There are many in my church who habitually occupy the last pews in our Sanctuary.

It's not too bad a problem during the divine service where the pews are pretty much filled, but in Sabbath School (where low attendance is already a problem) the few that come like to stay scattered. When asked to come forward, most come--but they soon go back to old habits.

I, myself, am just happy that people are coming to church. However, comments like "those who sit near the back are just not interested (or part of the way out of the church already)" are floating around.

Can someone come up with a tactful method of 1. Making people come near the front or
2. Getting others focused on more important matters than where other worshipers are sitting.

Is this a problem in other churches?

If I sit near the back it is to get a full view of the fellowship and experience "everything"--not to be disrespectful to the minister or to spend my time chatting.

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Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Rom. 12:12 NLT

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Also, as part of my Deacon's duties, I take up the offering, so, it is easier to sit in the back so as not to disturb others when I get up.

In our SS time, we break up into small groups and meet in different places, that takes care of scattered participants.

As long as they are quiet, probably paying attention, let them sit where they want, unless of course, you want to rope off the last several rows of pews. You can always place a sign on them saying "Reserved."

I remember learning that each person is either tacitile, aural or visual.

Those who are "touchy feely" tacitile types like to sit at the front. Those who like to see the service sit near the middle (best view of the worship experience--like the middle seats of a theatre) and aural people who want to hear the message (and like to talk) tend to be more at the back.

I tested this theory once by asking questions of those who I know sit in certain areas and listening to the words that they used. The theory seemed to be correct! This leads me to the question: Are most SDA's aural?

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Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Rom. 12:12 NLT

I like to hear so I sit there.

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

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Edward F Sutton

Remember the story in Luke 12 where a man pushed himself to the front only because he wanted Jesus to get his brother to divide his inheritance with him?

If you look in Christ's Object Lessons, it makes it clear that even though the man was "up front," he wasn't listening.

What was in his heart (lust for money) blocked his reception more than his physical distance from Christ.

Now, for more practical matters: I'd love to get my hands on Daryl's quote and read it to the congregation!!!

Mrs. White personally knew the man who started the Chatham SDA church (William Ward Simpson) and mentioned him as Brother S. in her book "Evangelism." Whatever she says I believe has direct influence on our congregation.

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Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Rom. 12:12 NLT

[This message has been edited by Andrew Marttinen (edited April 20, 2001).]

quote:

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Asked by Andrew Marttinen:
How do you get people to move to the front of the Sanctuary?

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(Sorry, I couldn't resist )

[This message has been edited by me again (edited April 20, 2001).]

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Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Rom. 12:12 NLT

It's pretty easy to get me to move closer to the front. Just have someone else do the sound.

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Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Rom. 12:12 NLT

From back pews to front pews : a local Church symptom of a bigger problem that manifests in scattered pew sitters and too much room to choose from among the mostly empty pews.

Idea:

The Pastor & Church Board & Church officers meet and build a workable plan to change the concept of Church from inactive ("Laissez faire"); to "if we don't do it , it won't get done." If the pastor has only assisted with public evangelism and never brought people into the Church by his personal efforts co-operating with God, the pastor gets material from places like the Canadian office of "The Quiet Hour" & training from someone like Pastor Roy West & the Quiet Hour materials & become trained specifically one on one to personally bring individuals and families into the Church through Jesus and their personal efforts - then teach what they learn. After an NAD Survey 80% of SDA Pastors had never personally brought anyone into the Church through Jesus and their personal efforts. You can not teach what you do not know.

Then starting with:
Rope off back pews 3-4 rows for parents with small children.

The next 3-4 rows for members who did not invite & did not bring visitors or people they are studying with them,that day.

The front section is roped off for members who have invited & brought visitors that day. For members who are studying with folks and have invited them and / or are bringing them that day. (Preferably have brought them that day. Arranged child care @ Church & visitors menu driven potluck and an introductory meeting with another SDA family or families {that are pre-prepared for this introductory meeting to form Bible based friendships with the visiting family or families.) Both the SDA family that brings folks and the ones forming friendships are all doing a workshop with common planning to stay on the same page & help each other's agenda.

A deadline is given the local church with specific goals. Such as (example of what I mean.)

