As I contemplate your article and you're question "What should we do to get people to stay after visiting our church?”, I can't help think of what Paul says about the Gospel in 1 Cor 2:1-5 and 1 Thes 1:5 - that the Gospel is not only word and deed but also the demonstration of power. As a worship leader, there is a constant tension between "Playing skillfully to the Lord" and exalting Jesus in such a way that the testimony of with worship reveals Christ in power. My secret goal for my worship ministry is to glorify the Savior in such a way the unsaved people respond to him during worship and enter into a salvation relationship with God. I know of only a few cases in the last 20 years when that has happened.

Sometimes I wonder if no one showed up on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening except the worship team and pastor/preacher, and Jesus walked in, would He come back? At the same time, we have unsaved or unchurched people coming (who don't have the same priorities that Jesus has) who are voracious consumers.

You hit the nail on the head saying that they need Jesus. Heck, we all do. But I would add the unsaved and unchurched want something different than what they need. They want a place that has caring people who are interested in developing a relationship with them. They want a place that respectable and will support their idea of being a “good person.” They want a place with they feel that the sense of spirituality is being fulfilled. They want a place that will teach their kids morals because they are dual income families how hardly have enough time to eat dinner and get their kids in bed let alone teaching morality. They want a place that their parents and friends would like and affirm their attendance.

But they are people who have been beat up by the world and need a place of healing and refuge. They are people who have gotten themselves in serious debt buying things they hoped would fulfill them but left them feeing empty and disillusioned. They are people who have been lied to, cheated, used and abused by other people, organizations, and even sometimes religion. They come hopeful and anxious. They hope that this is “the church” were only angels go to and everything is as perfect as they imagine heaven is. They are anxious, and slightly cynical, that they may be disappointed that this church falls short of their expectations. As Rick Warren says, they come looking for relief. What they need is life changing and restoring power of God.

As I see it, if you want to make the unchurched and unsaved come the second, third, forth… time, you have to give then what they want. If you want to make them a member of the Kingdom, you have to give them Jesus. I don’t think that you can do one without the other. The work of balancing these tensions is difficult but necessary to make an impact for God in our communities.

Great article –