexperienced, unknowing, doubters and questioners are almost guaranteed to be in the house.  And what would they think if they heard a statement like that? I’m pretty sure it would be, “Well, I don’t get it, and you clearly don’t get me. I won’t be back.”

I hope this wasn’t the message your unchurched Easter visitors heard, or that any future visitors will hear. Unfortunately, from experience visiting a lot of different brands and styles of churches, this type of message is delivered regularly on every Sunday of the year. Chances are, if a visitor hears it somewhere in your worship service, you won’t be aware of it because you “get it.” You’re not tuned in to be a questioning visitor.

Professor Charles Arn, Visiting Professor of Outreach at the Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, in Marion, IN, observes in his article, Is Your Church Seeker-Hostile?, that all church services are either “believer-targeted” or “seeker-targeted.” And, while both types should be “seeker-friendly,” most are not.

Professor Arn also identifies “seeker-hostile” elements as the activities, worship style, and language that are so unfamiliar to unchurched guests that it makes them uncomfortable, and they have no desire to return. Arn’s article offers a useful tool, the Service Evaluation Scale*, that church leaders can use to assess their church’s targeted audience and intended messaging. The tool helps churches plan and set appropriate goals for what and whom they are trying to accomplish in their worship services.

If we want the house to be packed at every service just as it is on Easter, then we can’t assume everyone is “getting it” just because they’re hearing it. Use the Service Evaluation Scale to see how your church can move from “seeker-hostile” to “seeker-friendly.”

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* Arn’s instructions on how to use his Scale for evaluating and planning services most effectively can be found at: http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/173816-charles-arn-your-church-seeker-hostile.html?p=1.