13 weeks to fill the front section under the above conditions. After that date,if the front stays empty, the pastor starts dropping one or two preaching Sabbaths a month from that local church and replaces it with home visitations and training local Church officers & their spouses {that he selects to go with him & his wife as they visit the local members on an ongoing basis to uncover what's wrong, teach the members how to receive Jesus personally & how to work for souls personally.

The local Church officers pick up the slack on local preaching & teaching.

The ones who refuse to work for souls especially get worked with to uncover objections and excuses. Objections are an honest statement that if the problems were solved, they would do whatever they were currently objecting to. Excuses are deceptive attempts to get out of whatever it is and they don't intend to do it anyway. Removing the excuse just calls for more excuses to be given.

Pastoral visitations will find stubborn unrecantable problems, that will have to be dealt with, that may require Church Board & Church Body votes. When irreconcilable log jams are cleared away growth will return & God will wake up and help all the honest, be they limited, or multi-talented, quick, or slow, young or old, rich or poor. All the willing He will help.

All the pews will fill & keep the sectioning setup to reward the busy members, accommodate the parents with children with special needs, and set goals and rewards for the members who would if some would personally help them to. Train other local members to do that with them and help them, till they can inturn help others.

Pastors talk it over with your boards & officers & see if agreement can be reached ? Goals must have rewards for being met & consequences for being missed. A support system to enforce rewards and consequences must be in place and functioning and all on the same page prior to announcing it.

The front pews are lonely and cold and the need warm active searching people to be there with their repentant tears and hopeful prayers and grateful amen's.

The middle pews are feeling confused because so many sit for a while and move around so much. Their behinds reflect the temperature of their spiritual thermostats and the pews are catching the flu from the chill.

The back pews have arthritis and cry for relief because so many big people sit on them so much it is killing them. The little kids are so much lighter and smile so much more. The back pews miss their bright little faces and honest trusting questions.

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Edward F Sutton

[This message has been edited by Edward F Sutton (edited May 12, 2001).]

You have some real good ideas here.
I think I'll plagerize [ ] them and share with the next board meeting.

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Examine me, O LORD, and prove me: try my reins and my heart. Ps.26:2
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in men.Ps.118:8

Gerry,
Copy all you want, if they favorably respond and church gets more members qualifying for upfront, let me know.

PS. You could always bribe the church grandmas by saying they could cuddle your grandbabies (but their husbands & kids had to invite visitors and they & the visitors had to sit up front so they could qualify. Put a time limit on um and pass the kids down the row.)

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Edward F Sutton

[This message has been edited by Edward F Sutton (edited May 12, 2001).]

The Alpena cxhurch has a lot of young children, and they allk sit towards the back with their parents.

Worked real well.

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Examine me, O LORD, and prove me: try my reins and my heart. Ps.26:2
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in men.Ps.118:8

The problem is, nobody can seem to find it. I did a word search without success.

When I have more time I am going to do another more exhaustive search.

Amelia

P.S. I only sit 3 rows back, so thats almost in front. Isnt it?

Have you tried setting out plates of cookies?

That should get them moving.

Any idea on where that quote is that you mentioned re sitting in the back pews?

People like to start out where they plan to sit for the service, and for various reasons - children, health, etc, they need to be near the entrance. Others - and some of the youth feel this way - don't want to be visible by the whole church. It's sometimes self-consciousness. Some emotional people like to be able to slip away without disrupting things.

But hymn books are great "placesavers", and I think you can call folk forward whenever you feel it's necessary. They move grudgingly, but they move if it's done pleasantly.

Being a soundsystem person my self, i could suggest turning down the sound on the michs & repositioning speakers to direct sound more toward the front of the church instead of projecting it into such a large comfort area & talking softer (unless the people actually want to ignore sermons & pulpit activity anyhow.) But it seems a better solution to fill the church with loads of new families & babies and save the back 1/3 of the pews for parents with very small children & provide those parents (and interested kids) an ear phone with a reciver pack to hear by comfortably from back there while you creativly manipulate the sound system to "encourage" more upfront closeness.

This did not prevent some from thinking and acting "outside the box."

I commented to a church member who was there about what the penalty would be for removing a stick and sitting down. She smiled and said that here family had been brave enough to do it--marched right into the cordened-off row. I guess they got used to sitting at a certain place in our local church...

About sound systems--the College Park church has speakers at the back of the main sanctuary. My dad (who attends there) says that the rear is the best place to hear a sermon legibly for those who are older or who have trouble with the accent of the preacher.