Maybe you've said that before in a local church. How often do we see people visiting a particular faith community, in whatever context it might be, and then see them leave again.
Was the music off key? Was the welcoming lacking? Were the members of the church seemingly judgmental? Did the visitor not like dry, cheap biscuits? Surely they were not the reasons!
Larry Osborne writes a book called Sticky Church and the consensus is that effective small groups are what help to make a sticky church. In fact he goes on to outline that small groups help people interact and connect with each other, something of which you don't particularly get when you gather together for one hour or two a week on a Sunday morning.
Osborne's thoughts in Sticky Church are to align the teaching at the weekly gathering, with the teaching of the small groups. Sure to say, this would take some coordinating, and a shift in culture in many churches. Most of the small groups in my church are off doing their own thing (this can be either good or bad), and drawing people into a common theme would be difficult.
Nonetheless, to close the back door, maybe you need to get those discipleship groups happening effectively in the church.
All that being said, I have heard the music in your church, and it is a little off key!
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